Meagher & Geer is pleased to announce that Laura J. Hanson, a partner with the firm, recently passed the Montana state bar exam and is admitted to practice law there.  This licensure allows Laura to expand her representation of insurers and other clients in Montana litigation. Laura has already achieved successful results for clients appearing pro hac vice in the Montana Supreme Court in the cases Montana Petroleum Tank Release Comp. Bd. v. Crumleys, Inc., 2008 MT 2, 341 Mont. 33, 174 p.3d 948 and Montana Petroleum Tank Release Comp. Bd. v. Federated Serv. Ins. Co., 2008 MT 194, 344 Mont. 45, 185 P.3d 998.

Also admitted in Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, Laura focuses her practice on commercial insurance coverage, especially environmental and construction defect claims and litigation. She has handled litigation throughout the United States in the state and federal trial and appellate courts. She has appeared in three state supreme courts and four different federal circuit appellate courts.

Since 2003 Laura has been named to the Super Lawyers® list in Minnesota in the area of insurance coverage, and was recognized in 2009 in the list of Top 100 Women Super Lawyers. She has been awarded the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, AV® Preeminent ™. Laura is also recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®. She served as vice-chair for the 2008 meeting of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) and she served as the chair for that meeting in 2009. She is a member of the Defense Research Institute and a speaker at insurance conferences sponsored by Mealey’s and the ABA.