Christensen & Jensen Attorneys

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Ruth is one of the most active and successful trial attorneys in Utah. In her 20-plus years of practice, Ruth has averaged two trials per year, defending catastrophic injury, wrongful death, employment, product liability and premises liability cases. In the past three years alone, Ruth has obtained defense jury verdicts in snow tubing, trucking, premises, skier-collision, and a $2.8 million catastrophic injury case. She is Co-chair of the firm’s Personal Injury Defense and Employment practice groups.

Ruth joined C&J in 2001, and was elected a shareholder in 2008. Before joining the firm, Ruth practiced with law firms in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Washington, D.C.  She also served as in-house counsel for a major liability insurance carrier’s third-party administrator. Prior to enrolling in law school, Ruth played professional tennis, traveling throughout North America to compete.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

Catastrophic Personal Injury Defense: Defends corporations and individuals in claims involving significant personal injury. Recent representative matters include:

• Defense jury verdict in catastrophic injury case involving recreational accident
• Defense jury verdict in significant personal injury claim involving truck vs. bicycle accident
• Favorable jury verdict in catastrophic trucking-related accident
• Defense jury verdict in large damage claim involving premises liability

Recreational Entities and Venues: Represents Olympic venues, ski resorts, recreational facilities, tubing facilities/operators, snowmobile outfitters and guides, water parks, bicycle manufacturers, athletes, and events; risk management counseling. Representative matters include:

• Successfully defended an Olympic venue at a jury trial against claims involving its tubing facility.
• Successfully defended a skier at a jury trial against claims of negligence by another skier
• Obtained partial summary judgment for an Olympic venue against claims of negligence and breach of warranty involving public bobsled ride
• Defense of a golf course from claims that its lights constituted a public nuisance
• Defense of an international bicycle event against claims of negligence by catastrophically injured participants.

Employment / Commercial: Defends corporations in employment and related commercial disputes. Representative matters include:

• Defense of racial discrimination class action brought by the EEOC
• Defended numerous claims of gender, race, disability, age, bankruptcy discrimination at the administrative level and in court
• Defended numerous claims of wrongful termination (actual and constructive), failure to promote, failure to hire, wage violations, and retaliation
• Defended non-competition agreement disputes
• Consulted with businesses before and after employment actions

Risk Management / Crisis Management: Advises businesses in risk prevention, conducts internal and post-incident investigations, and assists with handling of sensitive claims. Representative areas of assistance include:

• Mitigation of risk through corporate policies and procedures
• High-profile and sensitive on-site investigations
• Preservation of evidence
• Dealing with insurance companies
• Conducting mock trials
• Legal updates

RECOGNITIONS

• Recognized as a "Super Lawyer" in Personal Injury, 2002

EDUCATION

• Marquette University Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 1992
• Marquette University Sports Law Journal
• Honors: Dean’s List, Phi Alpha Theta, History Honors Society
• Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., B.A., History, 1986

LECTURES AND PUBLICATIONS

Ruth has presented over 50 lectures to various corporations and trade associations, primarily focusing on risk management issues. Topics include litigation matters, insurance concerns, mitigation of risk through corporate policies and procedures, preservation of evidence, incident investigation, releases of liability, conduction of mock trials, and legal updates. Ruth has published articles and drafted risk management manuals for a national trade association and its members.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & ADMISSIONS

• Admitted to practice in all Utah state and federal courts, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals Utah, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and D.C. Bar Associations
• American Bar Association
• Utah Defense Lawyers Association Board of Directors, Voices for Utah Children, 2004-2006
• Board of Directors, Ski Utah, 2002-2008
• Board of Directors, Association of Ski Defense Attorneys, 1999-2001