(Main Office)

Pearce & Durick traces its roots back to 1919, when Edward Cox joined Herbert O'Hare in the practice of law in Bismarck, North Dakota. Today, Pearce & Durick continues its rich tradition of providing quality legal services with some of the most respected lawyers in the region. The firm offers a wide range of legal services throughout North Dakota and the Midwestern and Western states, specializing in products liability defense, insurance defense law, intellectual property law, employment law, and education law. The lawyers at Pearce & Durick have earned the respect of their clients, the judiciary, and their peers. Pearce & Durick's mission is to provide the highest quality legal services to its clients in the most professional manner.

Statement of Practice

Product Liability Defense, Insurance Defense, Negligence, Real Estate, Corporate Law, Business Law, Commercial Law, Banking, Estate Planning, Probate, Wills, Education Law, Intellectual Property, Employment Law, Appeals, Civil Litigation before all Courts and Administrative Agencies.

Representative Clients:

American Bank Center
American State Bank
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Bank of North Dakota
BNC National Bank
Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc.
Black & Decker Corporation
Bridgestone Firestone, Inc.
Brown & Brown, Inc.
Chubb Group of Insurance Cos.
Chrysler Holding LLC
Cincinnati Financial Corporation
CNH Global N.V.
Continental Western Group
Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.
Crum & Forster Insurance Co.
Dawes Rigging & Crane Rental, Inc.
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Deere & Co.
Emerson Electric Co.
EOG Resources, Inc.
First National Bank, South Dakota
Ford Motor Co.
Ford Motor Credit Co.
General Motors Acceptance Corporation
General Motors Corp.
Great Dane Limited Partnership
Grupo IMSA, S.A. de C.V.
Interstate Insurance Group
Kawasaki Motor Corp., USA
Liberty Mutual Group
Louisville Ladder, Inc.
Merrill-Lynch, Inc.
Midcontinent Communications
MDU Resources Group, Inc.
Monsanto Company
Morris Industries, Ltd.
Motorists Insurance Co.
National Indemnity Insurance Co.
North Dakota Association of Builders
North Dakota Development Fund
North Dakota High School Activities Assn.
North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund
North Dakota School Boards Assn.
North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance
North Star Mutual Insurance Company
Otter Tail Corporation
Overhead Door Corporation
PACCAR Inc.
Pharmacists Mutual Cos.
Phelps Dodge Industries, Inc.
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
Plains Marketing, L.P.
Plains Pipeline
Sentry Insurance
St. Alexius Medical Center
Terex Corporation
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
The Travelers Companies
United Fire Group
U.S. Bancorp
Vanliner Insurance Co.
Verzatec, S.A.B. de C.B.
Wausau Insurance Co.
Wilsonart International, Inc.
Zurich North America.

Address

314 East Thayer Avenue P.O. Box 400
Bismarck, ND 58502, (Burleigh Co.)

Phone

Phone: 701-223-2890
Fax: 701-223-7865

Website

http://www.pearce-durick.com

PARTNERS OF FIRM

Patrick W. Durick (Partner) admitted to bar, 1973, Nebraska; 1974, North Dakota; 1975, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Education: United States Air Force Academy (B.S., 1964); Creighton University (J.D., 1972). Law Clerk to the Honorable Robert Denney, U.S. District Judge, District of Nebraska, 1973-1974. Member, 1981-1992 and Chairman, 1989-1991, U.S. District Court of North Dakota Federal Practice Committee. Chairman, Board of Trustees, Medcenter One, 1991—. Member: North Dakota Supreme Court, Commission on Gender Fairness in the Courts, 1994-1996; Gender Fairness Implementation Committee, 1997—; Member, 1991-1997 and Chairman, 1996-1997, North Dakota Pattern Jury Instruction Committee; U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota, Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group, 1990-1997. Member: Burleigh County and American Bar Associations; State Bar Association of North Dakota. [Capt., USAF, 1964-1970]. Practice Areas: Insurance Defense Law; Commercial Law; Professional Malpractice; Products Liability Defense.Email: Patrick W. Durick

B. Timothy Durick (Partner) admitted to bar, 1971, North Dakota. Education: University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1967); University of Minnesota (J.D., 1971). Legal Counsel and Special Assistant Attorney General, North Dakota Tax Department, 1971-1972. Member: Burleigh County Bar Association; State Bar Association of North Dakota; Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: General Negligence Trials and Appeals; Insurance Defense Law; Products Liability Defense.Email: B. Timothy Durick

Gary R. Thune (Partner) admitted to bar, 1974, North Dakota and U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota; 1978, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; 1979, U.S. Supreme Court; 1980, Minnesota. Education: Minot State College (B.S., 1964); University of North Dakota (M.Ed., 1967; J.D., 1974). Order of the Coif. Member, Editorial Staff, North Dakota Law Review, 1973-1974. Member: Burleigh County and American Bar Associations; State Bar Association of North Dakota; North Dakota Council of School Attorneys; National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys (Chairman, 1997). Practice Areas: Education Law; Litigation; Employment Law.Email: Gary R. Thune

Jerome C. Kettleson (Partner) admitted to bar, 1973, North Dakota and U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Education: St. John University (B.A., 1967); University of North Dakota (J.D., 1973). Phi Delta Phi. Member, 1976-1981 and President, 1978, Lisbon, North Dakota Public School District School Board. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Bismarck, North Dakota, 1981-1986. Member: U.S. District Court Federal Practice Committee, 1993—; Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Group, 1993-1997; Disciplinary Board of the North Dakota Supreme Court, 1997-2003. Member: Burleigh County Bar Association; State Bar Association of North Dakota (Commission on Continuing Legal Education, 1992-1996). [1st Lt. U.S. Army Infantry, 1968-1970]. (Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy). Practice Areas: General Negligence Trials and Appeals; Insurance Defense Law; Products Liability Defense.Email: Jerome C. Kettleson

Larry L. Boschee (Partner) admitted to bar, 1985, North Dakota and Minnesota; 1987, U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota; 1988, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; 1991, South Dakota; 1992, U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota; 2005, Montana and U.S. Supreme Court; 2006, U.S. District Court, District of Montana and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Education: Valley City State University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1982); University of North Dakota (J.D., with distinction, 1985). Member, North Dakota Law Review, 1984-1985. Author: "The Posse Comitatus Act as an Exclusionary Rule: Is the Criminal to Go Free Because the Soldier has Blundered?" 61 N.D. L. Rev. 107 (1985); Contributing Author: "Product Liability Desk Reference, A Fifty State Compendium," (M. Daller, 2009); "Business Torts, A Fifty State Guide," (M. Daller, 2009); Contributing Author: "Product Liability Cases and the Duty to Warn," (DRI, 2007). Law Clerk to the Honorable Paul Benson, United States District Court, District of North Dakota, 1985-1987. Member: State Bar Association of North Dakota; State Bar of South Dakota; State Bar of Montana; Product Liability Advisory Council; Litigation Counsel of America; Defense Research Institute (Member, Product Liability Committee); North Dakota Defense Lawyers Association (President, 2008); South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association; North Dakota Pattern Jury Instruction Committee (Member, 2002—; Chairman, 2007-2008); North Dakota Joint Procedure Committee (Member 2007—); Judge Bruce Van Sickle American Inn of Court (President, 2005-2007; American Inns of Court (State Liaison, 2007—). Practice Areas: Products Liability Defense; Insurance Defense; Commercial Litigation.Email: Larry L. Boschee

Jonathan P. Sanstead (Partner) admitted to bar, 1995, North Dakota; 1996, U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota; 1998, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; 2002, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: St. Cloud State University (B.A., 1992); William Mitchell College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1995). Law Clerk to The Honorable Patrick A. Conmy, U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota, 1995-1996. Member: State Bar Association of North Dakota; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Commercial Law; Intellectual Property Law; Business Law; Banks and Banking; Financial Law.Email: Jonathan P. Sanstead

ASSOCIATES

Tiffany L. Johnson (Associate) admitted to bar, 2005, North Dakota. Education: Moorhead State University (B.A., 2000); University of North Dakota (J.D., with distinction, 2005). Order of the Barristers. Symposium Editor, North Dakota Law Review, 2004-2005. Associate Editor, North Dakota Law Review, 2003-2004. Author, "Mental Health Crimes: United States Supreme Court Sets Guidelines for Forcibly Medicating Pre-Trial Detainees Solely for Prosecutorial Purposes, Sell v. United States, 539 U.S. 166 (2003)," 80 N.D.L. REV. 355, 2004. Member: State Bar Association of North Dakota; North Dakota Counsel of School Attorneys; Defense Research Institute; North Dakota Defense Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Employment Law; Litigation; Insurance Defense; Education Law.Email: Tiffany L. Johnson

Zachary E. Pelham (Associate) admitted to bar, 2004, North Dakota; U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Education: Taylor University (B.A., cum laude, 2000); University of North Dakota (J.D., with distinction, 2004). Assistant Attorney General, North Dakota Office of Attorney General, 2005-2007. Law Clerk to the Honorable Judges of the South Central Judicial District, Bismarck, ND, 2004-2005. Board of Editors, North Dakota Law Review, 2003-2004. Author: case comment, "Constitutional Law - Freedom of Speech: Door-to-Door Permit Requirements for Noncommercial Canvassers, Domestic Threat of Freedom of Speech?" 79 N.D. L. REV. 369, 2003. Recipient, Outstanding Note/Comment Award, North Dakota State Bar Association, 2004. Recognized by the Prairie Business Magazine in its "40 Under 40 Providing Leadership on the Plains", December 2008. Member: Big Muddy Bar Association (Officer at Large); State Bar Association of North Dakota; Defense Research Institute; North Dakota Defense Lawyers Association (Treasurer); Bruce M. Van Sickle American Inns of Court (Program Coordinator). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Products Liability; Litigation; Administrative Law; Regulatory Law.Email: Zachary E. Pelham

Christopher J. Nyhus (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, North Dakota. Education: Jamestown College (B.A., cum laude, 2002); Hamline University School of Law (J.D., 2006). Assistant State's Attorney, Morton County. Member: Big Muddy Bar Association; State Bar Association of North Dakota. Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Appellate Practice; Commercial Law; Corporate Law; Real Estate; Estate Planning.Email: Christopher J. Nyhus

LEGAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL

Suzanne Cahill Education: National Academy for Paralegal Studies, University of Mary (Certificate, 1992). Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award, 1992. Practice Areas: Litigation Support; Products Liability Defense; Asbestos; Insurance Defense.Email: Suzanne Cahill

Jennifer Jorissen Education: University of Mary (B.A., magna cum laude, 2006). Practice Areas: Litigation Support.Email: Jennifer Jorissen