John E. Bohyer

John E. Bohyer – Of Counsel

John has more than 30 years of trial experience throughout the federal, state and tribal courts of Montana, nearly all as defense counsel for insurers and their insureds. He is well versed in the analytical metrics important to insurers, and he uses those to drive attorney performance within the firm.

John’s jury trials have included the defense of auto accident, insurance bad faith, timber trespass, product liability, criminal prosecution and even bar fight cases. He also tried a product liability case involving a defective automobile which resulted in a verdict of $248 million for his clients. He has litigated natural gas and propane explosion cases, professional negligence cases, scores of complex insurance coverage matters for insurers, cases involving financial institution fidelity bonds, construction defect cases, and more. John’s practice more recently has included work as a mediator of civil cases.

John holds a B.A. from Montana State University, with honors, and a J.D., with honors, from the University of Montana School of Law, where he was a member of the law review. He is admitted to practice before the Montana Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court, Montana, and the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as tribal courts in Montana. His reported decisions include Hern v. Safeco Ins. Co. Of Ill., 125 P.3d 597 (Mont. 2005); and Redies v. Attorneys Liability Protec. Soc’y, 150 P.3d 930 (Mont. 2007).

John is a member of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA); the Defense Research Institute (DRI), where he has co-edited three editions of the Bad Faith Compendium, and where he served as Montana’s state representative; and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), where he holds a CLMP designation, and where he has participated on the faculty of CLM’s Litigation Management Institute. John also has been president and a board member of the Montana Defense Trial Lawyers. He regularly presents training seminars on claims handling and insurance coverage throughout the western United States. He has also served on the local boards of numerous charitable organizations, including the Missoula Food Bank, Casey Family Program, and Missoula Country Club. His spare time interests include long distance running, golf, fly-fishing and travel.