Brilliance in Your Own Backyard

From Native American artisans to the innovative entrepreneurs who contribute to the vibrancy of our economy today, Utah’s stunning landscapes have inspired brilliant visionaries for generations. Callister Nebeker & McCullough is honored to represent the finest, most talented clients in Utah who demonstrate that when it comes to excellence, innovation and quality, there is Brilliance in Our Own Backyard.

History

The roots of Callister Nebeker & McCullough (“CNM”) date back to the 1920s, when R. Verne McCullough and N.E. Callister partnered in a litigation practice that included high profile murder trials, the defense of local bootleggers, and personal injury claims against railroads.  In the 1930s, Louis Callister, Sr. developed a practice representing Utah’s banks and automobile dealers.  Mr. Callister also served as labor counsel to Utah employers, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with local unions.  Louis Callister, Jr. joined the firm in 1961 and during his tenure as Chairman of the Board, CNM developed a nationally recognized financial institutions practice.  Leland S. McCullough joined CNM in 1983 and now heads the largest Tax and Estate Planning practice in Utah.

Today, CNM employs over 50 attorneys with broad experience in legal and community service, including the former vice chair of the University of Utah Board of Trustees, head of the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration for the United States Department of Labor, director of the Utah Securities Commission, chair of the Public Service Commission of Utah, special anti-trust counsel for the State of Montana, two past presidents of the Utah Federal Bar Association, 5 past chairs of the Utah State Bar Estate Planning Section, ABA committee leaders, and a Utah State Bar Commissioner.  Former CNM attorneys have served as Law Professors and Judges on the United States District Court and Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah.

Although many of our attorneys were educated or started their practices in other states, we are, at heart, a Utah firm.  Our breadth of expertise and talent provide us the opportunity to represent large national and multi-national companies in complex transactions and litigation while our local roots and entrepreneurial client base keep us grounded in the reality that all clients want and need affordable legal representation that focuses on value and pragmatic problem-solving.  We are honored to represent the finest and most talented clients in Utah who demonstrate without question that when it comes to excellence, innovation and quality there is Brilliance in Our Own Backyard.

Community And Bar Involvement

Giving back to the community has always been important to CNM, and that spirit is reflected not just in monetary donations, but in the significant time donated by attorneys and support staff in charitable and civic endeavors. 

As examples:

  • Louis H. Callister, Jr. serves as Chairman of the Grand Canyon Trust, a conservation organization that advocates for protection of the Colorado Plateau public lands through policy and legal initiatives, monitoring and research, restoration and community building, and as Chairman of the Edward G. Callister Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of the individual, family and societal problems associated with substance abuse;
  • Mark J. Morrise, a shareholder in the firm’s Tax & Estate Planning Section, was instrumental in the development of templates for use in the Utah Wills for Heroes program sponsored by the Wills for Heroes Foundation in partnership with the Utah State Bar Young Lawyers Division, which provides free wills and other estate planning documents to America’s first responders, including police officers, firefighters and paramedics (many of the firm’s estate planning attorneys volunteer regularly with this program);
  • Teresa Robison, an Executive Legal Assistant, volunteers as a substance abuse counselor at Odyssey House, a local drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment center, and was instrumental in organizing donations by firm employees to sponsor a recent Thanksgiving dinner for Odyssey House inmates;
  • Steve Mecham, a member of the firm’s Government & Administrative Law and Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law Sections, serves as a member of the Board of Director of the Utah Food Bank;
  • Laurie Hart, a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Deseret Foundation, which promotes the highest quality of healthcare in our local community by funding medical research, education, technology, equipment, facility improvements, and charitable assistance throughout the greater Salt Lake area.

Other firm employees serve as coaches for youth sports teams, leaders in the Boy Scouts of America, and on the State of Utah’s Substance Abuse and Anti-Violence Coordinating Council.