Attorney Profiles

Fran Wikstrom is a generalist trial lawyer.  His practice consists of mastering complex factual and legal scenarios and presenting them to judges and juries who are also generalists.  Most of his practice consists of complex civil litigation and white collar criminal cases.  After graduating from Yale Law School in 1974, he was admitted to the Utah State Bar.  Following several years in private practice, he joined the United States Attorney's Office as an Assistant United States Attorney, and, in 1981, he was appointed by the United States District Court to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah.  He has been with Parsons Behle & Latimer since 1982.  During his career he has tried cases in numerous states involving patent infringement, trade secrets, contracts, real property, shareholder disputes, construction claims, employment, premises liability, franchises, fraud, and white collar crimes.  He has also handled cases involving toxic torts, CERCLA, RCRA, and TSCA, trade dress, environmental crimes, tax fraud, securities fraud, and EPCM contracts.  He has argued appeals before the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Utah Supreme Court, the Utah Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, and the Minnesota Court of Appeals. 

Related Activities and Skills:

• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers (Board of Regents)
• Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers 
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation and Mountain States Super Lawyers
• International Association of Defense Counsel
• Chair of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure
• American Inns of Court II, Master of the Bench
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Member, Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Professionalism
• Board of Directors, Utah Legal Services
• Utah representative, 10th Circuit Advisory Committee (1997-2004)
• Program Chair, 10th Circuit Judicial Conference (2004)
• Outstanding Lawyer Award, Federal Bar Association of Utah (2002)
• Federal Court ADR Panel Mediator and Arbitrator
• Chair, Utah Judicial Conduct Commission 1998-99 (member 1994-99)
• Utah State Bar, Commissioner, 1994-99
• President, Salt Lake County Bar Association, 1993-94
• Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy, University of Utah College of Law, 1986-1989
• Conversational in Italian