Attorney
Born in Florida, the son of a university professor and a nurse, Guy’s family had stops at schools in Florida, Georgia, and Rhode Island before they set roots in lovely East Tennessee. Guy learned a few things on the Hallam Family Fruit Farm in Loudon County, Tennessee, including the value of hard work, that not all peaches are created equal, and that it’s not a good idea to try to get a pickup truck up on two wheels. Truth be told, Guy would be happy to spend the day back out on the tractor, dragging a “bush hog” around the farm.
Although he likes to refer to his youth as “hard scrabble,” there is little evidence to support the use of that term. Guy’s love of the Tennessee Volunteers also started in his youth, as a boy scout guarding the pennants at the top of Neyland Stadium on Saturdays in the fall, and continued through his graduation from UT with a degree in English literature. An appellate clerkship brought Guy to Idaho from Portland, which allowed him to find a home in the Idaho foothills and the love of his life, Shannon. Most of Guy’s non-work time is now spent in gyms, coaching or cheering their two kids on at various sporting events, with scant free time spent passing the travel bug on to the kids and trying to get outdoors. His favorite work activities include suing on behalf of whistleblowers and fighting non-compete agreements.
Education
Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
Juris Doctor, May 1998
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Bachelor of Arts, 1993
Experience
Idaho Court of Appeals
Boise, Idaho
Judicial Clerk to Hon. Karen Lansing, 1998 - 2000
Elam & Burke
Boise, Idaho
Associate Attorney, 2000 - 2002
White Peterson
Nampa, Idaho
Associate Attorney
Partner
2002 - 2006
Kormanik Hallam & Sneed
Boise, Idaho
Founding Member, 2006 - 2016
Scholnick Birch Hallam Harstad & Thorne
Boise, Idaho and Salt Lake City, Utah
Partner, 2016 - 2024
Birch Hallam Harstad & Johnson, LLC
Boise, Idaho and Salt Lake City, Utah
Founding Member, 2024 - present
Awards & Presentations
Honesty is Such a Lonely Word, Voir Dire in Federal Court
2023 Presentation to the Idaho Labor & Employment Law Section
Co-presenter with Erika Birch
Perfecting the Closing Statement
2021 Fall CLE Presentation to the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association
Co-presenter with Dave Comstock
Noteworthy Cases
Hayenga v. Nampa Sch. District No. 131, 123 Fed. Appx. 783 (9th Cir. 2005)
- Police officer use of force; summary judgment affirmed on appeal
Bybee v. Isaac, 145 Idaho 251 (2008)
- Business sale, covenant not to compete; jury verdict affirmed on appeal
Carrillo v. Boise Tire Co., Inc., 152 Idaho 741 (2012)
- Wrongful death, car crash; jury verdict; district court decision affirmed in part on appeal
Eller v. Idaho State Police, 165 Idaho 1147 (2019)
- IPPEA/whistleblower; jury verdict; district court decision regarding damage caps vacated; remanded
Deal v. Witt, Transport Designs, et. al., Case No. CV42-20-4178 (Mar. 22, 2023)
- Fifth Judicial District, District Court Decision, Twin Falls County, granting punitive damage amendment against two truck drivers, trucking company, and property owner related to wrongful death truck crash litigation
Sanders v. University of Idaho, 617 F. Supp. 3d 1200 (D. Idaho 2022); 552 F. Supp 3d 991 (D. Idaho 2021)
Memberships
Idaho State Bar, admitted 2000
Oregon State Bar, admitted 1999
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, admitted 2003
Idaho Trial Lawyers Association: Executive Committee Member (2018-2021); President (2021-2022);