Attorney Profiles

Laura Scott is a shareholder in the Litigation department and is the former Chair of the Real Estate Litigation Section.  She currently serves on the Firm's Board of Directors.

Ms. Scott concentrates her practice on real estate and banking litigation and has significant trial experience.  She has handling a broad array of disputes and substantive issues, including breach of real estate contracts, mechanic's liens, foreclosures, title and escrow disputes, land use and zoning, easements, wrongful liens, boundary disputes, condemnations, partitions, fraudulent transfers, lender liability claims and landlord/tenant disputes.  Ms. Scott also regularly advises title insurance companies on underwriting, regulatory compliance and coverage issues, including the duty to defend, policy conditions and exceptions, reservations of rights and bad faith. 

Ms. Scott has argued numerous appeals before the Utah Court of Appeals and Utah Supreme Court and represented the prevailing parties in two 2008 appellate cases:  Sachs v. Lesser, et al., 2008 UT 87 (applicability of UREBA to finder's fee claims) and EDSA/Cloward v. Klibanoff, 2008 UT App 284 (commencement of work under Utah's mechanic's lien statute).  Other recent appellate cases include United Park City Mines Co. v. Stichting Mayflower Mountain Fonds, 2006 UT 35 (partition and owelty); EDSA/Cloward, LLC v. Klibanoff, 2005 UT App 367 (record notice under Utah mechanic's lien statute); Dunlap v. Stichting Mayflower Mountain Fonds, 2003 UT App 283 (mortgage foreclosure); and Cazares v. Cosby, et al., 2003 UT 3 (notarization of deeds).        

Ms. Scott has been recognized repeatedly in Utah Business Magazine as one of Utah's Legal Elite in the area of Business Litigation.  She has an AV Peer Rating, which is the highest rating awarded to attorneys for professional competence and ethics awarded by Martindale-Hubbell.  She is active in the legal community, having served for six years on the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee appointed by the Utah Supreme Court, including three years as a panel chair.  She currently serves as Vice President of the Salt Lake County Bar Association. 

Ms. Scott is also active in the Salt Lake community, currently serving as Chair of the University of Utah Crimson Club and as a Board Member of Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity. 

Related Activities and Skills:

• Vice President and Secretary, Parsons Behle & Latimer Board of Directors
• Former Chair, Parsons Behle & Latimer Real Estate Litigation Section, 2006-2009
• Salt Lake County Bar Association, Vice President 2010-2011, Executive Committee 2002-Present
• Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the Utah Supreme Court, 2003-2009
• Master of the Bench, David K. Watkiss Sutherland Inn of Court II
• Hiring Committee, Parsons Behle & Latimer, 2003-2009
• Chair, University of Utah Crimson Club (Vice Chair, 2008-2010, Board Member 2003-Present)
• Board Member, Salt Lake Valley Habitat for Humanity (2009-Present)

Awards and Recognitions:

• Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Rating
• Utah Legal Elite, Utah Business Magazine, 2006-2009

Previous Legal Experience and Education:

Office of General Counsel, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Assistant General Counsel, 1993-97

Arizona State University College of Law, Tempe, Arizona
Juris Doctor,  Cum Laude, May 1993
Pedrick's Scholar (Dean's List) 1990-93
Award for Outstanding Legal Research and Writing, 1990-91.

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Bachelor of Arts, English, Cum Laude, June 1989
Phi Beta Kappa