 Gordon C. Strachan
gordon@strachanlaw.com
Gordon Strachan's law practice is concentrated in complex litigation. He has successfully defended the Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude Ski Area, Deer Valley Ski Resort, and the Utah Ski Association in antitrust cases. The Attorney General of the State of Utah retained Gordon as special independent counsel to defend the Executive Director of the Department of Corrections in a Section 1983 civil rights case. Gordon successfully represented Park City Municipal Corporation as special litigation counsel in a $16.5 million dollar Fifth Amendment "takings" case concerning the largest piece of undeveloped property in Park City, Utah. He has also successfully litigated cases in California, Montana, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and Idaho. He holds the Martindale-Hubble highest rating, "A.V.," as determined by other attorneys in the state of Utah.
Alpine Meadows of Tahoe, Inc., the former parent corporation of the Park City Ski Area, retained Gordon to defend against a lawsuit filed by the United Park City Mines Company, formerly controlled by New York’s Loeb family interests. Other parties included Deer Valley Resort Company, Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York, Atlantic Richfield Co., and Fidelity Bank of Philadelphia. After three years of discovery on the 88 page complaint asserting civil racketeering, breach of lease and contract claims, the trial court granted the motions to dismiss and for summary judgment filed by Gordon. The Utah Supreme Court unanimously affirmed.
Since 1993, Gordon has served as General Counsel to the United States Ski and Snowboard Association which is the National Governing Body for the United States skiing and snowboarding teams. Gordon regularly defends ski resorts in personal injury litigation, including Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Ski Resort, The Canyons and Snowbird, and has served as special counsel to Sun Valley and as litigation counsel to Vail.
Gordon Strachan also does legislative work representing the ski industry, telecommunications companies, the Park City School District, Park City Municipal Corporation, and the Park City Chamber of Commerce. Ski industry legislation advanced by Gordon includes Utah's Inherent Risks of Skiing Statute, the Ski Resorts Capital Investment Incentive Act, and various tax code and technical clarifications. He worked with former Governor Jon Huntsman to reform Utah's liquor laws by eliminating private clubs in 2009.
Before forming his own law firm in Park City, Gordon was managing partner of Prince, Yeates & Geldzahler, a 40 lawyer firm in Salt Lake City. Gordon also served as General Counsel to the United States Information Agency and on the White House Staff of President Richard M. Nixon. He began practicing law in 1968 with the Wall Street law firm of Mudge, Rose, Guthrie and Alexander.
Civic activities: Gordon served as Member of the Board of Trustees of the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Organizing Committee; Gordon is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Athletic Foundation and serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission. He has served on the Park City Municipal Corporation Board of Adjustment; Member of the Summit County Governance Study Commission; and Member of Utah Governor Michael Leavitt's Transition Team for the Utah Travel Council, Co-Chairman of Governor Jon Huntsman’s Transition Committee, Chairman of the Summit County/Park City Economic Development Committee, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Park City's non -profit community radio station, KPCW, Member of the Board of Directors of the Park City Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Board of Directors of the Utah Ski Association, Chairman of the Utah Alcoholism Foundation, and President of the Park City Rotary Club.
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| Articles |
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Release and Indemnity Agreements: Tips for Avoiding the Legal Hazards of Special Events (NSAA Journal, Oct/Nov 2005, Gordon Strachan) |
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Possible Defense Responses to Plaintiff’s “Experts” (Utah Bar Journal , Volume 17 No.6, Aug/Sept 2004, Gordon Strachan) |
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The Ripeness Doctrine in Regulatory Takings Litigation (Journal of Land, Resources, and Environmental Law, 2002, Gordon C. Strachan, Adam Strachan) |
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The Political Action Disclosure Act (Utah Bar Journal , January, 1989, Volume 2, No. 1, Gordon Strachan and Gary R. Thorup) |
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"Antitrust Issues Facing the Ski Resort Industry: The Company Town Revisited," Vol. 4 Utah Law Review, 1985 (Gordon C. Strachan and James A Boevers) |
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Author: "Justice in Shanghai: A Trial in the People's Republic of China," Vol. 22 Trial No. 1, January, 1986 |
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| Education |
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University of Southern California (B.A., 1965) |
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University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D., 1968) |
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Admitted: 1969, California and New York; 1977, Utah |
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