Philip A. Burian Member

Phil Burian practices primarily in civil litigation and trial in state and federal courts as well as alternative dispute resolution. He brings a range of experience in multiple areas of law to industries, including transportation and construction. While his focus is on defending against claims and reducing risk for clients, he also prosecutes plaintiff cases. Mr. Burian is experienced in litigation involving production and use of Electronically Stored Information (ESI) under federal and state rules. He enjoys his practice most during trial, but he makes creative opportunities to narrow or resolve disputes when in the best economic interests of his clients.

Mr. Burian is a native of Eastern Iowa. He enjoys spending free time by participating in a variety of civic projects, family activities and curling. He brings a diverse array of personal, military and hands-on work experiences to his practice of law.

Transportation. Mr. Burian has acquired a broad knowledge of the transportation industry during his 20+ years with Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC. His primary transportation related experience has been in tort claims and accident reconstruction. Mr. Burian also advises and advocates for clients with cargo claims, agent disputes, debt collection, contract drafting and more.

Product Liability and Personal Injury. Mr. Burian represents clients in a broad range of cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. Although he successfully handles cases involving unusual facts, representative cases involve claims of negligent operation of motor vehicles or equipment, and claims of defective design or design in commercial and consumer products.

Insurance. Mr. Burian represents several insurance companies. In addition to defending policy holders in all areas of covered claims, Mr. Burian advises insurance carriers on application and interpretation of policies, coverage disputes, business considerations and strategic analysis of claims before lawsuits are filed.

Commercial Litigation and Business Torts. Mr. Burian represents companies and individuals in cases involving breach of contract, trade secrets, trademarks, breaches of fiduciary duty, interference with contract and non-competition covenants. The particular subject matters of cases are as diverse as the businesses in the economy, but examples of matters include livestock contracts, cargo claims, use of restaurant names, misappropriation of customer information, land use disputes and financing torts.

Construction and Design Litigation. Mr. Burian represents engineers, architects, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and owners in construction and design disputes on public and private construction projects. His experience ranges from allocation of responsibilities in the initial contracting phase to resolution and litigation of matters that arise well after final acceptance of the project.