HELENA, Mont. - April 6, 2023 Parsons Behle & Latimer (Parsons) is pleased to announce that attorneys John E. Bloomquist and Betsy R. Story as well as paralegal Marlana M. Reichert of Bloomquist Law Firm’s Helena office have chosen to join Parsons, effective April 3. Bloomquist and Story bring to Parsons’ environmental and natural resource practice team some of the deepest legal experience in Montana in water rights and water quality law. With their addition to Parsons’ water rights, quality and infrastructure team, Parsons now possess the preeminent legal water team in the Intermountain West with specialization that includes, water infrastructure development, water resources, water rights and water quality law. Parsons continues to develop and strengthen this team to meet the needs of clients struggling through one of the worst and longest regional droughts in memory.
Bloomquist says, “The attorneys and staff at the Helena office of Bloomquist Law Firm are excited to be joining Parsons. Our decision to join Parsons was driven by the fact that the attorneys and staff at Parsons share the same commitment to providing top notch legal services for each client at a fair rate as Bloomquist has done for now more than 30 years. In addition, our clients will benefit in our move to Parsons by having access to a greater range of expertise to meet almost any legal issue which they may face in their agricultural operations, businesses or transactions.”
Bloomquist counsels a wide range of Montanans in natural resources and water law, including ranchers, irrigation districts, small and large water project owners and managers, associations, and municipal and industrial water users. He has been involved in several matters that have determined water rights in drainages and basins across the state of Montana.
Story specializes in all aspects of water law, including water rights adjudication, permitting, and water and ditch distribution litigation. She also serves clients facing general land use and real property issues, including buy-sell due diligence, access easement and encroachment disputes and public lands issues.
Missoula and Helena Office Managing Shareholder Liz Mellem says, “We are excited to welcome this extraordinarily talented team to Parsons as we continue our expansion in the Intermountain West. John, Betsy and Marlana are a wonderful addition to our ability to provide our clients with unparalleled legal services in Montana.”
More information is available about these water experts on Parsons’ website at https://parsonsbehle.com/people/john-e-bloomquist and https://parsonsbehle.com/people/betsy-story.
