Alexander (Zander) Blewett III (born 1945) is a Montana personal injury lawyer based out of

Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...

. The University of Montana School of Law is named for Blewett. He is the head partner in the Hoyt and Blewett PLLC, a personal injury law firm.

Legal career

Alexander (Zander) Blewett III is a member of the

Inner Circle of Advocates The Inner Circle of Advocates is an organization of civil plaintiff trial lawyers in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily loc ...

, a group of personal injury lawyers in the United States.

''Seltzer vs. Morton''

Blewett is most noted for the $21.4 million malicious prosecution and abuse of process verdict he obtained against Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, one of the most high powered law firms in the world, in the case of ''Seltzer v. Morton.'' The $21.4 million verdict in actual and punitive damages was one of the largest in the country in 2005 and attracted attention from the Wall Street Journal and other national publications. On appeal the

Montana Supreme Court The Montana Supreme Court is the supreme court, highest court of the state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court wh ...

, 154 P.3d 561 (Mont. 2007), upheld $9.9 million of the jury's punitive damage award against Gibson Dunn and accused the firm of engaging in "legal thuggery."

''Vangsnes vs. North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention Inc.''

In 2015, Blewett obtained a $26 million settlement on behalf of a missionary who suffered a catastrophic brain injury in a car accident near Belgrade, Montana.

Philanthropy

On May 20, 2015, it was announced that Blewett donated $10 million to the University of Montana to rename its law school and create a consumer law and protection program. He funded the construction of the Hoyt and Blewett Court Room at the University of Montana Law School and provided $500,000 to Montana State University – Bozeman to improve facilities for its student-athletes.

Family politics

Blewett's son, father, and grandfather have all served in the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House :''67th Legislature – 2021� ...

. Blewett's father, Alex Blewett Jr., a Republican from Great Falls, served in the Montana House of Representatives as a Republican in 1961 and 1963. In 1963 he served as Republican Majority Leader of the State House. In 1964, he unsuccessfully challenged Democratic incumbent Mike Mansfield for the U.S. Senate. Blewett's Grandfather, Alexander Blewett Sr., a Republican from Butte, served in the Montana House of Representatives in 1931, 1943, 1945, 1947, and 1951. Blewett's son,

Anders Blewett Anders Blewett (born August 18, 1980 in Great Falls, MT) is an attorney and a Montana Democratic politician. He was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2008 and the Montana Senate in 2010. Blewett is an associate attorney at the ...

, a Democrat from Great Falls, was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2008 and the Montana Senate in 2010.
'' Official MT State Legislature website. Retrieved July 12, 2010.

References

External links

Hoyt and Blewett Law Firm homepageAlexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana) Lassoing a Longhorn (Painting)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blewett, Alexander (Zander) 1945 births People from Great Falls, Montana Living people Montana lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century philanthropists Philanthropists from Montana