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Scott C. Powers

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Scott Powers’ practice involves a broad range of commercial litigation matters with an emphasis on construction, surety, and insurance-related issues.

Scott currently heads Snow Christensen & Martineau’s Construction Industry Practice Group. Scott Powers’ practice involves a broad range of construction-related services, from transactional consultation and assistance during the initial planning/contracting stage through post-completion dispute resolution and litigation.

Scott is licensed in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada and has worked with contractors and sureties in forming contracts and resolving disputes across the Intermountain West.  He has successfully represented clients in a wide variety of legal matters including contract negotiations, contract disputes, defect claims, surety bond claims, mechanics lien claims, insurance coverage litigation, general liability claims, catastrophic injury claims, workers compensation claims, and class action lawsuits.

Prior to and during Scott’s graduate and undergraduate studies, he worked in the construction industry.  His experience working for multiple contractors, including union and non-union electrical contractors, commercial landscaping companies, and systems integration companies, provides insider expertise and knowledge to his construction litigation practice and allows him to understand the unique needs of these industry clients.

Scott is a sought-after speaker and author on construction and insurance-related issues and is a regular presenter at SCM’s annual Tort and Insurance Seminar and the Western States Surety Conference. He received the Horizon Award from the Utah Defense Lawyers Association, is rated by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review as AV® Preeminent™, is recognized as a Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine, is a Fellow in the Construction Lawyers Society of America, and is honored as a Utah Legal Elite by Utah Business Magazine.

 

           

 

 

Recent Podcasts:

The Trial Lawyer Podcast: Advanced Discussion of Deposition and Discovery Strategy

The Trial Lawyer Podcast: Trial Lawyers and the Workplace: Legal Office Politics

The Trial Lawyer Podcast: Practicing Law on Mars

The Trial Lawyer Podcast: The Paralegal Practitioner Problem

Education

  • J.D., University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, 2005
  • B.S., Brigham Young University, 2002

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Utah State Bar
  • Idaho State Bar
  • Nevada State Bar
  • U.S. District Court, District of Utah
  • Speaker, A Cornucopia of Consequences – on consequential damages, Western States Surety Conference, Seattle, WA, May 2022
  • Speaker, Case Law and Legislative Session Review, CE/CLE webinar, May 2021
  • Speaker, Preventing and Addressing Construction Defects and Failures, CLE webinar for Halfmoon Education, Inc., January 2021
  • Author, Construction Laws and Customs: Utah, Thomson Reuters, June 2020
  • Speaker, Surety Claims and Underwriting Recommendations, Utah Surety Association, September 2019
  • Speaker, What Does the Future Hold for Sureties and Contractors?, The Pearlman Conference, Seattle, WA, September 2019
  • Co-author/Speaker, To Tender or not to Tender – That is the Question, Western States Surety Conference (WSSC), Seattle, WA, April 2019
  • Speaker, “The Fugitive” — Evolving Tools for Pursuing Elusive Indemnitors, Western States Surety Conference, Seattle, April 2018
  • Speaker, Indemnity Tools and Traps for Sureties, Western States Surety Conference, Seattle, April 2017
  • Speaker, Recent Developments and Strategies in Construction Litigation, Utah Defense Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, April 2017
  • Co-host, The Trial Lawyer Podcast
  • Speaker, Lessons from Icarus: Cautionary Tales & Practice Tips to Avoid Melted Wings, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) live webinar, September 2016
  • Speaker, Union Benefit Trust Funds – Ambush Predators in the Payment Bond Claim Swamp, Western States Surety Conference, Seattle, WA, 2016
  • Speaker, Winning the Battle, Losing the War: Summary Judgment as a Tool in Defect Claims, Intermountain Construction Defect & Dispute Conference, 2016
  • Speaker, Risk of Bad Faith Claims in Surety Law and Practice, Western States Surety Conference, 2015
  • Author/Editor, Wolters Kluwer Fifty State Construction Lien and Bond Law: Third Edition, Utah Chapters, 2013-Present
  • Author/Editor, Surety Underwriter’s Handbook, Utah and Wyoming Chapters, Tort and Trial Insurance Section of ABA, 2012-Present
  • Author/Editor, Quick Reference Guide to Western States Surety Law, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming Chapters, Western States Surety Conference, 2013-Present
  • Speaker, Data Loss and the Surety:  The Law, The Risks and Preventative Measures, Western States Surety Conference, 2014

Scott is a frequent speaker on construction defect litigation issues, and is a regular presenter during SCM’s annual Tort and Insurance Seminar.

  • Utah Bar Association: Treasurer, Young Lawyers’ Division, 2011-2014
  • Nevada Bar Association
  • Salt Lake County Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Utah Defense Lawyers Association
  • Utah Surety Association
  • American Inns of Courts Foundation, David K. Watkiss-Sutherland II
*Peer review Rated Lawyer of AV® Preeminent™ and BV® Distinguished™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

Unique Recognition – Education

  • Law School: University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, 2005
    • Editor for Journal of Land Resources and Environmental Law
    • Pro-Bono Certificate
  • Undergraduate: Brigham Young University, 2002
    • Heritage Scholar

Fluent in Spanish.

Outside of the office, Scott is a husband and proud father of three children, an avid reader, and competitive road cyclist.