Shane A. Vannatta
Shareholder
Legal Affiliations:
State Bar of Montana
MT Defense Trial Lawyers
Western MT Bar Association
American Bar Association
Civic Activities:
President (2011-12), State Bar of MT
Chair (2004-10), Professionalism Committee, State Bar of MT
President (2000-01), Western MT Bar Association
Chair (1998-99), Leadership Missoula
Judge Pro Tem (2001-Present), Missoula Co. Justice Court
Ambassadors (current), Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce
Loaned Executive (past), United Way of Missoula County
Practice Areas:
Commercial Litigation Contracts
General Civil Litigation
Bar Admissions:
State of Montana (1993)
U.S. District Court, District of Montana (1993)
U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (2012)
Appearances Before:
State Courts of MT
Supreme Court of MT
U.S. District Court - MT
U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Trademark Trial & Appeal Board - U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
MT Human Rights Commission
MT Board of Personnel Appeals
Shane Vannatta first joined Worden Thane P.C. as an intern during law school in 1991. Upon graduating from the University of Montana Law School in 1993 (J.D. with Honors) and passing the bar exam for the State Bar of Montana, Shane became an associate of the firm in September 1993. He became a shareholder in the firm in January 2001, and served on the firm's Executive Committee (2004 - 2007).
Shane has a legal practice focused principally in business law. Shane provides a wide-range of business formation and development advice, including advice for copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, employment, business acquisitions, and contract drafting. Shane has assisted numerous clients with real estate sales and acquisitions, and represented clients in a variety of civil litigation matters.
Shane holds a "BV" rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, and was selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® in the specialties of Commercial Litigation, Copyright Law, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Labor & Employment, Litigation - Real Estate, and Trademark Law.
Shane was raised on a farm/ranch north of the small eastern Montana community of Bainville, Montana. He and his three brothers, as well as his 10 aunts and uncles, all graduated from Bainville High School. Shane later attended the University of Montana and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with High Honors.
Shane can often be found hiking or biking the forests of Western Montana, or kicking it up in Taekwondo (4th Dan Kukkiwon Black Belt).
Shane's background and upbringing has given him a practical, common sense approach to solving client issues. He believes strongly in providing his clients, prompt, thorough, legal advice, and works hard to meet his client's needs and exceed expectations.