Magna Lawyers

Cynthia grew up in Pakistan, Kuwait, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan, traveling frequently as a result of her father's career in construction management. She attended The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and earned a bachelor's degree in International Relations and a minor in Arabic and graduated summa cum laude.

After graduating from college, she worked in Abu Dhabi as a paralegal for two years. Cynthia then returned to Virginia to attend law school at George Mason University School of Law, where she served as Senior Articles Editor of the George Mason Law Review and...

I focus on providing competent, affordable criminal defense for misdemeanors such as Traffic Crimes, Reckless Driving, DUI, Drug Crimes (Possession or Paraphernalia), Theft, Minor in Possession, Harassment, Trespassing, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Mischief, Assault, and Battery. I can also help with things related to criminal law, such as Driver’s License Hearings, Expungements, Stalking Injunctions and Protection Orders. My office is in downtown Salt Lake City, but I take cases anywhere along the Wasatch Front, from Brigham City to Spanish Fork; along the I-80 corridor, from Grantsville to Coalville; the Price and Helper area; and elsewhere in Utah depending on the type...

Education University of Chicago Law School, 1992 - 1995 Chicago, IL J.D., June 1995. University of Chicago Graduate School Chicago, IL M.A. A.B.D., Graduate School of History Ph.D., Oral Examination fields included United States Legal History Yale University, 1982-1986 New Haven, CT B.A., Humanities, 1986 Rhodes Scholarship Finalist MVP Award Co-Winner, Varsity Ice Hockey Team Awards Include Best Lawyers in America, US News, 2014 Mountain States Super Lawyer, 2010- 2014 Top 100 Attorney in Nevada, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, Super Lawyers Utah's Legal Elite,...

Aggressive, strategic and experienced legal representation. Aviation, product liability, construction, contract and personal injury litigation.

I became an attorney so I could help others transform complex business, estate, or dispute issues into practical and straightforward solutions. I intentionally work on both the transactional (writing contracts, drafting wills, organizing businesses) and litigation (lawsuits, mediations, demands) sides of the law in order to best understand how to prevent and solve problems. In my estate planning and business law practice, I help families, individuals, and businesses. I represent clients with the development of an estate plan which might include trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and other estate planning documents. I also counsel clients in probate and trust administration matters. Outside...

I defend governmental entities and their officers against complaints asserting the deprivation of civil rights. These include all types of claims of alleged misconduct, such as excessive force, search and seizure, wrongful arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and denial of medical care, to name a few. At any given time, I am involved in multiple officer-involved shooting cases from inception, including investigations by the Department of Justice and press inquiries, through conclusion. I have a deep respect for my Utah police officer clients and their dedication to society at great personal expense. I listen carefully to determine...

Clayton Simms has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Utah Business Magazine and the National Trial Lawyers as one of the best criminal attorneys in the state of Utah.

I earned a Bachelors of Arts from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law. During law school, I was awarded the CALI Award (given to the student with the highest grade in a course) in Constitutional Law and Judicial Process and the Outstanding Achievement Award in Property Law. I was also selected to represent the university in the National Transactional LawMeet, where our team was awarded the best agreement. Additionally, I served as an honors intern with the Securities and Exchange Commission; a judicial extern with David Nuffer, Chief Judge, U.S....

I have practiced law since 1984. In my years of experience, I developed my approach which considers each client's individual and legal needs. While I prepare each case for litigation, my aim is to spare the expense and emotional toll of litigation and to help my clients achieve the best result as quickly as possible. Because my clients come from all walks of life, I choose to practice in a broad range of legal matters. Some of the issues I handle are family law, including divorce, personal injury matters, probate and estate administration, estate...

I spent my formative years in hard-working farming communities in Northern Utah and Southeast Idaho. After high school, I moved to Provo, went on an LDS mission to Spain for two years, and eventually received a Bachelor’s degree in political science from BYU in 2007. After a couple years of traveling and working, I moved to East Lansing and received a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law in 2012. I spent my summers during law school assisting migrant workers get legal assistance for various non-immigration injustices such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, inappropriate living conditions, unsafe work environments,...

Brett’s practice focuses primarily on patent procurement, and includes extensive experience with both U.S. and foreign patents. Brett has drafted and prosecuted patent applications for a wide range of technologies. Brett has experience with patent appeals, patent re-examination and reissue proceedings, patent infringement analysis, and freedom to operate analysis, as well as experience with trademark prosecution and enforcement, copyright filings, and litigation.

My law practice focuses on insurance, cyber law, and employment law, with an emphasis in representing insurance carriers in coverage, subrogation/recovery, and bad faith litigation. I frequently advise insurers in the areas of analysis of liability claims, written opinions on coverage, and pre-and post-suit counsel on claims handling and litigation tactics. I also frequently represent carriers’ interests in coverage disputes/reservations of rights in liability litigation. I have successfully represented policyholders seeking coverage, procuring six-figure settlements in life, disability, and commercial liability policy claims. I have also successfully intervened on behalf of multiple corporate and individual policyholders in disputes over...

We focus on comprehensive estate planning, including matters of tax and business planning and health and financial planning. When planning hasn't happened or has been inadequate, we handle all kinds of probate issues and probate litigation.

Melanie Cook is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and Utah. She volunteers as an advocate for the Domestic Violence Pro Bono Initiative (Davis County) each Wednesday morning. Melanie is an adjunct professor at Broadview University and teaches law to paralegals. Also, Melanie mentors paralegal students with career goals and academic advice, providing volunteer opportunities at law firms and pro bono clinics throughout Salt Lake, Davis and Weber County. In 2012, Melanie received her Certificate in Advocacy and Problem Solving from Hamline University School of Law. In 2011, Melanie published an article entitled “Third Party Rights and Child Custody” in...

Joseph Pia is lead counsel on complex litigation cases in the areas of intellectual property, entertainment law, and commercial litigation. His peers have rated him as a Legal Elite and Super Lawyer, for having a high-degree of recognition and professional achievement. For over a decade, Mr. Pia has aggressively represented both plaintiffs and defendants. He is known for litigating a $60 million securities case through to the Utah Supreme Court and prevailing; and tens of millions of dollars in multi-jurisdictional cases. Last year, Mr. Pia represented parties in more patent suits than any other attorney in the State of Utah....