Zortman Consumer Lawyers

John is a graduate of the University of Montana (honors) and University of Montana School of Law (high honors). After graduating from college, John worked as a truck driver, a fork lift operator and a teamster intern, helping him learn the value of hard work and an honest paycheck. John began his legal practice by serving as a law clerk for Chief United States District Court Judge Richard F. Cebull. He then worked in private practice, handling both civil and criminal cases. In 2009, John tried the case of McCollough v. Johnson, Rodenburg & Lauinger, which resulted in one of the...

Rob graduated from the University of Montana School of Law, with honors, in 2011. After graduating, he served as a law clerk to Justice Michael Wheat of the Montana Supreme Court. From there, he went to work for Montana Legal Services Association to help Montanans avoid foreclosure and litigate consumer debt issues. Rob joined Morrison, Sherwood, Wilson & Deola in 2013. His practice is focused on consumer rights issues, bankruptcy, foreclosure prevention, water rights, environmental law and family law.

When Colin Gerstner went to college, he was studying history with no idea of what he really wanted to do with his life. Luckily, one of his professors gave him great advice to go to law school, hoping that he might find his passion. This was exactly the right fit for Colin, as law school gave him a new purpose, and showed him just how much he wanted to help people and be a part of social change.

He didn’t become an attorney to get rich, he just enjoys working with individuals and helping them get through whatever problem they are...

My Consumer Protection background includes:  * Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow with Montana Legal Services Association's Consumer Unit, overseeing MLSA's self-help bankruptcy program and helping low-income Montanans with consumer law issues. * American Bar Association Janet Steiger Antitrust Fellow with the Office of Consumer Protection in the Montana Attorney General's Office. * Nationally-certified financial educator and foreclosure prevention specialist with Homeword.  * Helped found the Montana Financial Education Coalition and the Montana Alliance for Responsible Finance to promote financial education and fair lending practices in Montana. * Drafted and lobbied for anti-predatory lending laws...

I focus my practice on business bankruptcy, consumer bankruptcy, personal injury, and insurance law (including insurance bad faith). Here are a few examples of recent cases I have handled***: In a 2011 chapter 13 bankruptcy, I reduced the Debtors' second mortgage from $51,740.57 to $10,000.00 through an adversary proceeding against the lender. In a 2010 chapter 11 bankruptcy, I reduced a $202,248.12 secured obligation to $15,000.00 through an adversary proceeding against the lender. Obtained confirmation of a plan of reorganization that reduced the business's unsecured debt by 60%. Representing the Moonlight Basin Golf Club Member Committee in the Moonlight...

I did not grow up dreaming of being an attorney. I decided to become one after my parents were involved in a frivolous and expensive lawsuit that wreaked havoc in their lives. I was unhappy with the aloof and unresponsive legal representation they received. My family’s hard-earned money was flowing into the lawyer’s coffers, and he acted like he was doing my family a favor. I never wanted to feel that helpless again. So I applied to law school.
My mother raised me as a single parent for much of my childhood and struggled to make ends meet. I can appreciate...

Jeff, a fifth-generation Montanan, grew up in Great Falls. He attended Yale University then the University of Wisconsin Law School where he worked with the Wisconsin Innocence Project to remedy wrongful convictions. Jeff returned to Montana in 2013 and has been with the Goetz firm ever since. Jeff maintains a diverse trial and appellate practice. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of civil matters involving fraud, breach of contract, tortious interference, intra-corporate disputes, land use and access issues, insurance coverage and bad faith, personal injury and wrongful death, and public records disputes and constitutional claims. He has also...

Paul was stationed at Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, in 1999 and has made Montana his home. After obtaining a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Park University and serving 2 enlistments in the U.S. Air Force, Paul attended the University of Montana School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctorate in 2011. He then worked as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Sam E. Haddon, U.S. District Court, District of Montana, from 2011-2012. In addition to working at the firm, Paul serves in the Montana Air National Guard. Paul is admitted to practice in Montana state and federal court. In...