Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner

What Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner does

Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner, P.C. is a Missoula, Montana-based law firm founded in May 1975 by Michael J. Milodragovich and Lon J. Dale, with Gerald W. Steinbrenner joining in 1984 to add the corporate and transactional practice. The firm employs 11-50 staff including nine-plus attorneys (five shareholders, one of counsel, senior associates, and associates) and has operated continuously for over 50 years, making it one of the longest-tenured practices in the state. Its work is organized into three core practice areas: Insurance Law (coverage analysis, claims advice, bad faith defense, insurance litigation, special investigations, and legislative/regulatory monitoring), Litigation (over 20 sub-areas spanning commercial, construction, employment, environmental, family, federal tort claims, Indian and tribal law, personal injury, product and professional liability, real estate, securities, transportation, and more), and Transactional Law (business and corporate, commercial transactions, estate planning, M&A, real estate, and taxation), supported by appellate, mediation and arbitration, and criminal law practices.

The firm serves a hybrid mix of national enterprise clients and Montana-based businesses and individuals. Enterprise clients include national insurance carriers (coverage opinions and bad faith defense), major national motor carriers and transportation companies (24/7 accident response, cargo and personal injury litigation), skilled nursing homes, assisted living and long-term care facilities (risk management and litigation), and out-of-state law firms that retain MDS as Montana co-counsel for litigation and transactional matters, a referral channel built over 35 years and reinforced by the firm's membership in the invitation-only Harmonie Group. Mid-market and individual clients include Montana construction companies, developers, contractors, and local individuals seeking representation in Montana state, federal, and tribal courts.

The business model is a standard professional services structure: hourly billing for general legal services, contingency fees for personal injury matters, and direct attorney-client engagement for case work, with no disclosed technology platform, SaaS, or AI tooling. Client acquisition is reputation- and referral-driven, supported by industry recognition (Best Law Firms USA 2026, Best Lawyers in America 2026, Super Lawyers 2026, Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent 2025) and professional affiliations. The firm is a privately held professional corporation owned by its attorney-shareholders, with no external investment, parent company, or public listing.

Name

Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner

Legal name

Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner, P.C.

Website

https://bigskylawyers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner, P.C. is a 50-year-old Missoula, Montana law firm with 9+ attorneys providing insurance, litigation, and transactional services to national insurers, motor carriers, healthcare operators, out-of-state law firms, and Montana-based businesses and individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Insurance defense litigation
• Civil litigation services
• Transactional legal services
• Estate planning law
• Mergers and acquisitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Missoula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Hourly billing for legal services: Standard attorney hourly billing for litigation and transactional legal services. Insurance companies, corporate clients, businesses and individuals can request current hourly rates.
2. Contingency fee (personal injury): Personal injury clients are typically billed on a contingency fee basis where attorney fees are collected only if a settlement or verdict is obtained on behalf of the client.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner, P.C. is a full-service Montana law firm providing legal representation across three core practice areas: Insurance Law, Litigation, and Transactional Law. The firm serves national insurance carriers, corporations, local businesses, individuals, and out-of-state law firms as Montana co-counsel, with attorneys licensed in all Montana state and federal courts, multiple tribal courts, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Services are billed on an hourly basis for most matters, with contingency fee arrangements available for personal injury cases.

Product overview

Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner, P.C. is a Montana law firm founded in 1975 providing legal services throughout Montana and the surrounding region. The firm offers two primary practice areas: (1) Insurance Law, encompassing insurance litigation, claims advice, coverage analysis, bad faith defense, special investigations, and legislative monitoring; and (2) Litigation, covering over 20 sub-areas including commercial, construction, employment, environmental, family law, personal injury, product liability, professional liability, real estate, transportation, and more; and (3) Transactional Law, including business & corporate, commercial transactions, estate planning, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and taxation. Additional services include appellate practice, mediation & arbitration, and criminal law. The firm serves as co-counsel for out-of-state law firms and is a member of The Harmonie Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Law
• Litigation Full-service litigation practice including court proceedings, administrative hearings, and dispute resolution. Handles jury and nonjury cases in Montana venues with expertise spanning commercial, construction, employment, environmental, personal injury, product liability, professional liability, real estate, transportation, and more than 20 sub-practice areas.
• Transactional Law Transactional legal services including business and corporate matters, commercial transactions, estate planning, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and taxation. Provides entity formation, contract drafting, M&A guidance, estate planning documents, and tax planning for formation, acquisition, reorganization, disposition, and liquidation.
• Appellate Practice Appellate practice representing clients in Montana Supreme Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
• Mediation and Arbitration Alternative dispute resolution services as a neutral third party for mediation and arbitration, from two-party cases to complex multimillion-dollar corporate litigation.
• Criminal Law Criminal defense for felonies, misdemeanors, and lesser offenses with representation from negotiation through trial and appeal.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 million Federal Tort Claims Act wrongful death settlement obtained in 2014 against the federal government
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Harmonie GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDS is a member of The Harmonie Group, a prestigious worldwide network of independent law firms with exclusive, invitation-only membership. Firms must pass a strict review process and meet high standards of values, ethics and success. Membership provides access to a national network of professionals and experts, enabling MDS to handle complex insurance and litigation matters involving carriers, corporations, and risk management groups.
• Missoula Chamber of CommerceminorOthersMDS holds a membership in the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, providing local community visibility and networking opportunities.
• American Bar AssociationminorOthersProfessional association membership providing access to national legal resources and peer networks.
• Defense Research InstituteminorOthersProfessional association membership for defense litigation attorneys.
• International Association of Defense CounselminorOthersProfessional association membership for defense counsel.
• Montana Defense Trial Lawyers AssociationminorOthersState-level professional association for defense trial lawyers in Montana.
• Montana Trial Lawyers AssociationminorOthersState-level professional association for trial lawyers in Montana.
• American Board of Trial AdvocatesminorOthersLon J. Dale is a member by invitation of the American Board of Trial Advocates Montana chapter.
• Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent LawyersminorOthersFirm listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.
• Western Montana Bar AssociationminorOthersLocal bar association for western Montana attorneys; Lon J. Dale served as former President.
• Western Montana Estate Planning CouncilminorOthersProfessional association for estate planning professionals in western Montana.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Garlington, Lohn & Robinson, PLLP: Missoula-headquartered full-service Montana law firm with overlapping practice areas in litigation, insurance defense, commercial, and real estate; directly competes for the same regional client base and co-counsel engagements.
• Boone Karlberg, P.C. Established western Montana (Missoula) law firm with a similar full-service mix including insurance defense, commercial litigation, employment, and real estate; competes for Montana enterprise and co-counsel work.
• Doney, Crowley, Bloomquist & Uda, P.C. Long-standing Montana defense litigation firm (Helena-based) with a comparable insurance defense, civil litigation, and governmental liability practice; directly comparable in size, region, and client mix.
• Ugrin Alexander Zadick + Kiger, PLLP: Great Falls-based Montana law firm practicing insurance defense, commercial litigation, employment, and transactional law; competes for the same carrier and corporate clients in Montana.
• Keller Reynolds & Drummond: Montana-based litigation firm focused on insurance defense, personal injury, and commercial disputes; directly comparable peer in practice mix and regional market.
• Corette Blackmer & Suttner, PLLC: Butte, Montana full-service firm with litigation, insurance, real estate, and transactional practices; comparable in size, geography, and breadth of services.
• Brown Law Firm, P.C. Billings-based Montana law firm with strong insurance defense, commercial litigation, and transportation practice; a direct regional peer in size and client vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Hall & Evans, LLC: Regional defense litigation firm with a long-standing insurance defense, civil litigation, and trial practice; a larger incumbent in the same defense-insurance niche that competes for similar carrier panel work.
• Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell, LLP: National trial and insurance defense firm with a focus on high-stakes commercial and coverage litigation; serves as a larger-scale comparable for MDS's high-stakes defense and trial work.

Others

• The Harmonie Group: Invitation-only national network of independent defense law firms; relevant as the network MDS belongs to and an ecosystem of comparable member firms across the U.S. that compete for similar national insurance carrier panel work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Milodragovich, Dale & Steinbrenner