Mr. Andreason is a member of the firm's Litigation section. His practice emphasizes complex commercial and civil cases in areas such as partnership disputes, complex leasing arrangements, securities, contract breaches and intellectual property disputes. He is also active in Alternative Dispute Resolution, approved by Utah State Courts as a Qualified Arbitrator and representing clients in both arbitration and mediation.
Mr. Andreason has successfully obtained settlements for numerous clients, helping them avoid the cost and time of trial. He is also skilled in the courtroom, having tried cases before judges, juries, arbitrators and administrative panels, ranging from one-day bench trials to a seven-week jury trial. His clients span the full spectrum from single individuals through small businesses to large corporations.
Mr. Andreason is recognized as one of Utah's Legal Elite for business litigation.
Experience
- Qualified Arbitrator in the Utah State Courts (www.utcourts.gov/mediation)
- Obtained $2 million judgment for large Australian precious metals company in securities fraud dispute.
- Obtained favorable judgment for homeowners in arbitration dispute against disaster cleanup company.
- Assisted in defending Big Four accounting firm's senior technical partner in securities fraud action filed by the SEC in the Southern District of New York.
- Obtained favorable judgment for client against real property development company for failure to make payments in a land agreement.
- Obtained judgments in contract actions on behalf of banking and many other clients.
- Obtained favorable settlements on behalf of numerous companies involved with partnership disputes, mining, real estate, equipment rental, and many more.
- Former Senior Associate with Howrey LLC's Global Litigation Group in Salt Lake City, 2003-2007.
- Former Litigation Associate with Ray, Quinney & Nebeker, 2001-2003.
Personal Philosophy About Litigation
Although I am a litigator, my primary goal is to help clients avoid litigation.
Litigation is almost always an unwanted burden on a business. Although there are times when litigation is the best choice for a business, it usually burdens the company financially as legal fees and costs skyrocket. It often harms the goodwill, reputation and personal relationships of those involved with the business. It frequently disrupts the progress of the business and diverts money and time from growing the business and serving customers.
In my practice, I work to stop litigation by using a four-step process:
- Teach businesses the law and how to comply with it through onsite seminars and instruction.
- Provide specific steps to avoid and/or minimize litigation, except in rare circumstances.
- Help use mediation and arbitration whenever feasible to resolve disputes.
- If litigation is necessary, do it firmly and seriously, but efficiently and speedily to resolution.