Jeffrey M. Hanson Partner

Commercial litigator Jeff Hanson has nearly 20 years of experience in dispute resolution. In his diverse practice, Jeff has substantial experience litigating contract disputes, and he regularly represents clients in other commercial disputes, including business torts, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and statutory claims.

Jeff has helped many clients obtain important victories and favorable settlements in lawsuits and arbitration. In one recent victory, Jeff and colleagues successfully challenged two Montana statutes directed at co-owners of an electrical generation facility. The federal court struck down one of the statutes on the grounds that it violated the Contract Clause and dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Portland Gen. Elec. Co. v. Nw. Corp., 567 F. Supp. 3d 1203 (D. Mont. 2021); Portland Gen. Elec. Co. v. Nw. Corp., CV-21-47-BLG-SPW-KLD, 2022 WL 4547541 (D. Mont. Sept. 28, 2022), report and recommendation adopted, 2022 WL 11213500 (D. Mont. Oct. 19, 2022).

As a trusted advisor to clients, Jeff provides objective analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of a dispute to help assess risk and develop strategy. When representing and advising clients, Jeff often draws on his quantitative background from his studies at The Claremont Graduate University and Linfield University.

Jeff represents a range of clients, large and small. His industry experience includes energy, telecommunications, aerospace, and online retail.

Before beginning his practice with Perkins Coie in 2004, Jeff clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for the Honorable Paul V. Niemeyer. Jeff graduated from Cornell Law School, where he served as an article editor for the Cornell Law Review.