Judd Jensen
Attorney Judd Jensen maintains a broad-based practice, primarily including real estate; trusts and estates; agriculture, farming, and ranching; elder law; business law and litigation; environmental and water law; food and beverage law; and intellectual property matters.
Real Estate
From water rights, trespassing, easement, access, and general property disputes to contentious disagreements over commercial property areas and exclusive rights, Judd vigorously represents clients in high-financial exposure conflicts. As a Montana real estate lawyer, Judd’s real estate clients often include high net worth individuals, developers, and other landowners seeking to preserve the integrity and exclusive rights of their real estate purchases, or to further develop their property.
Trusts and Estates
Estate planning can be difficult and challenging, especially for those owning businesses or significant real estate, including farmers, ranchers, and those with mineral rights. Judd provides comprehensive estate planning representation to these and other clients, with the goal of protecting inheritances for beneficiaries, minimizing estate taxes, and furthering succession planning goals (often through the creation of trusts or other wealth transfer transactions) to keep farms, ranches, and other businesses “in the family.”
Agriculture, Farming, and Ranching
Judd’s agriculture, farming, and ranching practice is focused on resolving complex agricultural matters for farmers, meat processors, insurers, grain companies, and other agricultural businesses. With an advanced law degree in Food and Agricultural Law, Judd has a vast understanding of Montana and federal agricultural issues, including USDA administrative appeals, crop insurance disputes, buying or leasing interests, food safety and USDA compliance, and disputes involving farmers versus fertilizer and feed sellers.
Crop insurance in particular is a vital risk management tool for many farmers; however, complicated disputes and disagreements often arise that can potentially compromise coverage. Judd represents agricultural clients in litigation against private insurance companies concerning these matters, as well as in mediation, arbitration, and administrative appeals through the Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the National Appeals Division of the USDA.
Judd’s agriculture, farming, and ranching clients include ranchers, farmers, grain elevator operators, grain companies, and other industry participants. He also represents landowners in oil and gas leasing matters.
Elder Law
When elderly individuals are incapacitated and unable to make informed decisions, whether those decisions involve health care or finances, someone else needs authority from a Probate Court to assume responsibility for that person’s affairs. In these situations, Judd assists with guardianship and conservatorship matters so that the financial and welfare of the loved ones of clients are adequately protected.
Business Law & Litigation
Judd is well-versed in business law and has extensive experience in business formation, contract drafting and facilitating commercial transactions. His business litigation practice is primarily focused on business and commercial disputes. He is frequently retained for cases involving breach of contracts, shareholder rights, and closely-held business control matters.
Environmental and Water Law
Judd provides clients with guidance regarding the maze of complex laws and regulations governing environmental compliance. He frequently represents real estate development firms, real estate buyers and sellers, companies, and other clients faced with issues including water rights, pipeline disputes, oil spills, well and pump issues, land use disputes, Clean Water Act matters, CERCLA issues, and groundwater contamination. He also has an extensive history of representing landowners in landowner and mineral rights cases.
Food and Beverage
Judd represents the Montana Brewers Association, as well as individual breweries and establishments in general business matters, as well as alcohol permitting and licensing matters.
Intellectual Property
Judd offers a full range of trademark and copyright services to entrepreneurs and established businesses. He assists in state and federal trademark clearance searches, filings, portfolio management, and litigation. He also works on copyright take-down claims and pursues damages for unlawful use of intellectual property.
Judd grew up on a wheat and cattle farm near Circle, Montana. His father, Robert Jensen, was the longest-serving sheriff in Montana history.
Judd and his wife have two children. When not practicing law, Judd enjoys playing with his kids, hunting, fishing, and riding horses.
- Agriculture
- Business & Commercial
- Business Formation & Transactions
- Business Formation, Transactions & Taxation
- Business Lawyer for Companies Moving to Montana
- Business Representation
- Elder Law
- Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy
- Estate Planning
- Food, Beverage & Gaming
- Insurance Coverage
- Intellectual Property
- Oil & Gas
- Probate, Estate Administration & Will Contests
- Real Estate & Construction
- L.L.M., University of Arkansas School of Law (Food and Agricultural Law)
- J.D., Food and Agriculture Law Certificate, Drake University Law School
- B.A. (Biology), Concordia College
- Montana (All state courts)
- North Dakota (All state courts)
- United States District Court for the District of Montana
- United States District Court for the District of North Dakota
- State Bar of Montana, Member
- State Bar of North Dakota, Member
- Agricultural Law Association, Member
- Montana Farmers Union, Member