Justin graduated with High Honors from the University of Montana in 2009, after which he joined the firm. Justin is a member of the Montana State and Federal Bar. He is admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals, the Montana Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.
Justin serves as a Board Member of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association and as Chair of the MTLA Amicus Committee, which writes legal briefs to the Montana Supreme Court on the behalf of consumers and injured persons. Justin co-taught US Constitutional Law at Montana State University and frequently speaks at continuing education courses for attorneys and to law school classes. He has taken several cases to verdict in the State of Montana and was awarded the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” Award by the Montana Trial Lawyers in 2024 and the “Appellate Lawyer of the Year” award in 2016.
Justin Stalpes is experienced in complex civil litigation in areas including insurance, class action, catastrophic injuries, environmental contamination, medical malpractice and products liability. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars for his clients. Some of Justin’s previous cases include:
Hudgens v. Rainbow Ranch: In the largest personal injury verdict in Gallatin County, the jury rendered a verdict of $15,000,000 to the family of a man who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning while honeymooning with his wife, who was also seriously injured. Along with friends Skip Finkboener and David Cain, of the Cunningham Bounds firm in Alabama, the team proudly represented the family and spouse.
Oschenbein v. Temp. Right: After a five-day trial, the jury found that the defendant was negligent and awarded damages in the amount of $5,100,000 to a man injured while driving his motorcycle.
In re Selway Litigation: Recovered $5,500,000 for the employee shareholders of Selway who alleged that the Selway Corporation Board of Directors and President had entered into conflicted interest transactions and failed to act in the best interests of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Munderloh v. Avista: Recovered $7,500,000 on behalf of a man who had volunteered to build a church was electrocuted by a power line.
Ayotte v. State of Montana: Recovered $1,200,000 from the State of Montana and entered into confidential settlements with two other entities responsible for injuries suffered when Scott Ayotte was driving along Highway 287 with his wife and infant son and a poorly maintained sign blew over in a windstorm and crashed through Ayotte’s windshield, striking him in the face.
Some of his notable appellate cases include:
Beehler v. E. Radiological Assocs., P.C. , 2012 MT 260, 367 Mont. 21, 289 P.3d 131 – reversing the district court’s grant of summary judgment and defining the requirements of an expert in medical malpractice cases.
Knudsen v. Univ. of Montana, 2019 MT 175, 396 Mont. 443, 445 P.3d 834 – affirming the certification of a class in a case brought on behalf of all students attending the university who were encouraged to engage the services of a third party vendor, Higher One, who subjected the students to excessive fees in order to receive loan refunds.
Christian v. Atl. Richfield Co., 2015 MT 255, 380 Mont. 495, 358 P.3d 131 & 2017 MT 324, 390 Mont. 76, 408 P.3d 515– reversing the district court’s grant of summary judgment in a contamination case brought on behalf of nearly 100 residents of Opportunity Montana and determining that the statute of limitations for plaintiffs’ trespass and nuisance claims was tolled by the continuing tort doctrine and plaintiffs’ claim was not preempted by CERCLA.
Keuffer v. O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., 2016 MT 127, 383 Mont. 439, 373 P.3d 14 – disqualifying lawyers who met with the plaintiff before the litigation was initiated and rejected his case but later represented the defendant and used the meeting with counsel against him.