Appeals

Appellate Lawyers for Business, Civil, Commercial, and Criminal Appeals

With a large and experienced appellate team, we are available to represent clients in all Utah State and Federal appellate courts.

We are routinely retained by other attorneys to assist in pre-trial appellate issue identification and to provide advice concerning preservation of these issues.

Appellate matters require an entirely different skill set than that needed for trial.  We have a long and successful appellate track record, of representing clients in civil and criminal appeals in both state and federal courts.  Our attorneys are admitted to practice in a range of state and federal appellate courts, up to and including the United States Supreme Court.  See a representative listing of our appellate work.

The Role of Appellate Courts

Appellate courts neither re-try cases nor hear new evidence.  They focus on questions of law, and not questions of facts like trial courts.  Appellate lawyers argue issues before one judge or a group of judges who review the judgment to make sure proper procedures were followed and, based on the facts before the trial court, whether the law was accurately applied.

Identifying Proper Matters for Appeal

When a trial results in an adverse outcome, our role is to meticulously review the trial transcript to determine whether the court committed any prejudicial errors, such as failing to allow (or exclude) key evidence.  Based upon this examination, we then file an appeal, prepare an appellate brief, and request the desired relief (such as a new trial on behalf of our client).  We also represent clients in oral arguments before the appellate court.

We are often retained by other attorneys to provide counsel and advice for their clients, before, during, and after trial.  When a great deal is at stake, we focus on identifying appealable issues likely to arise during trial.  We then work on strategies to preserve issues for appeal in the event of an adverse outcome, allowing trial counsel to focus on winning the case at trial.

We also represent clients who achieved a successful result at trial, and help them preserve that win in the face of an appellate challenge from the opposing party.

Keeping Clients Informed of Appellate Law Developments

Through our Appellate Highlights column, which appears bimonthly in the Utah Bar Journal, we provide updates and insights on appellate law developments.  These summaries focus on both Utah State and Federal appellate matters that affect Utah residents and businesses.

We Stand Ready to Help

For more information about our appellate services, please contact Rodney R. Parker.

Practice Contacts

Utah Business Lawyer Rodney Parker

Rodney R. Parker

Dani N. Cepernich

Stephen C. Clark

Robert B. Cummings

D. Jason Hawkins

Nathanael J. Mitchell

Andrew L. Roth

Nathan R. Skeen

Joel D. Taylor