In any profession, it’s great to be recognized by your peers. They understand what you do better than anyone else. If they compliment you, you know it means something. That is why the Academy Awards is such a big deal in Hollywood. The voters are other filmmakers who understand the struggles their colleagues go through.
For lawyers, there are a number of industry recognitions including the distinction Super Lawyer. Every year, a group of outstanding law professionals — who are highly-regarded by their peers and who are high achievers — are given that title by an online rating service. Only the top 5% of attorneys get this distinction every year, according to the website.
This year, three attorneys from Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat were named Super Lawyers: James C. Bradshaw, Mark R. Moffat, and Ann Marie Taliaferro. This is a great achievement, but it is no surprise. In order to become a partner at this law firm, you must be an accomplished lawyer with substantial and notable experience.
James C. Bradshaw is a known leader in Utah’s legal community. He has served as chairman for both the Criminal Law Section of the Utah State Bar and for the Utah State Indigent Defense Board. He has been recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America,” “Top 100 Lawyers in Utah” by Utah Business Magazine, and “Utah’s Legal Elite.” He has been named Super Lawyer every year since 2008. He continues to do meaningful, transformative work that challenges laws and improves people’s lives.
Toward the end of 2022, Bradshaw helped set precedent for criminal forfeiture cases in United States v. Justin Peck. In this case, property was taken away as punishment for a convicted man, but it wasn’t actually his property. It belonged to a colleague. Because that colleague wasn’t directly involved with the case, it was impossible to challenge the forfeiture. However, James C. Bradshaw helped get the property owner’s case heard from a judge, and this resulted in the man getting his property back.
Mark R. Moffat was given an “AV” rating by Martindale-Hubbell in 2016. That is the highest rating a lawyer can get under that system and is based on both peer and client feedback. The AV rating signifies Moffat is top-tier at what he does and holds high ethical standards.
Like Bradshaw, Moffat has served as chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Utah State Bar. He also helped set policy for sentencing in Utah as a former member of the Utah Grand Jury Reform Committee and the Utah Sentencing Commission.
He is very active in the legal community and has been involved with Rule 8 Capital Qualified Defense Attorneys’ Panel, the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Moffat has also been recognized as one of “Utah’s Legal Elite” by Utah Business Magazine and was named as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in 2016 under the criminal defense specialty. He has been named Super Lawyer every year since 2019.
Ann Marie Taliaferro is a prolific writer who has been published in the Utah Journal of Criminal Law, the Utah Bar Journal, and the Utah Law Review. While she was studying in the S.J. Quinney School of Law at the University of Utah, she was a staff writer for Utah Law Review, and she completed a summer internship at the Supreme Court of the United States, Office of the Curator.
She also has served on many different committees. Among them are the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals CJA Standing Committee, and the Utah Supreme Court and Judicial Council Task Force on Justice Court Reform.
Ann has earned the distinction of Super Lawyer every year since 2021.
Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat is a team of lawyers you can have confidence in. If you ever find yourself in trouble with the law, you can count on them to take care of you. They will help you navigate through the legal process and get you the best outcome possible.
For a free consultation, call (801) 532-5297.
