Most lawsuits are settled before trial. As the costs of litigation continue to increase, disputing parties frequently seek to end their disputes as early as possible sometimes even before a lawsuit is filed through means of alternative dispute resolution such as mediation and arbitration. Butt Thornton & Baehr, P.C. offers the services of a well trained and experienced mediator and arbitrator to assist parties and their attorneys in avoiding litigation or, once started, in bringing costly litigation to an end.

The firm has extensive experience in appellate proceedings. Our attorneys regularly file briefs and argue cases in the New Mexico Court of Appeals, the New Mexico Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Several senior level attorneys are licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court and have filed petitions for certiorari and briefs with the court.

We represent insurance carriers, manufacturers and other companies involved in the aviation business, as well as aircraft owners and pilots. We defend and try cases involving personal injuries, property damages, workers compensation and commercial issues arising from aircraft accidents and other damage claims throughout New Mexico. We have also represented clients in FAA and DOT administrative actions. Three of our senior attorneys are licensed pilots. One is a former military air traffic controller. We have also represented aircraft component part manufacturers in products liability actions and various airlines in workers compensation cases. Affiliations include the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

The firm has wide experience in the bankruptcy area, including liquidations and reorganizations. We provide legal services to several banks in New Mexico, including preparation of financing documents, security agreements, and trust agreements. We also represent banking institutions in connection with financing for commercial office and multifamily real estate projects and loan modifications. Attorneys within this department represent, among others, the FDIC and banks in collection and lender liability.

The firm handles a wide variety of business-related matters. These include business sales, dispute resolution, corporate and non-corporate business matters. Our firm also represents buyers and sellers in commercial, office and multifamily sales. We can assist in the negotiation of the terms of other sales and related transactions.

Our lawyers have experience in commercial litigation in all forums, including federal and state court, bankruptcy court and mediation and arbitration proceedings. This experience encompasses contract disputes, business torts and intellectual property rights. We are skilled in representing clients in obtaining and defending temporary restraining orders and preliminary and permanent injunctions. We represent business clients in collection and real estate actions. Replevins, foreclosures, real estate contract defaults and enforcement of security interests are among the lawsuits handled by our firm.

The firm has significant experience in representing private, state, county, and municipal employers before state and federal administrative agencies, such as the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the state Human Rights Division. Since the judicial trend away from at-will employment, the firm has represented employers in both state and federal court actions filed by employees. We also regularly consult with employers on legal issues affecting management/employee relations and how to help prevent liability situations. Employment Litigation Attorneys.

We represent clients involved in litigation in the areas covered by CERCLA, including toxic material and chemical cleanup responsibility. Past representation has included asbestos manufacturers in many of the cases filed in New Mexico.

Attorneys within this area prepare Wills and Trusts and advise clients concerning estate planning. They also handle all probate matters, including litigation of will contests and claims.

In addition to our work in special practice areas, the firm also provides a wide range of liability defense services at the request of various insurance companies and self-insureds. We represent many of the larger insurance companies and self-insureds in personal injury lawsuits filed in New Mexico. Our attorneys appear daily in courtrooms throughout New Mexico on behalf of defendants in general liability cases.

We have represented municipalities, universities, elected officials, judges, district attorneys, law enforcement agencies and officials, prisons, counties and various departments of the State of New Mexico in numerous civil rights actions brought under the federal and state constitutions and federal statutes. The firm's experience ranges from due process and equal protection claims associated with employee discipline and termination to police impropriety claims.

Several shareholders in the firm regularly counsel with and offer opinions to insurance companies and insureds concerning coverage issues in insurance policies. Additionally, the firm frequently represents insurance companies in bad faith and coverage litigation.

Over the last twenty-five years we have been extensively involved in the defense of a wide variety of product liability claims on behalf of manufacturers, distributors and insurance companies. The firm has defended cases involving automobiles, trucks, ATV’s and motorcycles. Other products which the firm has defended directly on behalf of manufacturers include ladders, mobile cranes, aircraft, heavy equipment and machinery, medical devices and pharmaceutical products. The firm has also been involved in related litigation involving toxic torts including asbestos, formaldehyde, chemical exposures, eye implants and breast implants.

We provide defense representation in a wide variety of malpractice actions involving lawyers, physicians, hospitals, emergency medial services, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, architects, engineers, accountants, and others. We have experience in the legal defense of corporate entities, individual professionals, and their insurers.

The Real Estate Law Department handles a wide variety of real-estate matters. The department represents real estate developers, buyers, sellers, and lenders in commercial, office and multifamily sales. Attorneys in the department also assist in the financing of and negotiation of real estate transactions. We assist with the preparation of all legal instruments for complex real estate transactions.

We provide defense representation to Retail Merchants and Stores on the local and nationwide levels. We specialize in Retail Law whether it be Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Property Damage or Contractual Disputes. We are members of ALFA Retail Lawyers as well as the Retail Lawyers Group. Attorneys in the department are able to assist in all aspects of Retail law.

We have extensive experience in sports and entertainment law. We have defended and tried cases involving personal injuries arising from amateur and professional sports activities, facilities and venue-related conditions and have advised amateur and professional sports organizations on risk management issues. We also have experience in athlete and entertainer representation and business management. Our practice includes work in such diverse areas as motor sports, boxing, horse racing, ballooning, concerts, school sports, little league, skiing, baseball, football, rodeo and music. We serve as agents for professional baseball, football and rodeo athletes and for musicians and musical groups. We also represent event security agencies, event promoters and venue owners. One of our attorneys is the National Coordinating Counsel for a large motor sport-sanctioning organization and insurance company motor sports programs.

The Firm has a Trucking Industry Department that specializes in all aspects of the trucking and transportation laws in the United States. Our experience includes catastrophic trucking accidents, personal injury and death actions, property damage, cargo claims, product liability claims, and employment matters. We have represented large and small trucking companies who travel interstate and intrastate highways. Members of our Trucking Industry Department have driven eighteen wheelers and attended truck driving schools and passed the CDL exams. We understand truck maintenance issues, log entries and the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations.

The Firm has extensive experience in complex workers compensation and occupational disease litigation including toxic exposure and intentional tort. We also represent employers in claims made under the Longshoreman's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Representation includes self-insured entities, commercially insured businesses and governmental agencies. Emphasis has been placed on managing claims posing wrongful termination liability and liability resulting from the varied requirements of federal law. We practice before administrative agencies as well as all courts. We actively consult with clients on loss prevention within general employment practices and as related to specific claims.