Jonathan O. Hafen
Jonathan Hafen has been widely praised by clients and peers for his skilled and efficient approach to litigation. As a trial lawyer, Mr. Hafen handles a wide variety of litigation, including cases in the areas of securities and investment law, employment law, breach of contract, property disputes, road and access cases, intellectual property, medical devices, pharmaceutical products, disputes over ownership and control of businesses, class actions, construction law, and legal malpractice defense. Mr. Hafen also serves as legal counsel to a number of small, midsize and multinational companies, utilizing the significant resources available at Parr Brown to address the broad spectrum of legal challenges routinely confronting business leaders.
Mr. Hafen has been awarded an AV rating – the highest awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been repeatedly included in The Best Lawyers in America® editions, Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and by Utah Business magazine as one of Utah’s Legal Elite. Mr. Hafen was named by Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Utah for Employment Law for Individuals (2015); Labor Law – Union (2018), and (2020); Litigation-Labor and Employment (2021); and Employment Law-Management (2022). He also continues to be recognized as one of the “Top 100” lawyers in the Intermountain area by Mountain States Super Lawyers. Following a nomination, research and blue ribbon review process, Mr. Hafen was named one of the “Top 10” Lawyers in the Mountain States (Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) by Super Lawyers Magazine for 2012 and “Top 100” for 2013, 2015 and 2016.
He graduated magna cum laude from BYU Law School in 1991, clerked for Monroe McKay, Chief Judge of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and worked at one of the nation’s most prestigious law firms, Sidley & Austin (Chicago) from 1992-95.
Mr. Hafen’s clients have enjoyed significant successes both at trial and in negotiated settlements. Trial victories include a $15 million award in a road condemnation case, a jury award of over $2.2 million for defamation and tortious interference, an arbitration award dismissing a senior employee’s $330 million claim for breach of contract and fraud against a former employer, a judgment in excess of $600,000 in a breach of contract action, which was upheld on appeal, and a ruling that a disputed road leading to a 10,000 acre ranch in the Uinta Mountains was public, which also was upheld on appeal. Settlements include a $15 million recovery in a securities fraud class action against multiple domestic and foreign defendants, a $2 million mediated settlement in an accounting malpractice action, a $2 million mediated settlement in a product liability case, a $500,000 recovery for breach of a non- competition/non-solicitation contract, a high six-figure recovery for the plaintiff in a trademark case and numerous other significant victories for his clients. In addition to these results for companies and individuals pursuing claims, Mr. Hafen has successfully defended many companies and individuals facing claims such as theft of trade secrets, securities fraud, breach of contract, employment discrimination, usurping corporate opportunities, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and shareholder oppression.
Mr. Hafen has represented major national corporations, including Zions Bank, Walgreens, Lloyds of London, and Merrill Lynch, as well as some of Utah’s leading companies, including Merit Medical and Franklin Covey.
Mr. Hafen has also defended a number of prestigious Utah law firms and lawyers facing claims for legal malpractice, as well as accountants and accounting firms facing similar claims. Mr. Hafen’s clients have enjoyed significant success in such matters. References are available upon request.
In recent years, a significant part of Mr. Hafen’s practice has been representing individuals and companies facing regulatory actions brought by the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. A notable victory was obtaining a first-of-its-kind ruling against the FTC dissolving a TRO and dismissing a receiver suggested by the FTC. Mr. Hafen also has successfully negotiated numerous settlements with the FTC and SEC.
Mr. Hafen has represented many multi-level marketing companies in disputes with distributors and other MLM companies. He also has represented distributors in disputes against MLMs, including a mediated settlement in favor of a distributor of nearly $1 million.
In addition to acting as an advocate, Mr. Hafen is available as a mediator. In that capacity, he favors an active approach, which includes assisting parties in recognizing the potential weaknesses of their claims and defenses. Mr. Hafen employs strategic negotiation involving more than merely carrying offers from one party to another. Mr. Hafen is also available to serve as an arbitrator for parties seeking to retain a private judge.
With years of experience dealing with companies facing claims of mismanagement and fraud, Mr. Hafen is qualified to serve as a private or Court-appointed Receiver in cases where a company has been compromised by actual or alleged misconduct of its owners or executives. He is available to conduct independent investigations of allegations of misconduct raised by shareholders of companies or members of limited liability companies.
Mr. Hafen is heavily involved in work for charitable organizations, and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Tuacahn Center for the Arts and for Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts.. He supports numerous professional organizations, having held leadership positions with the Federal Bar Association, the Utah State Bar Litigation Section, BYU Alumni Association, BYU Law School Alumni Association, and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. He has served for a number of years as the Chair of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure.
Mr. Hafen has published and lectured widely on a variety of topics, including investment fraud, antitrust law, professionalism and civility, legal ethics, employment law, securities law compliance, and litigation strategy. He has authored or co-authored articles appearing in The Harvard International Law Journal, St. John’s Law Review, The Boston University Public Interest Law Journal, BYU Law Review, George Mason Law Review, and the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics, and Public Policy.
IN THE NEWS:
Publications & Speaking Engagements:
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Federal Bar Association Leadership Training
Washington, D.C., March 2012-present
-
Federal Bar Association National Council Presentations
multiple states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, 2011-present
-
Effective Written Discovery
Utah State Bar Litigation Section, September 2020
-
Speaking on Business - Staying Safe to Stay Open
Salt Lake Chamber, August 2020
-
Innovation in Law Practice Symposium: Silver Linings to Carry Away from the Pandemic
Utah State Bar Litigation Section, August 2020
-
Professionalism in Litigation and Arbitration – Best Practices
Utah State Bar Litigation Section, June 2020
-
Direct and Cross Examinations in Depositions and at Trial
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2019
-
Preparing Yourself and Your Clients to Succeed in Mediation
Fall Forum Trial Academy, Novmeber 2018
-
Avoiding Legal Malpractice Claims: Tips and Trends
Litigation Section Midwinter Conference, March 2018
-
Deposition Boot Camp
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2017
-
How to Win Friends and Influence Judges
Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, August, 2017
-
You Don’t Have to be a Jerk to be a Great Trial Lawyer
Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, August 2017
-
Public Discourse and It’s Influences on Jury Trials
Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium, May 2017
-
The Art of Persuasion
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2016
-
A Receiver Has Been Appointed, Now What?
Utah State Bar Securities Section, August 2015
-
Best Practices for International Marketing
Utah Global Forum, August 2015
-
Faculty Member, Utah Litigation Section Trial Academy
May 2015
-
Looking Good in Your Briefs, Advanced Legal Writing for the Federal Practitioner
Federal Bar Association, San Antonio, Texas, April 2015
-
So You Want to Be a Great Trial Lawyer?
BYU Law School, April 2015
-
Conducting Discovery with Trial in Mind
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2014
-
Understanding the Economic Loss Doctrine
Snowmass, Colorado, July 2014
-
How Leading Lawyers Think: Case Evaluation and Strategy
Fall Forum, November 15, 2013
-
To Avoid Getting Hit By The Litigation Bus: Stop, Look, and Listen, July 8, 2013
-
Five Underused Rules of Evidence, Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium,
May 10, 2013
-
Indemnification Clauses: California, New York, and Beyond, Corporate Counsel Section, Utah State Bar, May 8, 2013
-
Federal and State Roles in Enforcing Securities Laws,
Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium, May 4, 2012
-
Best Practices Under Utah’s Revised Rules of Civil Procedure,
Weber County Bar Association, February 24, 2012
-
Avoiding Traps for the Unwary: Utah’s New Discovery Rules
Davis County Bar Association, December 7, 2011
-
Because It’s There: Public Roads Created by Use,
The Utah Land Use Conference, October 12, 2011
-
Effective Advocacy: A Recipe for Success
BYU Education Week, August 18, 2011
-
The Effective Advocate
Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium, May 13, 2011
-
Upcoming Changes to the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure
Weber County Bar Association, February 25, 2011
-
Trial Academy: Deposition Boot Camp
-
Legal Ethics for Trial Lawyers
-
Opening Statements and Closing Arguments, “Starting Smart and Finishing Strong"
Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, July 2010
Jonathan Hafen has extensive experience in federal and state courts with employment law issues including discrimination claims, trade secret disputes, breach of non-competition and non-solicitation covenants, as well as wage claims. Following his clerkship with the Honorable Monroe G. McKay of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Mr. Hafen practiced for three years at the Chicago office of Sidley & Austin. While at Sidley & Austin, Mr. Hafen spent significant time representing Commonwealth Edison on employment and regulatory matters. Since joining Parr Brown in 1995, he has handled numerous employment cases.
Representative clients for employment issues include Rotech Healthcare, Inc., Flanders Corporation, MountainWest Telecom, eCollege, Timpanogos Wireless, and Star Buffet.
Mr. Hafen has published and lectured widely on a variety of topics including legal ethics, litigation strategy and employment contracts and covenants not to compete. He has authored or co-authored articles appearing in The Harvard International Law Journal, St. John’s Law Review,The Boston University Public Interest Law Journal, The BYU Law Review, and the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy. Most recently, Mr. Hafen co-authored “The Law and Economics of Post-Employment Covenants: A Unified Framework,” which was published in theGeorge Mason Law Review.
Mr. Hafen has been awarded an AV rating – the highest awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been repeatedly included in The Best Lawyers in America® editions, Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and by Utah Business magazine as one of Utah’s Legal Elite. Mr. Hafen was named by Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Utah for Employment Law for Individuals (2015); Labor Law – Union (2018), and (2020); Litigation-Labor and Employment (2021); and Employment Law-Management (2022). He also continues to be recognized as one of the “Top 100” lawyers in the Intermountain area by Mountain States Super Lawyers. Following a nomination, research and blue ribbon review process, Mr. Hafen was named one of the “Top 10” Lawyers in the Mountain States (Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) by Super Lawyers Magazine for 2012 and “Top 100” for 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Mr. Hafen devotes a significant part of his practice to representing companies and individuals in securities litigation. He represents both public and private companies seeking funds from public and private markets, as well as venture capital companies involved in investing in such companies. He regularly defends companies, officers and directors facing large and small securities lawsuits or administrative actions.
Mr. Hafen has pursued and defended securities-related shareholder derivative actions, class actions, proxy disputes, and claims by minority shareholders. He has also represented companies and individuals in enforcement actions and civil litigation brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Utah Division of Securities.
While much of Mr. Hafen’s time is devoted to defending companies and individuals facing securities claims, Mr. Hafen also has represented hundred of individual investors over the years. Cases have ranged from pursuing international banks, accounting firms, promoters, and others involved in perpetrating investment fraud through ponzi schemes or other scams, to pursuing claims against companies and individuals for making misrepresentations in offering documents, prospectuses, and investment contracts. For plaintiffs, Mr. Hafen has obtained multiple recoveries in excess of $1 million, including recovering over $15 million for defrauded investors in a single class action.
Mr. Hafen has been awarded an AV rating – the highest awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been repeatedly included in The Best Lawyers in America® editions, Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and by Utah Business magazine as one of Utah’s Legal Elite. Mr. Hafen was named by Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Utah for Employment Law for Individuals (2015); Labor Law – Union (2018), and (2020); Litigation-Labor and Employment (2021); and Employment Law-Management (2022). He also continues to be recognized as one of the “Top 100” lawyers in the Intermountain area by Mountain States Super Lawyers. Following a nomination, research and blue ribbon review process, Mr. Hafen was named one of the “Top 10” Lawyers in the Mountain States (Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) by Super Lawyers Magazine for 2012 and “Top 100” for 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Securities Practice Areas:
– Class Actions
– Investor Fraud
– Federal and State Enforcement Proceedings
– Proxy Disputes
– Derivative Cliams
– Internal Investigations
Jonathan Hafen has been involved in hundreds of mediations during his career and is widely regarded as an effective problem solver. He takes an active approach as a mediator, providing candid feedback and bringing energy and creativity to negotiations.
Mr. Hafen’s litigation practice is split almost evenly between representing plaintiffs and representing defendants. As a trial lawyer, he has handled a wide variety of litigation, including in the areas of securities and investment fraud on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, employment law on behalf of employees and management, disputes over ownership and control of businesses, multi-level-marketing disputes on behalf of companies and distributors, disputes over non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, breach of contract cases, trade secret cases, eminent domain and easement cases, receiverships, road and access cases, regulatory enforcement actions and investigations, intellectual property disputes, class actions, legal malpractice cases, accounting malpractice cases, and actions against and defending directors and officers. Mr. Hafen’s clients include large multi-national businesses, mid-size businesses, and start-ups, as well as individuals and classes of individuals. Most recently, he has devoted a significant portion of his time serving as the court-appointed Receiver in a $200 million precious metals ponzi scheme.
Following a nomination, research and blue-ribbon review process, Mr. Hafen was named one of the “Top 10” Lawyers in the Mountain States (Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) by Super Lawyers Magazine. Mr. Hafen also has been repeatedly recognized as a top commercial litigator by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation, and by Utah Business magazine. In recent years, Best Lawyers has named Mr. Hafen “Lawyer of the Year” in both Employment Law for Individuals and Employment Law for Management.
Mr. Hafen maintains an active license in Utah, Wyoming, and Illinois, and has been involved in cases throughout the country. He is admitted to practice in all Utah, Wyoming, and Illinois state and federal courts, numerous federal courts of appeal and the United States Supreme Court.
Prior to joining his current firm, Mr. Hafen graduated summa cum laude from BYU in 1988, magna cum laude from BYU Law School in 1991, clerked for Monroe McKay, Chief Judge of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and worked at one of the nation’s most prestigious law firms, Sidley & Austin (Chicago).
Mr. Hafen is heavily involved in work for charitable organizations. He has served for many years as Board Chair of Tuacahn Center for the Arts. Tuacahn typically hosts over 300,000 patrons each year and has a positive economic impact on Washington County, Utah of over $100 million. He supports numerous professional organizations, holding numerous national leadership positions in the Federal Bar Association as well as serving in many leadership capacities for the Utah State Bar. He also serves on the Board of the Utah Tennis Association.
Mr. Hafen supports his legal community, including serving for a number of years as Chair of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure, as Chair of the Utah State Bar CLE Advisory Committee, and as an organizer of dozens of CLE conferences and presentations. In recognizing his mentoring of many other lawyers, the Utah State Bar awarded Mr. Hafen the inaugural Charlotte Miller Mentoring Award.
Mr. Hafen is also active in Utah’s business community, having served for many years on the Salt Lake Chamber’s Board of Governors, where he is currently the co-chair of the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee. He also serves on the Board of Utah’s Women’s Leadership Institute and on the Board of the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion.
Mr. Hafen has published and lectured widely on a variety of topics, including trial skills, investment fraud, antitrust law, professionalism and civility, legal ethics, employment law, securities law compliance, and litigation strategy.
To schedule a mediation with Mr. Hafen, please email Miriam Strassberg at Utah ADR: mbstrassberg@msn.com.
Publications & Speaking Engagements:
-
Federal Bar Association Leadership Training
Washington, D.C., March 2012-present
-
Federal Bar Association National Council Presentations
multiple states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, 2011-present
-
Effective Written Discovery
Utah State Bar Litigation Section, September 2020
-
Speaking on Business - Staying Safe to Stay Open
Salt Lake Chamber, August 2020
-
Innovation in Law Practice Symposium: Silver Linings to Carry Away from the Pandemic
Utah State Bar Litigation Section, August 2020
-
Professionalism in Litigation and Arbitration – Best Practices
Utah State Bar Litigation Section, June 2020
-
Direct and Cross Examinations in Depositions and at Trial
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2019
-
Preparing Yourself and Your Clients to Succeed in Mediation
Fall Forum Trial Academy, Novmeber 2018
-
Avoiding Legal Malpractice Claims: Tips and Trends
Litigation Section Midwinter Conference, March 2018
-
Deposition Boot Camp
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2017
-
How to Win Friends and Influence Judges
Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, August, 2017
-
You Don’t Have to be a Jerk to be a Great Trial Lawyer
Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, August 2017
-
Public Discourse and It’s Influences on Jury Trials
Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium, May 2017
-
The Art of Persuasion
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2016
-
A Receiver Has Been Appointed, Now What?
Utah State Bar Securities Section, August 2015
-
Best Practices for International Marketing
Utah Global Forum, August 2015
-
Faculty Member, Utah Litigation Section Trial Academy
May 2015
-
Looking Good in Your Briefs, Advanced Legal Writing for the Federal Practitioner
Federal Bar Association, San Antonio, Texas, April 2015
-
So You Want to Be a Great Trial Lawyer?
BYU Law School, April 2015
-
Conducting Discovery with Trial in Mind
Fall Forum Trial Academy, November 2014
-
Understanding the Economic Loss Doctrine
Snowmass, Colorado, July 2014
-
How Leading Lawyers Think: Case Evaluation and Strategy
Fall Forum, November 15, 2013
-
To Avoid Getting Hit By The Litigation Bus: Stop, Look, and Listen, July 8, 2013
-
Five Underused Rules of Evidence, Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium,
May 10, 2013
-
Indemnification Clauses: California, New York, and Beyond, Corporate Counsel Section, Utah State Bar, May 8, 2013
-
Federal and State Roles in Enforcing Securities Laws,
Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium, May 4, 2012
-
Best Practices Under Utah’s Revised Rules of Civil Procedure,
Weber County Bar Association, February 24, 2012
-
Avoiding Traps for the Unwary: Utah’s New Discovery Rules
Davis County Bar Association, December 7, 2011
-
Because It’s There: Public Roads Created by Use,
The Utah Land Use Conference, October 12, 2011
-
Effective Advocacy: A Recipe for Success
BYU Education Week, August 18, 2011
-
The Effective Advocate
Southern Utah Federal Law Symposium, May 13, 2011
-
Upcoming Changes to the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure
Weber County Bar Association, February 25, 2011
-
Trial Academy: Deposition Boot Camp
-
Legal Ethics for Trial Lawyers
-
Opening Statements and Closing Arguments, “Starting Smart and Finishing Strong"
Utah State Bar Annual Meeting, July 2010