Julianne Blanch

Practice Areas

Ms. Blanch likes to be in the courtroom. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She is a member of the Utah Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only organization where membership is considered only after having taken at least ten civil jury trials to verdict. She serves as Utah's Board Representative to ABOTA's national board. She is also a member of the International Society of Barristers, an elite trial lawyer group into which only nine other lawyers in the state of Utah have been elected. She has tried a broad range of cases over her nearly three decades in practice, involving everything from trusts and estates, product liability, and bad faith insurance claims. Lately, her practice has focused on commercial litigation, fraud cases, and catastrophic personal injury cases. She was the chair of the Utah Civil Jury Instructions Committee, which updated the civil jury instructions used in state and federal court trials. Ms. Blanch regularly presents at seminars for Utah lawyers on the basics of litigation, jury selection, and trial techniques. She has also taught Trial Advocacy as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah Law School.

Ms. Blanch has handled dozens of appeals on the state and federal levels, including over 40 published opinions, including appeals from bench trials and jury trials and appeals from administrative decisions. She has argued before the Utah Court of Appeals, the Utah Supreme Court, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also served for several years on the Utah Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on the Utah Rules of Appellate Procedure.

She has been one of a handful of Salt Lake City lawyers chosen by her peers for Super Lawyers Mountain States for the past several years in the area of product liability defense, and she is also regularly on that publication’s list of Top 50 Women Lawyers for the Mountain States.

Ms. Blanch enjoys running (having completed eight Boston Marathons), cooking, and reading military history and biographies.

Experience

Breach of Fiduciary Duties

Representing five clients in a jury trial who sued two Trustees for breaches of fiduciary duties. Clients awarded damages, including pre-trial judgment and won a motion to remove the former Trustees.

Medical Malpractice Insurance Defense

Defending a plastic surgeon client in a punitive damages claim against his medical malpractice insurer.

Breach of Commercial Real Estate Lease

Defending client in tenant lawsuit alleging breach of a commercial real estate lease involving properties in Utah, Oregon and California.

Fraud and Conspiracy Lawsuit

Representing clients in a fraud, conspiracy and RICO lawsuit, brought in Utah federal district court by a former tribal judge for appointment of a receiver and forfeiture of assets.

Represented Doctor Before Utah Supreme Court on Cross-Appeal in Medical Malpractice Insurer Dispute

Parsons attorneys won a bad-faith verdict for their medical doctor client against his malpractice carrier. When the insurer appealed the verdict, they cross-appealed because the district court had dismissed their punitive damages claim. The Utah Supreme Court ruled entirely for Parsons’ client, including a new jury who would determine whether and how much to award the doctor in punitive damages.

Professional Memberships

Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers

Member of International Society of Barristers

Member and National Board Representative of ABOTA

Fellow and Utah Chapter President of ABF Fellows

Commissioner, Utah Pro Bono Commission

President, Salt Lake County Bar Association, 2006-2007

Past Chair of the Utah Civil Jury Instructions Committee and current member of the Product Liability Instructions Subcommittee

International Association of Defense Counsel

Member, Trial Law Institute

Member, Diversity Law Institute

Barrister, Order of Veritas

Personal

March of Dimes, Past Board Member and Board Chair

Salt Lake Rotary Club, Past Member

Planned Parenthood Action Committee, Past Board Member

Ronald McDonald House Charities, Past President, Board of Directors

Ronald McDonald House Charities, Community Advisory Board

Guadalupe School, Board Member

Education

Awards

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Utah

Idaho

U.S. Supreme Court