The Firm
Jones Waldo is one of Utah’s most prestigious and pioneering law firms. We have been providing legal services to the businesses and community organizations that support and grow the state’s economy since 1875.
Built on a strong foundation of service and knowledge of Utah’s core industries, the firm continues to evolve through meeting new challenges, finding innovative solutions and advancing legal trends in the state. Our core value is to engage in dynamic and solution-oriented relationships with all of our constituents: clients, attorneys, staff and community.
Our current roster of attorneys consists of 85 individuals who are passionate about the law and servicing their clients. They are dynamic members of their communities and stalwart contributors to the legal profession. And though many of our attorneys have or will spend the majority of their careers with Jones Waldo, those who have moved on usually do so to serve the public in important ways. Our alumni are legislators, judges, political strategists, academicians and successful business leaders.
With three departments in business, real estate and litigation and more than 50 practice groups, attorneys at Jones Waldo have expertise to solve complex client needs in nearly every area of business. Jones Waldo has offices in Salt Lake City, Park City, St. George and the Chicago metro area.
History
Jones Waldo has been supporting economic, cultural and social growth in Utah for over 130 years. Our clients have been integral in building our state. We have seen Walker Bank transition to Western Bancorp to Wells Fargo, have represented the Salt Lake Tribune for many years, were instrumental in the formation and growth of Mountain Fuel Supply (now Questar) and were privileged to have Cal Rampton (three-term Utah governor) with the firm from 1976 – 2007.
| 1875: | Firm founder Joseph Rawlins forms his first law partnerships with Ben Sheeks. |
| 1891: | Rawlins partners with Edward B. Critchlow. Rawlins is also a delegate from the Utah Territory to the U.S. Congress. |
| 1894: | Rawlins is instrumental in Utah's bid for statehood. He introduces the initial statehood resolution for Utah which resulted in statehood two years later. |
| 1897-1903: | Rawlins serves as Utah's first full-term senator. |
| 1907: | Rawlins forms a new partnership with his son, Athol Rawlins, and his son-in law, William W. Ray. |
| 1926: | Rawlins dies at the age of 76. |
| 1929: | Will Ray and Athol Rawlins form the firm Ingebretsen, Ray & Rawlins with partner James Ingebretsen, under the name of Ingebretsen Ray & Rawlins. |
| 1939: | E.R. Christensen, father of prominent Salt Lake City lawyer, Ray Christensen, joins the firm. Joseph Severen Jones also joins. |
| 1956: | Harold R. Waldo joins the firm (Waldo is a former Stanford classmate of William Rehnquist and Sandra Day O'Conner) Don Holbrook joins shortly thereafter. |
| 1959: | Roger J. McDonough joins the firm. |
| 1966: | The firm name is changed from Ray, Rawlins, Jones & Henderson to Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough. |
