Ryan P. Browne

Member

Ryan Browne practices in our Montana office.  He has maintained a diverse civil litigation practice over the past nine years.  His experience includes representing individuals; local, regional, and national businesses; public entities; and non-profit organizations.  Mr. Browne’s practice areas include construction and design defect and deficiency, premises liability, workers’ compensation, realtor/broker professional negligence, fire suppression system ITM professional negligence, transportation, and general tort defense.

Mr. Browne has successfully defended large national retailers in complex and high exposure cases.  He has successfully obtained the dismissal of claims and cases by way of dispositive motion practice on numerous occasions.  Mr. Browne has represented clients in the justice, tribal, state, and federal courts across Montana and at all stages of litigation including mediation and trial.

Mr. Browne has been on the Board of Trustees for the Yellowstone County Bar Association since 2017 and has been Montana’s Young Lawyer Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates since 2019.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Montana, 2010
  • U.S. District Court, District of Montana

Location

Billings Office

175 North 27th Street
Suite 1101
Billings, MT 59101

Education

JD: University of Montana School of Law, 2010
BA & BS: Regis University, 2007, History & Political Economy, Dean’s List

Contact

browner@hallevans.com

More About
Ryan

Resume

Career Distinctions & Honors
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America; Construction Law, Litigation ­­- Real Estate, and Transportation Law, 2022-2025
Professional Experience
  • Law Clerk, Hon. Susan P. Watters, Montana’s 13th Judicial District, 2010-2011
  • Clinical Intern, United States Attorney’s Office, Billings, MT, 2009-2010
  • Special Deputy County Attorney, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office, Billings, MT, 2008-2009
Professional Associations
  • American Bar Association
    • House of Delegates, Montana’s Young Lawyer Delegate, 2019 – present
  • State Bar of Montana
  • Yellowstone Area Bar Association
    • Board of Trustees, 2017 – 2021
Business & Community Service
  • Score, Billings Chapter
Blog Posts About Ryan

Douglas J. Kotarek

Member

Mr. Kotarek is the head of the Hall & Evans Workers’ Compensation Practice Group, and his practice focuses on workers’ compensation defense. He also defends businesses in employment matters and general civil litigation.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado, 1992
  • New Mexico (inactive), 1988
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

Location

Denver Office
1001 17th Street
Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202

Education

JD: J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 1988
BA: Brigham Young University, 1985

Contact

kotarekd@hallevans.com

More About
Douglas

Resume

Linkedin

 

Career Distinctions & Honors

He is currently on the Legislative Committee of the Colorado Self-Insurers’ Association and lobbies the Colorado legislature on the Association’s behalf regarding workers’ compensation legislation. He also assists in writing amicus curiae briefs to the Colorado Supreme Court on behalf of CSIA.

He is on the Advisory Committee for the Workers’ Compensation group of the Colorado Civil Justice League. As a member of the legal advisory committee, Mr. Kotarek reviews and analyzes potential judicial appointments, advises the business community of judicial/legislative issues that may have an impact on business, and assists with legislative issues that affect business.

Professional Associations
  • Colorado Defense Lawyers Association
  • Colorado Self-Insurers’ Association
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
  • Professionals in Workers’ Compensation
  • ALFA International
    • Steering committee, Workers’ Compensation Practice Group
  • Colorado Bar Association
    • Workers’ Compensation Section
  • Denver Bar Association
Articles & Publications // Presentations // Webinars
  • Speaker, “New Legislation Respondent Perspective,” 2011 Annual Fall Workers’ Compensation Update, CLE in Colorado, Inc., October 2011
  • Annual Presenter, ALFA Workers’ Compensation National Seminar
  • Lead Note and Comment Editor, BYU Journal of Public Law, 1987-1988
Languages

Mr. Kotarek is fluent in Spanish, and is able to represent clients in claims involving Spanish speaking parties or witnesses.

Blog Posts About Douglas

© 2012-2025 Hall & Evans, LLC | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy