Alan W. Mortensen

Founding Partner | Personal Injury & Trial Lawyer in Utah

Alan W. Mortensen is a founding partner at Mortensen & Milne and a nationally recognized trial lawyer handling catastrophic injury, wrongful death, aviation, and product liability litigation. Based in Salt Lake City, he has secured record-setting verdicts and multi-million-dollar results.

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Alan W. Mortensen

Founding Partner
Email: amort@mortmilnelaw.com

Alan W. Mortensen is one of Utah’s most experienced and respected trial attorneys, known for handling high-stakes personal injury litigation involving catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, aviation disasters, trucking collisions, product liability, and insurance bad faith.


Over the course of his career, Alan has led complex cases in both state and federal courts, secured landmark verdicts, and represented clients in nationally significant litigation — including aviation disasters and mine catastrophe cases. His practice is defined by meticulous investigation, strategic trial preparation, and the ability to confront powerful corporate and institutional defendants.



Alan is widely regarded as a trial lawyer’s lawyer, trusted for his courtroom leadership, command of technical evidence, and unwavering focus on accountability and results.

He earned degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, and the University of Wyoming College of Law. Alan is admitted to practice in multiple jurisdictions and federal courts and has been repeatedly recognized among Utah’s Legal Elite and Top Trial Lawyers.

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Key Accomplishments

  • Significant Cases & Trals

    2021 $25 MILLION JURY VERDICT: Mahe v. Century Blinds, Inc.


    2021: $36.75 million single plaintiff settlement of a case involving a brain injured victim.


    2017 $16 MILLION VERDICT: Wall v. Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Warren Jeffs


    2016 $2.75 MILLION SETTLEMENT: Wall v. United Effort Plan Trust, Appeal to Utah Supreme Court


    2013: Peruvian Chinook Helicopter in Pucallpa, Peru, confidential settlement


    2011: Asiana Air Flight 214 Air Disaster in San Francisco, Steering Committee, confidential settlement


    2011 $2,009,173 VERDICT: Jefferies v. Earnshaw


    2008: Guatemala Cessna Gran Caravan Crash, confidential settlement


    2007 HIGHEST MINE WRONGFUL DEATH SETTLEMENT IN US HISTORY: Crandall Canyon Mine Disaster in Huntington, Utah


    2005 $10,515,720 VERDICT: Safeway Inc. v. Alarm Control


    2004 CONFIDENTIAL SEVEN FIGURE SETTLEMENT: John and Jane Doe v. LA Catholic Diocese Sex Abuse Scandal

  • Licenses & Admissions

    Admitted Utah State Bar (1993 to present).


    Admitted Wyoming State Bar (1994 to present).


    Admitted Colorado State Bar (1994 to present).


    Admitted 10th Circuit Court of Appeals (1994 to present).


    Admitted to United States Supreme Court (2013).


    Admitted Pro Hac Vice in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Alabama, Ohio, Florida.

  • National Litigation Leadership

    Lead counsel in major aviation disaster litigation and other multi-million-dollar cases

  • Publications

    Case Note, The Marriage of Strict Liability and Comparative Negligence Left Waiting at the Altar? XXVII Land and Water Review 223 (1992).


    Comment, Wyoming Fetal Rights — Why the Abortion Albatross is a Bird of a Different Color: The Case for Fetal Federalism XXVIII Land and Water Review 627 (1993).


    Employees Further Forced to Bear Burden of Boss’s Neglect, Utah Bar Journal (1996).


    What Every Plaintiffs Lawyer Should Know in Avoiding Workers Compensation Immunity with Public Employers, Sherwood v. Oklahoma County, 2002 WL 1472197 (10th Cir. 2002), Utah Trial Journal (2003).


    Litigating Aircraft Product Liability Cases: Avoiding the General Aviation Revitalization Act’s Statute of Repose, Utah Trial Journal, Volume 35, No. 2 (Winter 2012).


    The Case of “Jet Skis,” “Personal Watercraft, Wikepedia and the Investigator Son, Utah Trial Journal, Volume 36, No. 1 (Winter 2013).


    The Exception to the “Presence Rule” for Parents’ Recovery Under a Theory of Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress in Childhood Abuse Cases, Utah Trial Journal, Volume 38, No. 3 (Fall 2015).


    Should I Buy New Or Used? What Is a “New” Part, a “Rebuilt” Part, and a “Used Part” Under the General Aviation Revitalization Act, and Why Does it Matter? Utah Trial Journal, Volume 40, No. 4 (Fall 2017).

  • Thought Leadership

    National media appearances, professional presentations, and publications on complex litigation

  • Honor & Awards

    Honors & Awards

    Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America


    AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated Martindale-Hubbell 2006 to present.


    Best Lawyers in America 2009 to present.


    Mountain States Super Lawyer Super Lawyers 2012-18.


    Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum 2009 to present.


    The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers for Utah.


    The Verdict Club for Premium Trial Lawyers.


    Legislative Titan for the Utah Association for Justice, 2013-2017.

  • Published Decisions

    MJ v. Wisan, 371 P.3d 21 (Utah 2016).


    Fire Insurance v. Blacker, 285 P.3d 802 (Utah App. 2012).


    Nielson v City of South Salt Lake, 2009 WL 3562081 (D. Utah 2009).


    Allstate Ins. Co. v. Worthington, 46 F.3d 1005 (10th Cir. 1995).


    State of Utah v. $73,130, 31 P.3d 514 (Utah 2001).


    Lieber v. ITT Hartford Ins. Center, Inc., 15 P.3d 1030 (Utah 2000).

  • Presentations

    SMU Air Law Symposium, Journal of Air Law and Commerce, Should I Buy New Or Used? What Is a “New” Part, a “Rebuilt” Part, and a “Used Part” Under the General Aviation Revitalization Act, and Why Does it Matter? March 30-31st, 2017, Dallas, Texas.


    Utah Association for Justice, Objective Before and After Witnesses from Social Services, February 26, 2016, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah State Bar Mid-Year Convention, Is Facebook Your Friend? Using Social Media to Build Your Case, March 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, What the NFL and Helmet Litigation has Taught Us About Handling Brain Injury Cases Involving Repeated Concussions, March 9, 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    National Business Institute, Judicial Forum of Advanced Discovery and Trial Practice, May 11, 2012, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Ten Myths About the TBI Case, March 5, 2010 Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Focus Groups on a Dime, April 10, 2009, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    National Business Institute, Utah Bad Faith Primer, May, 2009, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Preparing the Mild to Moderate TBI Case Using Lay Witnesses, March 21, 2008, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Using Effective Medical Evidence in Court, December 11, 2008, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Preparing the Mild to Moderate TBI Case, March 9, 2007, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Finding Expert Witnesses for the Brain Injury Case, March 7, 2006, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Preparing the Mild to Moderate TBI Case, November 29th-30th, 2007, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, How To Successfully Resolve Automobile Injury Cases, November 29-30, 2006, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    National Business Institute, Trucking Litigation and DOT Regulations In Utah, March 2006, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Brain Injury in the Medical Malpractice Case with Ruth Renlund, March 9, 2007, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    National Business Institute, Basics of a Medical Malpractice Case in Utah, March 2003, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Getting the Most Value for the Least Dollar – Focus Groups, September 17, 1999, Salt Lake City, Utah.


    Utah Association for Justice, Trial Lawyers University, “Window Blind Strangulation”, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 17, 2022.


    Utah Association for Justice, Auto-Spectacular Mid-Year Seminar, “Anchors Aweigh – Not Anchoring Down Your General Damage Case”, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 22, 2022.

  • Associations

    Utah Association for Justice


    2017 President


    Life Time Member Award


    Litigation Counsel of America


    Member, Trial Law Institute 


    Member, Diversity Law Institute


    Barrister, Order of Centurions


    Advocate, Order of Certus


    Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association.


    Barrister in the David K. Watkiss-Sutherland II American Inns of Court.


    American Association of Justice.


    Aviation Law Section Member


    Professional Negligence Section


    Railroad Law Section


    Product Liability Section


    Toxic Tort Section


    Motor Vehicle Section


    Child Sex Abuse Section


    Council of Presidents


    American Bar Association.


    Aviation Section Member


    The National Trial Lawyers.


    Aviation Section Member


    Construction Accident Section Member


    Medical Malpractice Section Member


    Motor Vehicle Section Member


    Products Liability Section Member

Practice Areas

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Catastrophic Injury
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Wrongful Death
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Product Liability
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Truck & Commercial Vehicle Accidents
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Insurance Bad Faith
Reach Out Today

Get the Legal Support You Deserve

If you need a trial-tested advocate with decades of courtroom experience and a record of results against powerful defendants—in Utah or nationwide—Alan W. Mortensen is ready to fight for your rights.