A disputeāwhether itās a business relationship gone wrong, a defamatory statement that damaged your reputation, a trade secret taken by a former employee, or a government investigation you never saw comingāis one of the most disruptive things that can happen to a person or a business. The litigation team at Massey Bean & Lewis is built for exactly these moments.
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Our attorneys have tried dozens of cases in state and federal courts, argued successfully before state and federal appellate courts, and handled high-stakes arbitrations across the full range of commercial disputes. We bring a strategy-first mindset: honest counsel about what it will take to reach your goal, and the courtroom skill to back it up when the moment arrives.
/ Our Approach
Litigation is a means to an end. We never lose sight of the end.
The best litigators understand their clientās goals well enough to know when an aggressive posture produces resultsāand when it only produces bills. At MBL, we start by asking: what does a successful outcome actually look like for you? Then we build a strategy to get there as efficiently as possible. Many of our most important victories never reached a courtroom. When trial is the right answer, our clients go in with a fully prepared, deeply experienced team behind them.
COMMERCIAL & BUSINESS LITIGATION
Business disputes come in many forms, but they share a common feature: the outcome matters enormously. Whether you are a founder in a co-investor dispute, a business owner defending a significant claim, or a corporation with a multi-million dollar contract case in federal court, the quality of your legal representation is one of the most consequential decisions you will make.
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Our commercial litigators handle the full range of business disputesāfrom breach of contract to complex multi-party litigation involving competing ownership interests, fiduciary duties, fraud, and significant damagesāon behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants.
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What We Handle
- Breach of contract and commercial disputes
- Co-founder disputes and business divorce
- Breach of fiduciary duty and minority shareholder claims
- Partnership and LLC disputes
- Business fraud and misrepresentation
- Real property and construction disputes
- Employment disputes and non-compete enforcement
Representative Results
Jury Verdict – Federal Court
Secured a $5m fraud verdict against a business promoter and financial institution, successfully defending appeals to the Utah Supreme Court and Utah Court of Appeals.
Summary Judgement – Business Dispute
Obtained full dismissal of all claims, including nearly $1m in alleged damages, on behalf of a company sued by a competitor following a failed acquisition negotiation.
Federal Jury Defense
Successfully defended an international technology company in federal court against breach of contract claims seeking millions of dollars in damages.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & TRADE SECRET LITIGATION
Your competitive advantageāyour patents, your trade secrets, your brandācan be among the most valuable and most vulnerable assets your business holds.Ā
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We represent clients in IP and trade secret disputes at every level, from emergency injunctive relief to federal appellate proceedings, and our litigation attorneys work directly with the firmās registered patent attorneys and IP prosecution team for seamlessly integrated counsel.
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What We Handle
- Patent infringement litigation
- Trademark infringement and brand protection
- Copyright enforcement and infringement defense
- TTAB proceedings and trademark opposition/cancellation
- Trade secret misappropriation (state and federal, including DTSA)
- Non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement enforcement
- Non-compete disputes and employee mobility
- Emergency injunctive relief and TRO proceedings
Representative Results
Trade Secret ā Tenth Circuit
Prevailed on behalf of a state-run research entity in a multi-billion dollar satellite technology trade secret dispute. The Tenth Circuit issued a 109-page ruling in the clientās favor.
Trademark ā Motion to Dismiss
Defended a client against a multi-million dollar trademark infringement claim and obtained dismissal of all claims at the outset of the case.
WHITE-COLLAR & GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS
A government investigation or criminal inquiry is among the most serious legal situations a business or individual can face. The decisions made in the earliest daysāhow to respond to a subpoena, whether and how to cooperate, who speaks on behalf of the organizationācan determine the outcome of the entire matter.
MBL provides a unique insider perspective on how the government builds and resolves cases shapes how we advise clients from the moment an investigation begins.
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What We Handle
- Securities fraud, insider trading, and SEC enforcement
- Tax evasion, tax fraud, and IRS investigations
- Wire fraud, mail fraud, Medicare and Medicaid fraud
- FCPA violations and cross-border investigations
- FTC enforcement and consumer protection actions
- FDIC enforcement and banking regulatory matters
- False Claims Act and whistleblower matters
- Compliance counseling: HIPAA, FCPA, data security
Representative Results
DOJ & SEC ā No Charges Filed
Secured dismissal in a joint DOJ and SEC investigation alleging attorney misconduct and false statements.
Federal Jury Trial ā Not Guilty
Defended a client on drug distribution charges carrying a possible ten-year mandatory minimum.Ā
40-Count Felony Acquittal
The jury acquitted on all 40 felony charges.
$100m FTC Enforcement Ā
Secured dismissal and negotiated resolution of FTC claims alleging $100m+ consumer injury.
FINRA Arbitrationā $6.9m
Won a $6.9 million award on behalf of investors whose accounts were improperly liquidated by known broker.
DEFAMATION LITIGATION
Reputation is one of the most valuableāand most vulnerableāassets a person or business can have. MBLās defamation practice group is among the most experienced in the region, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in defamation cases ranging from individual reputation claims to high-profile disputes involving public figures, media organizations, political actors, and major corporations.
Defamation law is a specialized and rapidly evolving field. Utahās Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA), enacted in 2023 as part of a national wave of anti-SLAPP legislation, imposes significant new procedural burdens on defamation plaintiffs and creates serious risks for those who pursue claims without experienced counsel. Our team has been at the forefront of litigating under this statute. Whether you are bringing or defending a defamation claim, navigating this landscape requires true specialists.
What We Handle
- Defamation and libel claimsĀ
- Online defamation and social media disputes
- Defamation involving public figures and matters of public concern
- Anti-SLAPP and UPEPA
- Reputation strategy and pre-litigation positioning
- Media and press-related defamation disputes
Representative Results
Utah Supreme Court ā Full Dismissal
Unanimous ruling dismissing all claims against a client in a multi-party defamation case.
Federal Jury Verdict ā Defamation Plaintiff
Six-figure federal jury verdict for a defamation plaintiff, affirmed by The Tenth Circuit on appeal.
Damages Exclusion ā Pre-Trial Settlement
Excluded $1 million in economic damages on the eve of trial, producing a favorable settlement.
UPEPA VictoriesĀ
Defeated dismissal motions in two separate defamation cases under Utah’s new anti-SLAPP statute.
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POLITICAL LAW & ELECTION LITIGATION
MBLās political law practice, led by Bobby Harrington who chairs the firmās litigation section, advises and represents congressional candidates, statewide ballot initiatives, political action committees, and local referenda. Political and election law sits at the intersection of campaign finance regulation, First Amendment doctrine, and fast-moving litigation with electoral deadlines that cannot move. It requires both specialized legal expertise and an understanding of the strategic realities that shape political representation.
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What We Handle
- Congressional and statewide candidate representation
- Ballot initiative and referendum strategy and compliance
- Campaign finance law and FEC/state disclosure compliance
- Election litigation and emergency relief
- Political action committee formation and compliance
- First Amendment and free speech litigation
PERSONAL INJURY & CATASTROPHIC LOSS
When a person or family has suffered serious injury or the wrongful death of a loved one, they deserve attorneys who treat the matter with the seriousness it demands. Our personal injury litigators represent victims and their families in catastrophic injury cases, bringing the same rigor and preparation to these matters that we bring to our largest commercial disputes.
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We work exclusively on behalf of plaintiffs and pursue full accountability with determination and care.
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What We Handle
- Catastrophic personal injury
- Wrongful death claims
- Negligence and premises liability
- Product liability
Trial-tested. Strategy-first. Genuinely invested in your outcome.
Our litigators trained at and practiced with some of the most respected firms and institutions in the countryāKirkland & Ellis, Ray Quinney & Nebeker, Stanford Law, Georgetown, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the federal appellate courts. They came to MBL to do the same quality of work with a different kind of relationship: direct access, honest communication, and a team that measures success by your outcome, not by hours billed.
