The Gooch Firm is a team of lawyers and legal professionals who are dedicated to serving their clients. All serious injury cases are complex. The impact to the client’s life is usually forever and involves their most precious asset – their health. Each member of The Gooch Firm has a distinct role, which allows the client’s case to proceed efficiently and successfully in order to obtain the best possible legal outcome for the client. Click on a name to find out more about the team members of The Gooch Firm.
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Jeffrey D. Gooch
Jeff is the founder and owner of The Gooch Firm, P.C.. For more than a decade, he has enjoyed a solid career of representing hardworking people who experience injury, tragedy, or even death due to the fault of another. He has never represented large corporations or insurance companies. Early in his career, Jeff was taught that clients always come first. Jeff has patterned The Gooch Firm, P.C. after this rule, and he and his team pursue outstanding customer service on a daily basis.
While working on his undergraduate degree, Jeff met William A. Barton, of the firm Barton & Strevor located in Oregon. William A. Barton’s mentorship initiated Jeff’s dream of becoming a lawyer. Following this dream, Jeff went on to attend Brigham Young University School of Law. While attending school, he clerked for the law office of Young, Kester & Petro. He was assigned to work on a class action case involving over nineteen hundred plaintiffs. It was during this assignment that he met the legendary Gerry Spence. This introduction led to Jeff being hired as an associate attorney for the Salt Lake firm of Spence, Moriarity & Schuster. Jeff had the rare opportunity to train with the two best in the legal profession - his mentor, William A. Barton, and former employer, Gerry Spence.
Jeff has recovered damages for hundreds of injured individuals, ranging from several thousand dollar to multi-million dollar settlements. As a result, Jeff is well known in the community, respected throughout the legal profession, and his talents are highly sought after. Jeff has had experience with a wide range of cases that encompassed many different areas of law. He specializes in medical malpractice, personal injury, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and construction accidents, just to name a few. Jeff believes that victims need a voice for justice, and is willing to consider the most serious injury cases.
When he is not working, Jeff enjoys time with his wife and their two children. His grandmother also plays an important role in his life and has lived with their family for the past eight years. The Gooch family enjoys cycling, triathlons, and the responsibilities that come with the latest addition to the family, Tinkerbell, an English Mastiff.
EDUCATION:
Juris Doctorate, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, April 1997.
Vice Chair of the Board of Advocates, Moot Court
Traveling Team Member (Products Liability Competition)
Winner 1994 Moot Court Competition (Torts Section) Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and English, Brigham Young University.
Dean’s List
National and local member of Pi Sigma Alpha, Political Science Honor Society
AFFILIATIONS/SPECIAL DISTINCTIONS:
ATLA, member National College of Advocacy, associate The Order of Barristers, member Board of Governors for the Utah Trial Lawyers (now know as Utah Association of Justice) Trial Lawyers College, graduate
ADMISSIONS:
Utah State and Federal Courts.
Idaho State and Federal Courts.
Has participated, Pro Hac Vice, in cases in Montana, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, and California.
LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS:
Medical Evidence in Utah Court: Your Guide to Effective Use Salt Lake City, UT, 5/17/05, National Business Institute Advanced Expert Witness Deposition Tactics in Utah Salt Lake City, UT, 12/15/05, National Business Institute Speaker at Idaho Trial Lawyers’ Annual Convention Sun Valley Idaho, July 2004, The Use of Demonstrative Evidence
CONTACT INFO
1996 East 6400 South, Ste. 100
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
p: 801.424.1000
f: 801.424.4243
email: jeff@thegoochfirm.com -
Carlyn Lueck
Carlyn is one of the most respected paralegals in the State of Utah. She receives numerous phone calls every week from assistants working for other law firms asking for advice in how to accomplish a certain task. She obtained her Associates as a Paralegal and an Associates in Office Administration in 1992 from Phillips Junior College. Her cumulative grade point average was a 3.8. After graduating, she enjoyed student teaching in such areas as WordPerfect, Transcription, and Legal and Medical Technology. In 1994 she obtained her Bachelor’s of Independent Studies from Columbia College. Her major was in English and her minor was in Psychology.
In addition to being a paralegal at The Gooch Firm, Carlyn is also in charge of office management and human resources. She and Jeff have worked together for a decade, and together they keep the office running like a well-oiled machine.
One of Carlyn’s favorite aspects of her job is being able to help people. She is dedicated to each and every case she works on and loves interacting with clients. As a testimony to he commitment, she and Jeff ensure that they are available to clients day or night – all of the Gooch Firm clients have Jeff’s and Carlyn’ s cell phone numbers.
In addition to her career, Carlyn takes pride in being a wife and mother to four wonderful children. She has a compassion for animals, and has taken many in as rescues. One of her favorite pastimes is gardening and working in her yard, which is where she will be found most weekends.
Carlyn is a current member of UTLA, LAAU and has been noted in Who’s Who in America. -
Danielle Chatwin
Danielle is an investigative legal assistant and provides assistance on all of The Gooch Firm cases. In addition to her many roles, she works directly with doctor’s offices and medical billing personnel to obtain clients' medical records and billing information. She is organized, professional and personally tracks each of our clients’ files and records. She has exceptional client relations and is a great asset to The Gooch Firm.
Danielle comes to The Gooch Firm with a strong customer service and real estate background. She is currently registered with Salt Lake Community College and plans on obtaining her Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies.
Danielle’s friends and family are an important part of her life. She enjoys running and is currently training for the Salt Lake Marathon. Danielle loves outdoor activities including boating, camping, hiking, traveling, and adores her Chihuahua named Louie.