Attorneys
Our attorneys are experienced in all types of civil legal matters—land use and real estate transactions, business and employment law, wills and estates, probates, lawsuits, construction law, tech and communications law, family law and divorces, bankruptcy, collections, homeowner and condo associations, and much more. As experienced advocates, we strive to provide our clients the legal outcomes they deserve. Located in the heart of downtown Missoula, Montana, our firm represents clients throughout Montana and the United States.
Calvin T. Christian | Of Counsel
Farm & Ranch, Real Estate, Land Use Planning & Water Rights
Cal is a native Montanan, originally from Shelby. After graduating from the University of Montana in the early 1960s, Cal practiced in Polson both as the city attorney and Lake County attorney. When his son Kirby graduated from law school at UM, in 1989 father and son joined with Richard Samson to open their own firm. For location, they chose a group of historic and architecturally distinctive brick homes in downtown Missoula.
Cal is not only highly knowledgeable in agricultural and water law, but he also has personal experience in ranching. He has owned large ranches in Montana, Colorado and Hawaii. Additionally, he has spearheaded large developments in Lake County, including Jette Lake and Jette Meadows. This experience supports his legal expertise in agricultural law and real estate transactions.
Cal served as a U.S. Magistrate under the Honorable Russell Smith in the late 1960s-1970s.
Cal was a member of the Governor’s Crime Commission in the 1970s and also served on the State Board of Pardons and Parole for six years.
Cal has been actively involved in the Missoula business community since the 1980s and is an avid Grizzly fan.
Kirby S. Christian
Business, Real Estate, Land Use Planning & Water Rights, Estate Planning
Kirby is a native of Polson, Montana and proud graduate of The University of Montana, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance with high honors, as well as his Juris Doctor. Since helping found the firm in 1989, Kirby has focused his practice on real estate transactions, business law, banking law, contract law, and more. His experience in planning and permitting – along with his understanding of regulatory and financial issues – enables him to steer his clients through every stage of real estate and business development processes. Kirby places a high value on investing in long-term relationships with his clients and guiding them through the complex legal issues that impact land use and development. He also prioritizes maintaining strong relationships with government agencies and other resources within the community – knowledge and resources that allow him to effectively help his clients meet their business goals.
Outside of the office, Kirby has undertaken numerous leadership roles, serving on The University of Montana Dean’s Advisory Board from 2005-2011, the Board of Directors of the Pleiades Foundation, and founding the Discovery Foundation and the Christian Family Foundation, both of which engage in philanthropic endeavors providing funds to charities and qualified projects.
Richard J. Samson
Bankruptcy, Creditors Rights, Wills and Probates
Dick is one of the firm’s founding members and was born and raised in Montana. His practice is primarily devoted to the area of bankruptcy law and creditor rights. He represents clients in all phases of bankruptcy proceedings, out-of-court restructuring agreements, secured financing transactions and state court receiverships. Since 1989, Dick has also served continuously as a Chapter 7 panel trustee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Montana.
His clients represent the gamut of diverse interests in a wide variety of bankruptcy and insolvency matters. His practice emphasis in the area of bankruptcy law and creditor rights often includes issues related to real estate law, business law, commercial transactions, banking law, probate law and litigation issues – both in federal and state courts.
In addition to his legal practice, he has shared his expertise as an adjunct instructor in bankruptcy law at the University of Montana School of Law and was recognized in the 2014 edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in the areas of bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law.
Richard M. Baskett
Tax Law, Estate Planning, Probate & Estates
Rick Baskett is an Attorney and CPA, with over 40 years of experience. A graduate of both the business school and the law school at the University of Montana, he has worked in the tax department of Price Waterhouse (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers) in New York City and Baltimore, Maryland, as general counsel for Washington Corporations (now The Washington Companies), and for tax law firms in both Baltimore and Washington, D.C. He has been adjunct lecturer of Partnership Taxation at the University of Montana School of Law, and has spoken at various continuing education courses on tax. In 1994, he established Baskett Law Office, emphasizing estate planning, probate, tax, and business. On January 1, 2020, he merged his practice with Christian Samson to form Christian, Samson & Baskett, PLLC. Rick is a Fellow of the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel and is listed as a Super Lawyer for the Rocky Mountain Region.
Rick is a Montana native, born and reared in Livingston, Montana, a town known for its surrounding natural beauty and high winds. He enjoys the many things Montana has to offer: skiing, fishing, and hunting, included. Hanging on his office wall is his grandfather’s hunting and fishing license from 1919, which back then cost $1.50 for everything: bird hunting, big game hunting, and fishing. He comes from a long line of doctors, so his father had to swallow hard when Rick went to law school. He feels fortunate to have grown up in Montana but have had the opportunity to live, study, and work in New York City, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and St. Paul, and enjoy all that those metropolitan areas had to offer both personally and professionally, yet still be able to return to his native state.
Ryan A. Phelan
Family Law, Divorce & Parenting, Estate Planning, Probate & Estates, Mediation & Arbitration
Ryan was raised in the Missoula area, and is a graduate of Loyola Sacred Heart High School. In 2000, Ryan graduated from Montana State University – Bozeman with a degree in Business. Ryan graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 2003. While in law school, Ryan performed her clinical internship for Judge Donald Molloy, who was the chief judge of the Federal District Court of Montana at the time. Ryan worked for more than 18 years at her prior firm, practicing in the area of complex family law litigation. Ryan served as Judge Pro Tem for Justice of the Peace Marie Anderson from 2015 to 2018. In 2018, Ryan successfully completed the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorney’s Family Law Arbitration Training Course.
Ryan joined Christian, Samson & Baskett, PLLC, as a partner in 2019, and heads the family law division of the firm. She practices in the area of family law, including divorce and parenting issues, as well as estate planning and probate. Ryan also serves as a mediator, settlement master and family law arbitrator.
Ryan is the Vice Chair of the Family Law Section of the Montana State Bar and the Chair of the continuing legal education subcommittee. She serves on the MCT, Inc. Board of Directors.
W. Bridger Christian
Tax Law, Tax Controversy, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Non-Profit Law, Appellate Practice
Bridger is a third-generation Montana lawyer whose family has called the state home for five generations. He earned his B.A. in Political Communication from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., before obtaining his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, a top 20 institution. To further specialize in tax law, he later earned an LL.M. in taxation with honors from Northwestern University.
During law school, Bridger honed his litigation skills on the intercollegiate mock trial team, competed in moot court, and contributed to the university's tax clinic. His passion for mock trial continues to this day as he coaches the University of Montana Mock Trial Team.
Bridger's diverse professional experience includes work with the United States Trade Representative, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana, and the IRS Office of Chief Counsel in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Admitted to practice in Montana, Minnesota, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Bridger offers a comprehensive litigation and planning practice. His areas of expertise include general litigation, personal injury, tax controversy, and business planning. He has guided numerous nonprofit organizations through their formation and has a strong record of achieving favorable resolutions in complex IRS tax disputes.
Bridger is actively involved in the Missoula community, serving as a board member at the Missoula Community Foundation. He combines his strong academic background, diverse professional experiences, and practical skills to navigate complex legal issues effectively. He welcomes new challenges and is committed to achieving positive results for his clients across various areas of law.
Robert T. Bell
Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Business Law, Commercial Litigation, Aviation Law, Trucking and Auto Accidents
Robert grew up in rural Montana. His first job, at age 13, was moving irrigation pipe. Later, he graduated to washing dishes and loading delivery trucks as he worked his way through high school and college. He takes great pride in representing his fellow Montanans and their businesses.
Rob earned his J.D. with honors from the University of Montana School of Law in Missoula in 1993, where he received the American Jurisprudence Award for Real Property and the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Award for Excellence in Advocacy while competing on the National Moot Court team and serving as head intern for the Missoula County Attorney's Office.
Over 30+ years of practice, Rob has represented clients throughout Montana in complex construction, aviation, real estate, insurance, serious injury, and institutional abuse cases, devoting 80% of his practice to litigation. He is admitted to practice before Montana State and Federal District Courts (1993), the Montana State Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana (1993), Tribal Courts of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. As an instrument-rated private pilot, he has handled aircraft crash cases in Montana and Idaho and represented airmen before the National Transportation Safety Board.
Rob is deeply community-involved, having served on boards for Missoula Catholic Schools' Foundation, St. Patrick Hospital Foundation, and the University of Montana Alumni Association. His peers have recognized him with an "AV Preeminent" Martindale-Hubbell rating from both colleagues and judges, inclusion in the 23rd edition of "The Best Lawyers in America" for Corporate Law, and in 2019, invitation to the National Association of Distinguished Counsel as part of the "Nation's Top One Percent."
Seamus B. McCulloch
Bankruptcy, Creditors' Rights, Transactional Law, Civil Litigation
Seamus is from Billings, Montana. After graduating from West High School, he completed his B.A. in Political Science with honors at the University of Montana. Seamus has lived in Missoula ever since.
Seamus attended law school at the University of Montana, where he earned his Juris Doctor with honors. While at law school, Seamus served as Articles Editor on the Montana Law Review. Seamus additionally worked as a legal writing teaching assistant, helping first year law students hone their writing skills.
After he earned his J.D., Seamus served as a law clerk to the Honorable Benjamin Hursh, chief bankruptcy judge for the District of Montana. While serving as law clerk, Seamus participated as a speaker at the Idaho and Montana annual Bankruptcy Section Seminars, presenting on the topic of evidence issues involving authentication and hearsay.
Michael R. Gulledge
Estate Planning, Elder Law, Family Law, Civil Litigation, Property Law, Landlord Tenant
Michael is from Billings, Montana, where he attended the Billings Catholic Schools. He completed his undergraduate work at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. After college, Michael attended the University of Montana where he earned his Juris Doctor. Michael was a member of the Marjorie Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic during his final year of law school.
Prior to law school, Michael worked at two newspapers in the sports department and covered athletic events ranging from Billings Mustangs minor league baseball to Gonzaga basketball. Michael also shadowed two Montana District Court judges before law school.
Before joining Christian, Samson, and Baskett, PLLC in 2023, Michael spent his first year of practice focusing on estate planning before making the adjustment to a litigation-focused practice. Michael is admitted to practice in Montana state courts and the United States District Court for the District of Montana.
Outside work, Michael enjoys water skiing, golfing, and exploring Montana’s vast outdoors, specifically the Beartooth Mountains and Glacier National Park.
Vance J. Thuesen
Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Property Law, Landlord Tenant, Criminal Law, Family Law, Intellectual Property
Vance is a second-generation Montana attorney who grew up on a small crop farm in the Clark's Fork River Valley and attended public school in Red Lodge. This rural Montana upbringing instilled in him a strong work ethic and deep appreciation for the tight-knit communities that define the state.
Vance earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biosciences from St. Edward's University in South Austin, Texas, where he also competed as an NCAA Division II cross country runner. His academic focus then shifted to law, earning a J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law, where he participated in the mock trial program.
Vance began his legal career as an intern with Christian, Samson & Baskett in May 2024, and has since transitioned to an associate role with the firm. He is admitted to practice in Montana.
Beyond his legal practice, Vance maintains his connection to the University of Montana as a member of the Keyboard Society and is an avid classical pianist. His diverse background—from rural farming and competitive athletics to scientific study and legal practice—provides him with a unique perspective and well-rounded approach to serving clients throughout Montana.