Criminal Law

• Wrongful Death
  Partner Khale Lenhart recently obtained summary judgment on behalf of a trucking company and two drivers involved in a wrongful death action.  The lawsuit arose out of a motor vehicle accident where a motorist left the lane of travel and struck the rear of a... read more

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Hirst Applegate, LLP is pleased to announce that John Metzke, was recently nominated for and named Best Lawyers® 2017 “Lawyer of the Year” in Cheyenne for Corporate Law. The award is a significant honor because it comes from Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected...
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  Hirst Applegate, LLP is proud to announce our ranking as a Tier 1 law firm in Cheyenne in the practices areas of Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Personal Injury Litigation (Defendants), Product... read more
• Business Disputes
  Apr 10, 2022 | Corporate and Business Law, Featured, Legal Updates People are generally aware that there is a legal distinction between employees and independent contractors. In fact, many know that the IRS requires an employer to issue its employees a W2 form, while independent contractors receive a 1099. However, the form used to...
• Limited Liability Companies
  For decades, Hirst Applegate has had a longstanding tradition of excellence in advising and representing corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and other business entities. Wyoming was the first state to pass legislation authorizing the formation of limited liability companies. Over the years, Hirst Applegate has organized thousands of business entities for clients and we have extensive experience with the formation of limited liability companies and the increasingly popular flexible limited liability company and close limited liability company.
• Trade Secrets

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  Hirst Applegate draws on years of experience in assisting employers navigate the worker’s compensation system, including evaluating and contesting claims and award of benefits.  If you have a question about an employee claim for benefits or the validity of an alleged workplace injury,  Hirst Applegate can help evaluate the claim, assess the impact the claim will have on an employer’s worker’s compensation premiums, and assist in contesting the claim.
• Wrongful Termination
• Employment Discrimination
• Employment Contract
  A statewide and regional leader in the area of employment law, Hirst Applegate has been providing employment law services to its employer clients for many decades. Hirst Applegate attorneys counsel employer clients on a variety of issues, including the “at-will” doctrine, employee handbooks, personnel policies, disclaimers, employment contracts, hiring, disciplinary actions, terminations, workplace safety, and corporate structuring.
• Employment Litigation
  Practice areas include: Civil Litigation,  Employment Litigation, Professional Licensing, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation, Wrongful Death Defense, and Public Utilities Law.
• Non-compete Agreement
  Aug 19, 2024 | Featured, Legal Updates On April 23, 2024 the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a final rule to ban noncompete agreements across the country.[1] A noncompete is an agreement between an employer and a worker that blocks or hinders the worker from working for a competing employer or...
• Sexual Harassment
  Attorneys Rob Jarosh and Erin Berry recently co-authored The Current Status of Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession, published in the April 2019 edition of the Wyoming Lawyer. The article examines the status of sexual harassment in the legal profession and the... read more

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  John J. Metzke has served clients at Hirst Applegate, LLP since 1984 following graduation with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law. His practice focuses on estate planning and estate administration with a special emphasis on trust-centered estate planning and wealth protection. Mr. Metzke also advises clients on business and real estate matters.
• Premises Liability
  Billie L. M. Addleman is a partner at Hirst Applegate, where he has practiced law since 2004. Prior to joining Hirst Applegate, he clerked for the Honorable William C. Beaman, United States Magistrate for the United States District Court, District of Wyoming. His practice is focused primarily in the area of civil litigation, including professional liability,  premises liability, commercial litigation, real estate litigation, and professional licensing matters.  Mr. Addleman’s practice has shifted focus to include estate planning and estate administration with an emphasis on trust-centered estate planning.
• Easement
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  Hirst Applegate has significant experience in all aspects of real estate matters, including purchase and sale, financing, development, landlord-tenant, foreclosure, and real estate related litigation. The firm has particular expertise in property development and construction; negotiation of conservation easements, surface leases and water rights; oil & gas matters (including representation of producers, royalty owners, and surface owners); and 1031 exchanges.

Immigration Law

• Citizenship and Naturalization
• Green Cards
• Student Visas
  If a client needs assistance with an immigration matter, Hirst Applegate attorneys will efficiently and effectively provide representation on a variety of immigration issues including student visas, work visas and employment issues, family-based petitions, green card matters, immigrant visas, and naturalization.
• Work Visas

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Practice areas: Civil Litigation, Transportation Law, Professional Liability, Worker’s Compensation Defense, Personal Injury and Insurance Defense
• Medical Malpractice
  Hirst Applegate is experienced in defending medical malpractice claims. Medical malpractice is the result of health care providers professional negligence, resulting in injury, disability, physical impairment, or death.
• Auto Accidents
• Disability Discrimination
  The firm has also represented employer clients in a wide variety of employment litigation in both state and federal courts, including cases involving claims for sexual harassment, gender discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract, wrongful discharge, promissory estoppel, and the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  At Hirst Applegate, we recognize that for most clients estate planning is an intensely personal experience. For that reason, we have developed a client-centered approach to estate planning. We endeavor to assure that each of our clients develops a high comfort level to make sure that all important issues relevant to creating the right estate plan for the client are discussed and considered. We stay on top of cutting-edge techniques to assist our clients in preserving their assets and ensuring that their assets are distributed according to their wishes while reducing taxes and administration charges to the greatest extent possible.
• Trusts
  We assist our clients in creating both will-centered and trust-centered estate plans to avoid probate, plan for disability, maintain maximum privacy, and reduce taxes and administration charges. Given our emphasis on trust-centered estate planning, most of our practice in this area focuses on post-mortem trust administration, whether in representing the successor trustee or a trust beneficiary.  We also represent and advise executors, administrators, and personal representatives in opening probates and assisting them in navigating the probate process in situations where the deceased’s assets are subject to probate or other estate administration processes.
• Power of Attorney
  Several types of powers of attorney exist, but likely one of the more commonly known and used powers of attorney is the general durable power of attorney. The general durable power of attorney allows you to name a power of attorney, also known at an attorney-in-fact... read more
• Probate
  After graduating, Applegate then began his practice of law, helped to found Hirst & Applegate, one of the premiere law firms in the state, and continued to practice law for more than 50 years, specializing in trial law, but also focusing on civil litigation, arbitration, mediation, insurance litigation and probate law.  His professional affiliations included the Wyoming State Bar, Laramie County Bar Association, Notre Dame Law Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers; and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers; American Trial Lawyers Association and the Defense Research Institute and Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  If a client is facing litigation, Hirst Applegate attorneys efficiently and effectively provide representation in all types of real estate related disputes and in all Wyoming courts, including judicial and non-judicial foreclosures, enforcement of contracts for deed, title and boundary disputes, breach of restrictive covenants, and breach of contracts relating to real estate.