Hoistad is a Scandinavian word that means an establishment at a high place or the high stand. Dean has always strived to live up to his ancestral namesake in the profession. As an example of this, Dean obtained an LL.M. degree in Insurance Law from the University of Connecticut Law School in 2009. It is the only program of its kind in the world and located in Hartford, CT, the Insurance Capital. The advanced program focuses exclusively on the law of insurance risk and responsibility and is limited to a very small percentage of insurance lawyers from around the world who seek specialized training beyond a juris doctorate degree. Dean is the only attorney from Montana who holds this distinction.
Dean is the recipient of Martindale-Hubbell’s “AV” rating for legal ability and ethics, the highest possible rating awarded by this nationally recognized, peer-review rating system. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of the American lawyers, who are selected on the basis of effectiveness, accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation; and has been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer for the state of Montana in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, a designation awarded to only the top 5% of attorneys in each state who are considered seriously outstanding by other attorneys.
He was formerly certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and by the Minnesota State Bar Association. Dean has successfully tried approximately fifty jury trials and handled numerous appellate matters in his forty plus years of practice, representing clients in all types of civil litigation disputes.
Articles and Publications
Dean has authored numerous articles and publications. He has been a frequent speaker and presenter at legal and other professional conferences, discussing insurance law, product liability, professional liability, construction law and other topics.