A former law clerk for Ninth Circuit Judges Thomas G. Nelson and N. Randy Smith, Michael Manning’s practice focuses on appellate advocacy and complex litigation.  He has argued multiple appeals in the Ninth Circuit, and regularly represents clients in both federal and state courts.

His appellate and trial-level litigation experience covers a broad range of substantive topics, including:

• Constitutional Issues
• Intellectual Property
• Environmental Law and Condemnation
• Bank Bad Faith and Lender Liability
• Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
• Employment Disputes
• Contracts
• Real Estate
• Will and Estate Issues

Michael is a Montana native and worked as an appellate and litigation attorney at Holland & Hart LLP before joining Ritchie Manning Kautz PLLP.

Recognition

• Mountain States Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Appellate
• The Best Lawyers in America, Environmental Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Montana

Court Admissions

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the District of Montana
• All Montana State Courts

Education

• University of Montana School of Law
  • J.D., 2006, With Honors
  • Montana Law Review, Executive Editor
  • Judicial Intern for Chief Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana

Publications

Michael is the author of May It Please the Court:  Appellate Practice Tips and Ninth Circuit Case Summaries, a regular column in Montana Lawyer:

• 5 Tips for Shortening Your Briefs Without Weakening Your Argument, Montana Lawyer, December/January 2016-17
• Blocking Out Block Quotes, Montana Lawyer, June 2016

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association, Member
• ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers Rules Committee, Past Member
• State Bar of Montana, Member
• State Bar of Montana Federal Practice Section, Member
• State Bar of Montana Intellectual Property Section, Member
• Yellowstone Area Bar Association, Member
• Yellowstone Area Bar Association, Past Board Member

Ritchie Manning Kautz PLLP.

Appealing Your Case

When clients and other lawyers need to protect a good result or reverse a bad one, they turn to Ritchie Manning Kautz PLLP to handle their appeal.  We guide clients through every phase of federal and state appeals, including:

• • Merits briefing
  • Oral argument
  • Motions practice
  • Amicus briefs
  • Supersedeas bonds

Procedures Taken to Avoid Appeals

We also regularly counsel clients and assist other lawyers on complex substantive and procedural issues at the trial level to better plan for, or to avoid and appeal:

• Summary judgment and other dispositive motions
• Post-trial motions
• Jurisdictional issues
• Pre-trial, trial, and post-trial strategy

Our appellate experience includes multiple arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit, and successful appeals covering a broad range of substantive areas, such as constitutional issues, intellectual property, environmental law, employment disputes, real estate, and commercial matters, among others.