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Direct: 801.639.0953

stephen p. horvat

Steve graduated from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, in 1991, where he was an Executive Editor of the Ecology Law Quarterly. He served as a law clerk to Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine M. Durham from 1992 to 1993, after which he taught legal analysis, writing, and research full time for three years at the University of Idaho School of Law.

Steve began practicing as an associate with the firm of Hanson, Epperson & Wallace in 1996.  He joined Anderson & Karrenberg as an associate in 1998 and became a shareholder in 2002.  His practice covers a wide spectrum of commercial and general civil litigation matters, but over the past few years he has focused on professional defense, primarily legal malpractice defense, commercial contract matters, and Indian law.

Steve is licensed to practice law in California and Utah, in the courts of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Education

  • J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley, California, 1991

  • A.B., Philosophy, University of Illinois, 1987

Admissions

  • Utah, 1992

  • California, 1993

  • U.S. District Court, District of Utah, 1992

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, 2001

  • Ute Indian Tribal Court, 2016

  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2018

Affiliations

  • Member, Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation

  • Member, Litigation Section of the Utah State Bar

  • Member, Appellate Section of the Utah State Bar

Reported Decisions

  • Davidson v. America Online, 337 F.3d 179 (10th Cir. 2003)

  • Griswold v. Snow Christensen & Martineau, No. 2:08-cv-00197-TC, 2010 WL 4180597 (D. Utah Oct. 20, 2010)

  • USA Power v. PacifiCorp, 2016 UT 20, 372 P.3d 629

  • Johnson v Utah Dept. of Transportation, 2006 UT 15, 133 P.3d 402

  • Estate of Price v. Hodkin, 2019 UT App 137

  • Volvo Commercial Finance LLC The Americas v. Wells Fargo Bank, 2007 UT App 209, 163 P.3d 723

  • Shaw Resources Limited v. Pruitt Gushee & Bachtell, 2006 UT App 313, 142 P.3d 560

Representative Matters

  • Obtained summary judgments and judgment notwithstanding the verdict in defending law firms on the basis that the plaintiff had not presented evidence of causation and/or injury. (Three cases.)

  • Successfully defended engineering company in action alleging professional negligence relating to cleanup of polluted canal (favorable settlement).

  • Successfully represented party to an oral oil and gas partnership in dispute regarding ownership of partnership assets and mineral rights (favorable settlement).

  • Multiple cases involving non-competition agreements, trade secrets, and commercial and business contracts.

Judicial Clerkships

  • Justice Christine M. Durham, Utah Supreme Court, 1992-1993

Recognitions

  • Martindale-Hubbell® has given Steve its BV rating.

Civic Engagements

  • Board member, Open Classroom Charter School, 2006-2010

  • Board member, Timberline Lot Owners Association, 2012-present