Trent M. Gardner

Trent M. Gardner is a Montana commercial litigation attorney who represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex disputes. His work includes real estate, securities fraud, oil and gas, shareholder, and insurance coverage matters. He also handles claims involving insurance bad faith. In his bankruptcy practice, he focuses on recovering assets for trustees and protecting creditors’ rights. His experience on both sides of a dispute helps him assess claims, defenses, and the practical stakes for each client.

Trent grew up in Kalispell and moved to Bozeman to attend Montana State University. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business-Finance, with a minor in Economics, in 2000. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Washington in 2004. During law school, he served on the Moot Court Honor Board and was appointed to the Order of Barristers. His business and legal education provides a foundation for work involving financial claims and commercial disputes.

Trent’s trial experience includes securities fraud, antitrust, breach of contract, and fiduciary duty cases. In West v. The Club at Spanish Peaks, a jury awarded his client $734,000; additional damages and attorney fees brought the judgment, affirmed on appeal, to approximately $1.25 million. He also represented clients who received a $3.8 million jury verdict in Gardner v. Stokes. His appellate experience includes matters before the Montana Supreme Court involving securities fraud and contract claims.

Trent M. Gardner is admitted to practice in Montana’s state and federal courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He belongs to the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, and the Montana Trial Lawyers Association. He was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2009 and from 2011 through 2014, and has been named to The Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation. His practice brings together trial, appellate, and bankruptcy experience for clients facing substantial disputes.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Goetz, Geddes & Gardner, P.C.
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, American Association for Justice
• Member, Montana Trial Lawyers Association

Licensed State

• Montana

Education

• University of Washington
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Montana State University
  Bachelor of Science (BS)

Awards & Badges