Parr Brown Gee & Loveless announced today that shareholder Jonathan O. Hafen has been sworn in and installed as the National President of the Federal Bar Association. Mr. Hafen was sworn in at the FBA’s Annual Meeting and Convention on September 23, 2023, in Memphis Tennessee. He officially commenced his term on October 1st.
The Federal Bar Association is one of the nation’s largest and most successful national bar associations, with over 15,000 members, including over 2,000 federal judges. For more than 100 years, the FBA’s mission has been to strengthen the federal legal system and administration of justice by serving the needs of the federal practitioner, both public and private, the federal judiciary and the public they serve. The FBA pursues its mission through nearly 100 chapters across the country, and through non-partisan advocacy at local and national levels.
Parr Brown alum and Federal Judge for the U.S. District Court of Utah, Hon. Dale A. Kimball, conducted the swearing in.
In his remarks following the swearing in, Mr. Hafen emphasized the FBA’s positive impact on both his career and his life. He invited lawyers to join him and become an active part of “the country’s largest community and knowledgebase of federal practitioners and judges.”
Prior to the swearing in, Parr Brown alum Jenifer Tomchak introduced Mr. Hafen, promising that he would bring his “fun energy” to his year as president. “It has been my great privilege to watch Jon in action, both in the courtroom and as the leader of many organizations. He does such a great job. When he sees a problem, he wants to solve it, and he doesn’t hesitate to get involved. Without fail, at the end of his time leading any organization, he leaves it better than he found it. I have often described Jon as a Jedi Master both in the courtroom and out. He has a magical skill in contentious situations of working with others to reach agreement on resolutions. He will be a wonderful FBA President.”
Parr Brown shareholder Rob Clark offered congratulations to Mr. Hafen on behalf of the firm at the conference, highlighting the firm’s history of support for the FBA and federal judiciary, including numerous members of the firm serving as federal trial and appellate judges. With respect to Mr. Hafen, he said he is “one of the most outstanding and remarkable people you will meet.”
In addition to his new position as the FBA’s National President, Mr. Hafen has served in a number of similar positions, including as President of the BYU Alumni Association, as Chair of Tuacahn Center for the Arts, as Chair of the Utah State Bar’s CLE Advisory Committee, as Chair of the Utah Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure, and as a Board Member of the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion, the Women’s Leadership Institute, and the Utah Tennis Association.
As a shareholder at Parr Brown, Jonathan Hafen handles a wide variety of litigation, including in the areas of securities and investment, receiverships, employment law, breach of contract, property disputes, entertainment, intellectual property, insurance coverage, class actions, construction, legal malpractice defense, and more. He has tried numerous cases to a successful outcome for his clients, including achieving some of Utah’s largest awards for plaintiffs in tortious interference and eminent domain matters. In addition to his work as a trial lawyer, Mr. Hafen also serves as legal counsel to a number of start-ups, midsize businesses and multinational companies.
About Parr Brown Gee & Loveless
Parr Brown Gee & Loveless is a commercial law firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded in 1975, Parr Brown attorneys assist corporate clients and individuals with a wide range of transactional, litigation, and regulatory matters on a local, regional, national, and international basis. For more information, visit www.parrbrown.com.
About The Federal Bar Association
The Federal Bar Association (FBA), founded in 1920, is dedicated to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence and to promoting the welfare, interests, education, and professional development of all attorneys involved in federal law. Our members run the gamut of federal practice: attorneys practicing in small to large legal firms, attorneys in corporations and federal agencies, and members of the judiciary. The FBA is the catalyst for communication between the bar and the bench, as well as the private and public sectors.
