Free Initial Consultation Accepts Credit Cards

(Main Office)

Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore, LLP is a results-oriented firm, with an outstanding record of performance, service and results for our clients. We have successfully established a reputation for maintaining the highest ethical standards in the practice of law. Our professional staff uses a team approach that brings together our diverse talents and backgrounds to focus on our clients' specific needs. This team approach fosters innovative thinking and efficiently provides the highest level of service to our clients.

The Firm has attorneys licensed to practice in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, as well as Rosebud Sioux, Oglala Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Courts.

Statement of Practice

Insurance Defense and Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Business Planning and Litigation, Corporate Law and Litigation, Contracts, Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures, Professional Licensing, Banks and Banking, Creditor's Rights in Bankruptcy, Public Financing, Limited Liability Companies, Tax Law, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Products Liability, Torts, Trusts and Estates, Wills, Probate, Elder Law, Arbitration and Mediation, Education Law, State and Federal Appeals, Governmental Law and Liability, State and Federal Appeals, Construction and Engineering Law, Family Law, Criminal Law, Trial and Appellate Practice, Agricultural Law, Environmental Law, Surety Law, Workers' Compensation, Employment Law, Health Law, Gaming Law, Indian and Tribal Law, Civil Rights.

Firm Affiliations

THE HARMONIE GROUP: A group of independent law firms located throughout the United States and Canada with proven expertise in meeting the diverse needs of the insurance and commercial industry.

Representative Clients:

Banking: Wells Fargo Bank South Dakota, N.A.
BankWest, N.A.
Bank of America
Rapid City Telco Federal Credit Union
Credit Bureau of Rapid City
Great Western Bank
Tri County State Bank
Wells Fargo Investment Services
American State Bank (Pierre). Insurance: Acuity Insurance
Allstate
Acceptance Insurance Co.
Aetna Life & Casualty Co.
AIU Insurance Co.
Alpha Property & Casualty
American Concept Insurance Co.
American Home Assurance Co.
American International Cos.
American Justice Insurance Reciprocal
American Risk Pooling Consultants, Inc.
American States Insurance Cos.
American Universal Insurance
American Underwriting Managers
Amwest Surety Insurance Co.
Austin Mutual Insurance Co.
Casualty Reciprocal Exchange
Center Mutual Insurance Co.
CIGNA
Cimarron Insurance Co.
Cincinnati Insurance
Citizens Insurance Co.
Classified Insurance Co.
CNA Insurance Cos.
Colonia Insurance Co.
Colonial Insurance Co. of California
Commercial Union Insurance Cos.
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co.
Continental Western Insurance Co.
CoverX Corp.
Criterion Insurance Co.
Crum & Forster Insurance Co.
Employers Mutual Cos.
ESIS, Inc., a CIGNA Co.
Farm & City Insurance Co.
Farmers Insurance Group
Federated Insurance
First Financial Insurance Co.
GEICO
Great American Insurance Co.
Great Central Insurance Co.
Grocers Insurance Co.
Guaranty National Insurance Co.
Guardian Insurance Co. of Canada
Harding & Perkins Farm Mutual Insurance Co.
Hartford Insurance Co.
Hawkeye-Security Insurance Co.
Home Insurance Co.
Horace Mann Insurance Co.
Inland Mutual Insurance Co.
ITT Specialty Risk Services, Inc.
JWF Specialty Co., Inc.
Ladder Management Service
Lexington Insurance Co.
Life Investors Insurance Co. of America
Life USA
Peter J. McBreen & Associates, Inc.
Media Professional Insurance
Midwest Medical Insurance Co.
Milbank Insurance Co.
Milwaukee Insurance
Missouri Valley Mutual Insurance Co.
Mountain West Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.
Mutual Service Insurance Co.
New Hampshire Insurance Group
New Jersey Life Insurance Co.
New York Life Insurance Co.
Reliance Insurance Co.
Republic Claims Service
Rockwood Insurance Co.
Royal Insurance
Royal Milbank
St. Paul Insurance Cos.
Shand Morahan & Co., Inc.
South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Ins. Co.
South Dakota Insurance Guaranty Association
South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance
State Farm Insurance Co.
Tri-State Insurance Co. of Minnesota
USAA Property & Casualty Insurance
Union Insurance Co
United Fire & Casualty Co.
U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty Co.
Universal Surety
Vanliner Insurance Co.
Viking Insurance of Wisconsin
Wausau Insurance Cos.
Western National Insurance Group
Westfield Cos.
Wisconsin Adjusting Service, Inc.
National American Insurance Co.

Clients

OTHER: Homestake Mining Co.
Wharf Resources, Inc.
James E. Simon Construction
Bally Gaming, Inc.
RCC Western Stores
Ridco Inc.
A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
Global Gaming
Innovative Gaming
Sodak Gaming, Inc.
SEGA of America
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
The Dunbar, Inc.
Anchor Gaming
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
High Country
Hillcrest Spring Water, Inc.
Brandsted Food & Beverages, Inc.
Wheeler Manufacturing, Inc.
KroFam, Inc.
Scotchman Industries, Inc.
Symcom, Inc.
Cor-Bon, Inc.

GENERAL COUNSEL FOR: Rapid City Area School District No. 51-4
Hill City School District No. 51-2
Wall School District No. 51-5
New Underwood School District No. 51-3
Northwest School District No. 52-3
South Dakota Cement Plant Commission.

Rate Information

Fixed Hourly Rates
Fixed Fees Available
Free Initial Consultation
Accepts Major Credit Cards

• Visa
• MasterCard

Address

440 Mount Rushmore Road P.O. Box 8045
Rapid City, SD 57709-8045, (Pennington Co.)

Phone

Phone: 605-342-1078
Fax: 605-342-9503

Website

http://www.gundersonpalmer.com

Office Hours

Monday: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Tuesday: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Wednesday: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Thursday: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Friday: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

PARTNERS

J. Crisman Palmer (Partner) born Amarillo, Texas; admitted to bar, 1974, South Dakota. Education: South Dakota State University (B.A., 1971); University of South Dakota (J.D., 1974). Adjunct Professor, "Settlement and Negotiations," University of South Dakota. Member: American Bar Association; State Bar of South Dakota (Commissioner, 1983-1986; Disciplinary Board, 1996-2002); South Dakota Board of Pardons and Parole (Member 1991-1997 and Chair, 1993-1997); South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association; South Dakota Council of School Attorneys; South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Directors, 1995-1998; Secretary, 1998); Defense Research Institute; Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel; The American Board of Trial Advocates. Practice Areas: Insurance; Insurance Defense; Products Liability; Commercial Litigation; Banks and Banking.Email: J. Crisman Palmer

James S. Nelson (Partner) born Rapid City, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1959, South Dakota. Education: Black Hills State University (B.S., 1956); University of South Dakota (J.D., 1959). Member: Board of Editors, South Dakota Law Review, 1957-1959. South Dakota House of Representatives, 1969-1974; South Dakota Board of Bar Commissioners, 1975-1978. Member: American Bar Association; State Bar of South Dakota (President Elect, 1995-1996 and President, 1996-1997); Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel; South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association (President, 1984); American Board of Trial Advocates (Advocate; National Board of Directors, 1998-2001 and President, South Dakota Chapter, 1992-1993); Defense Research Institute; American College of Trial Lawyers; International Association of Gaming Attorneys; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Mt. Rushmore National Society (President, 1999—). [Capt., JAGC, U.S. Army, 1959-1962]. Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Civil Litigation; Corporate Litigation; Business Litigation; Real Property; Business Transactions; Gaming Law; Insurance Defense.Email: James S. Nelson

Daniel E. Ashmore (Partner) born Rapid City, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1979, South Dakota; 1997, North Dakota. Education: University of South Dakota (B.S., Business Administration, 1977; J.D. with honors, 1979). Member, South Dakota Law Review. Deputy States Attorney, 1980-1983. Member: American Bar Association; State Bar of South Dakota (Past Commissioner); State Bar Association of North Dakota; South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association; Defense Research Institute; International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Civil Litigation; Civil Practice; Workers Compensation; Corporate Law; Corporate Litigation; Business Litigation; Banking Law; Products Liability.Email: Daniel E. Ashmore

Donald P. Knudsen (Partner) born Yankton, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1987, South Dakota; U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Augustana College (B.S., 1981); University of South Dakota (J.D. with honors, 1987). Author: "Inequities and Abuses of Death Qualification: Causes and Cures," 32 South Dakota L. Rev. 281, 1987. Member: American Bar Association; State Bar of South Dakota (Chair, Practice Rules Revision Committee, 2001—); South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Governors, 1997—); South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Governmental Law; Governmental Liability; Torts; Employee Benefits; Employment Law; Trial Practice; Civil Rights; Appellate Practice; Sexual Harassment; Discrimination.Email: Donald P. Knudsen

Patrick G. Goetzinger (Partner) born Martin, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1989, South Dakota. Education: University of South Dakota (B.S., 1982; J.D., 1988). Law Clerk to Hon. Fred J. Nichol, Senior Judge, U.S. District Court, South Dakota, 1988-1989. Listed in: Chambers USA America's Leading Business Lawyers in Mergers & Acquisitions and Real Property. Co-Author: "The South Dakota Limited Liability Company Act: the Next Generation Begins," South Dakota L. Rev., Vol. 44, Iss. 2, 1999. Contributing Author: American Bar Association, Property Tax Handbook, 1994—. South Dakota Contact, Council on State Taxation Cost, State Taxation Committee, Washington, D.C. State President, South Dakota Planned Giving Council, 1996-1998. Member: Governor's Trust Task Force, 1997—. Member: American College of Trust and Estates Counsel (Fellow, 2002); State Bar of South Dakota (Chair, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, 1996-1998, Member, 1998— and Chair, 1999—, Business Law Committee; Chair, Philanthropy Committee, 1997-1999); American Bar Association (General Practice Section; Chair, Estate Planning and Probate Committee; Editor in Chief, Best of ABA Sections; Division Director; Council Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section). Practice Areas: Real Estate; Probate; Wills; Trusts and Estates; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Law; Agricultural Law.Email: Patrick G. Goetzinger

Talbot J. Wieczorek (Partner) born Mitchell, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1991, South Dakota; 1992, Nebraska. Education: South Dakota State University (B.S., 1985); University of South Dakota (J.D. with honors, 1991). Member: South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association; Pennington County Bar Association; Nebraska State Bar Association; State Bar of South Dakota (Member, Disciplinary Board); Pennington County Ambassadors (President, 2004). Practice Areas: Business Law; Commercial Litigation; Real Estate; Insurance Litigation; Surety Law and Litigation; Administrative and Regulatory Representation.Email: Talbot J. Wieczorek

Jennifer K. Trucano (Partner) born Deadwood, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1994, South Dakota; 2004, Colorado. Education: University of Notre Dame (B.A., 1990); University of South Dakota (J.D., 1994). Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award, 1994. Law Clerk to South Dakota Supreme Court, 1994-1995. Assistant Attorney General, South Dakota Office of the Attorney General, 1995-1996. Member: American Bar Association; State Bar of South Dakota (Bar Commissioner, 2001-2004; Chair, Gaming Law Committee, 1997; Member, Multidisciplinary Practice Committee, 1999); Defense Research Institute (Member and Presenter, "Say It Again, The Restatement Third of Torts on Products Liability"); American Health Lawyers Association (Physician Practice/Stark Subcommittees). Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Health Law; Business Litigation; Construction Law.Email: Jennifer K. Trucano

David E. Lust (Partner) born Aberdeen, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1997, South Dakota; U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota; 1999, Minnesota. Education: Dartmouth College (B.A., 1990); University of South Dakota (J.D., summa cum laude, 1997). Law Clerk to Chief Judge Richard H. Battey, U.S. District Court, South Dakota, 1997-1999. Case Note Author, 42 South Dakota Law Review 508, 1997. Instructor, National American University, 1998-1999. Member: Minnesota State Bar Association; American Bar Association (Business Law Section); State Bar of South Dakota (Business Law Committee; Bench Bar Committee). Practice Areas: Business Transactions; Business Litigation; Banking Law; Administrative Law.Email: David E. Lust

Thomas E. Simmons (Partner) born Vermillion, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1998, South Dakota; 2001, Nebraska. Education: University of South Dakota (B.S., 1991; J.D., 1998). Law Clerk to Judge Andrew W. Bogue, U.S. District Court, South Dakota, 1998-2000. Member: State Bar of South Dakota (Member: Real Property, Probate and Trusts Section; Philanthropy Section); State Bar of Nebraska; Pennington County Bar Association. Practice Areas: Asset Protection; Business Law; Charitable Giving; Conservatorship; Elder Law; Estate Planning; Estate Planning for the Disabled; Federal Estate and Gift Taxation; Guardianship; Marital Agreements; Medicaid Planning; Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations; Powers of Attorney; Probate; Real Estate; Trust Law; Wills.Email: Thomas E. Simmons

Terri Lee Williams (Partner) born Okinawa, Japan; admitted to bar, 1994, South Dakota. Education: Chadron State College (B.A., 1989); University of South Dakota (J.D., 1993). Butte County State's Attorney, 1995-2001; Lawrence County Deputy Public Defender, 1993-1995. Pennington County Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, 2003. Member, National District Attorney Association, 1995-2001. Member: State Bar of South Dakota (Member, Committees on: Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions, 1995—; Family Law, 2001—); American Bar Association (Family Law Division); South Dakota and National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys; South Dakota State's Attorneys Association; South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association; McGovern's Task Force on Child Custody and Visitation (2001); Volunteer Teen Court Trainer. Practice Areas: Criminal Law; Family Law; Local Government; School Law; Insurance Defense.Email: Terri Lee Williams

Sara Frankenstein (Partner) born Fremont, Nebraska; admitted to bar, 2002, South Dakota. Education: University of South Dakota (B.A., 1997; J.D., 2001). Law Clerk to Hon. Richard H. Battey. Judge, U.S. District Court, South Dakota, 2001-2002. Member: State Bar of South Dakota; American Bar Association; South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association; South Dakota Young Lawyers Association (Representative, 7th Circuit). Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Civil Litigation; Insurance Defense; Products Liability.Email: Sara Frankenstein

Jason M. Smiley (Partner) born Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 2003, South Dakota; 2004, Wyoming. Education: Black Hills State University (B.A., 1999); University of Wyoming (J.D., 2002). Judicial Clerk, Fourth Circuit Court, South Dakota, 2002. Member: State Bar of South Dakota; Wyoming State Bar. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Business Litigation; Personal Injury; Criminal Law; Construction Law; Civil Practice; Banking Law.Email: Jason M. Smiley

ASSOCIATES

Rebecca L. Mann (Associate) born Spearfish, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 2008, South Dakota. Education: Black Hills State College (B.A., 2004); University of South Dakota School of Law (J.D., 2008). Practice Areas: Civil Practice.Email: Rebecca L. Mann

Amy K. Koenig (Associate) born Kenosha, Wisconsin; admitted to bar, 2003, South Dakota. Education: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, (B.A., Chemical Engineering, 1995); University of South Dakota (J.D., 2003). Quality Engineer, Gateway, 1997-2000; Chemical Engineer, Dow Corning, 1996-1997. Member: State Bar of South Dakota. Practice Areas: Construction Law; Engineering Law; Technology Law; Medical Malpractice; Products Liability; Insurance Defense; Environmental Law.Email: Amy K. Koenig

Matthew Naasz (Associate) born Rapid City, South Dakota, July 8, 1976; admitted to bar, 2006, South Dakota and U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota. Education: Northern State University (B.A., 2002); University of South Dakota (J.D., 2006). Member: State Bar of South Dakota; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: Civil Litigation; Landlord and Tenant Law; Personal Injury; Medical Malpractice.Email: Matthew Naasz

Jeffrey R. Connolly (Associate) born Grand Rapids, Minnesota, 1975; admitted to bar, 2007, South Dakota. Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.A., 1998); University of South Dakota (J.D., 2006). Member, Board of Editors, South Dakota Law Review, 2005-2006. Law Clerk to the Honorable Andrew W. Bogue, Senior U.S. District Court Judge, 2007. Pro Se Law Clerk to the Honorable Karen E. Schreier, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota, 2006-2007. Member: Pennington County Bar Association; State Bar of South Dakota. Practice Areas: General Practice.Email: Jeffrey R. Connolly

Quentin L. Riggins (Associate) born Kadoka, South Dakota, 1979; admitted to bar, 2006, South Dakota. Education: Northern State University (B.A., 2002); South Dakota University (J.D., 2006). Member: State Bar of South Dakota; American Bar Association. Practice Areas: General Practice; Agricultural Law; Criminal Law; Real Estate; Family Business Law.Email: Quentin L. Riggins

OF COUNSEL

Wynn A. Gunderson (Of Counsel) born Lake Preston, South Dakota; admitted to bar, 1971, South Dakota. Education: University of South Dakota (B.S., 1957; M.B.A., 1960); University of Oregon (J.D., 1971). Member: American Bar Association (Council Member, 1994-1997 and Chair, 2000-2001; Delegate to the House of Delegates, 2002-2005; General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section); State Bar of South Dakota (Member, Gaming Law Committee, Chair, 1992-2004); South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association (Member, Board of Governors, 1985-1986, 1989-1990; Secretary/Treasurer, 1987-1988); South Dakota Council of School Attorneys (President, 1990-1992); International Association of Gaming Attorneys (Member, Board of Trustees, 1998—); Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association. Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Corporate Law; Corporate Litigation.Email: Wynn A. Gunderson