Jeffrey J. Hunt

Jeffrey Hunt has represented direct sales and network marketing companies for more than 20 years on a wide variety of legal issues, including complex litigation, foreign litigation and arbitration, injunctions, state and federal regulatory compliance, and intellectual property enforcement actions.  He has served as lead counsel on a number of high-stakes litigation matters for industry clients across the country, and litigated the first case to obtain judicial recognition of distributor lists as trade secrets under Utah law.  Mr. Hunt has substantial experience counseling and advising U.S.-based companies on foreign litigation matters, including in Japan.

In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Hunt regularly counsels and advises direct sales and network marketing companies on risk management, regulatory compliance, intellectual property protection, and corporate governance issues.

Mr. Hunt also is a nationally recognized First Amendment and media lawyer, having represented every major news organization in the state of Utah, as well as several national news organizations, including the Associated Press, CNN, Viacom, CBS, and Fox Television Stations, Inc.  Mr. Hunt regularly represents media companies in state and federal courts, and counsels clients on defamation, privacy, intellectual property, freedom-of-information, First Amendment, and related legal issues.

Mr. Hunt has long been recognized as a leading public advocate for open government in Utah and for protecting the public’s right to know.  He helped draft Utah’s open records statute – the Government Records Access & Management Act, known as “GRAMA,” — and frequently litigates on behalf of the news media and individuals for public access to government records, meetings, and court proceedings.  Mr. Hunt represented a coalition of Utah’s leading news organizations in enacting the first reporter’s privilege in Utah to protect confidential news sources and newsgathering material.  Mr. Hunt also helped draft and enact Utah’s first court rule allowing electronic media coverage of criminal and civil proceedings in Utah’s trial courts.

Mr. Hunt earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State University in 1983.  During the four years following, he was a Copy Editor for The Des Moines Register, and a Reporter for the Quad-City Times and Deseret News.

Mr. Hunt is an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law and is a regular guest lecturer on First Amendment and Media Law at the University of Utah and Weber State University.  In 1992, he founded the Utah Freedom of Information Hotline at Parr Brown, which provides free legal assistance to the public and journalists.  He is a two-time recipient of the Roy B. Gibson Freedom of Information Award from the Utah Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and received an Honorary Publisher award from the Utah Press Association.  In 2004, Mr. Hunt received the Service to Journalism Award from the University of Utah Department of Communications.

Mr. Hunt is regularly ranked as a top Utah lawyer for business litigation and First Amendment and media litigation by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.  He has been continually recognized by Benchmark Litigation for achievements in Commercial Litigation, Media, Entertainment, Energy, and was selected as a 2017 Benchmark Litigation Star.  Mr. Hunt was included in the 2006-2023 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® for Communications Law, Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television, First Amendment Law, Litigation – First Amendment, and Media Law. He was named Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation-First Amendment (2023), (2020), (2018), (2017), (2015), (2013), and (2012) in Utah.  He has been continually recognized by Mountain States Super Lawyers, and recently was recognized among the “Top 100” Super Lawyers in the Intermountain area for 2014-2021, and “Top 10” Super Lawyers in the Intermountain area for 2014.  He has been continuously recognized as one of Utah’s Legal Elite by Utah Business magazine in business litigation and constitutional law.  Mr. Hunt was awarded an “AV Preeminent Judicial Edition®” rating by Martindale Hubbell for 2021. This distinction reflects the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards by the confidential opinion of members of the Judiciary.

Jeffrey Hunt practices in the area of commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on First Amendment, media, and intellectual property law.  Mr. Hunt is a nationally recognized First Amendment and media lawyer, having represented every major news organization in the state of Utah, as well as several national news organizations, including the Associated Press, CNN, Viacom, CBS, Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., and Fox Television Stations, Inc.  Mr. Hunt regularly represents media companies and individuals in state and federal courts, and counsels clients on defamation, privacy, intellectual property, freedom-of-information, First Amendment, anti-SLAPP, and related legal issues.

Mr. Hunt has long been recognized as a leading public advocate for open government in the state of Utah and for protecting the public’s right to know.  He helped draft Utah’s open records statute – the Government Records Access & Management Act, known as “GRAMA,” — and frequently litigates on behalf of the news media and individuals for public access to government records, meetings, and court proceedings.  Mr. Hunt represented a coalition of Utah’s leading news organizations in enacting the first reporter’s privilege in Utah to protect confidential news sources and newsgathering material.  Mr. Hunt also helped draft and enact Utah’s first court rule allowing electronic media coverage of criminal and civil proceedings in Utah’s trial courts.

In additional to his First Amendment and media practice, Mr. Hunt has nearly 30 years experience litigating complex commercial cases involving a variety of industries and legal issues, including copyright, trademark, and patent enforcement actions; injunctions; securities litigation; enforcement of non-competition, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure covenants for employers, foreign litigation and arbitration; and real property litigation.  He has served as lead counsel on a number of high-stakes litigation matters for national and local companies.  Mr. Hunt also has extensive experience representing direct sales and network marketing companies on a wide variety of legal issues, including complex litigation, state and federal regulatory compliance, and intellectual property enforcement actions.

Mr. Hunt earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State University.  Prior to entering law school, Mr. Hunt worked as a Copy Editor for The Des Moines Register, and a Reporter for the Quad-City Times and Deseret News.

Mr. Hunt is an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S. J. Quinney College of Law and is a regular guest lecturer on First Amendment and Media Law at the University of Utah and Weber State University.  In 1992, he founded the Utah Freedom of Information Hotline at Parr Brown, which provides free legal assistance to the public and journalists.  He is a two-time recipient of the Roy B. Gibson Freedom of Information Award from the Utah Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and received an Honorary Publisher award from the Utah Press Association.  In 2004, Mr. Hunt received the Service to Journalism Award from the University of Utah Department of Communications.

Mr. Hunt is regularly ranked as a top Utah lawyer for business litigation and First Amendment and media litigation by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.  He has been continually recognized by Benchmark Litigation for achievements in Commercial Litigation, Media, Entertainment, Energy, and was selected as a 2017 Benchmark Litigation Star.  Mr. Hunt was included in the 2006-2023 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® for Communications Law, Entertainment Law – Motion Pictures and Television, First Amendment Law, Litigation – First Amendment, and Media Law. He was named Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation-First Amendment (2023), (2020), (2018), (2017), (2015), (2013), and (2012) in Utah.  He has been continually recognized by Mountain States Super Lawyers, and recently was recognized among the “Top 100” Super Lawyers in the Intermountain area for 2014-2021, and “Top 10” Super Lawyers in the Intermountain area for 2014.  He has been continuously recognized as one of Utah’s Legal Elite by Utah Business magazine in business litigation and constitutional law.  Mr. Hunt was awarded an “AV Preeminent Judicial Edition®” rating by Martindale Hubbell for 2021. This distinction reflects the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards by the confidential opinion of members of the Judiciary.