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Deno Himonas
Partner
Litigation
Salt Lake City

D801-401-8520

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  • Leader in the Law

    Former Utah Supreme Court Justice Constandinos "Deno" Himonas brings over three decades of experience to Wilson Sonsini’s litigation and appellate practices. Deno joined the firm upon his retirement from the Utah Supreme Court in March 2022, where he served for seven years and participated in hundreds of appeals that spanned nearly all areas of the law. Prior to his appointment to the high court, Deno served as a trial court judge in Utah for nearly 11 years. In that capacity, he tried well over 100 cases and presided over thousands of matters, including a wide swath of complex civil litigation, numerous state and federal constitutional matters, and the most serious of criminal cases. During his many years in private practice, and during his years as a jurist, Deno has been involved in a broad manner of complex civil disputes, including antitrust, corporate governance, securities, government fraud, intellectual property, tax, mining, employment, and real estate litigation.  

  • Legal Innovator & Educator

    Deno has been at the forefront of the efforts to develop a regulatory framework for AI. In this regard he led the development and establishment of the Utah judiciary’s regulatory "sandbox,“ which allows entities to explore new ways of delivering legal services, including through AI. He has also been in the vanguard of Utah’s regulatory response to AI. In recognition of his work, Deno has received numerous accolades, including being awarded the Rebuilding Justice Award from the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, receiving an American Legal Technology award, being named a “Legal Rebel” by the American Bar Association, serving as a Distinguished Adviser to the Pew Charitable Trusts, and being inducted into the Warren E. Burger Society. Deno has also given much of his time to law students, having guest lectured at law schools across the country and taught courses in judicial advocacy and civil process. Most recently, Deno served as Innovator-in-Residence at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and taught a course in disrupting regulation.

Justice Constandinos "Deno" Himonas is a partner in the Salt Lake City office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he advises companies on complex governance and regulatory issues.

Deno joined the firm's litigation and appellate practices upon his retirement from the Utah Supreme Court, where he served for seven years and participated in hundreds of appeals that spanned nearly all areas of the law. Prior to his appointment to the high court, Deno served as a trial court judge in Utah for nearly 11 years. In that capacity, he tried well over 100 cases and presided over thousands of matters. These matters included the most serious of criminal cases; complex civil litigation involving, among other areas, corporate governance and tax; torts; and numerous state and federal constitutional issues. Before Deno was a judge, he spent 15 years working as a litigator for Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough, where he focused on complex civil litigation.

Throughout his legal career, Deno has concerned himself with issues relating to the access and affordability of civil justice in the U.S. court system. He has received widespread acclaim for his work in this arena, including distinction by the American Bar Association as a "Legal Rebel" and by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System with the Rebuilding Justice Award (along with Utah attorney John Lund) for establishing Utah’s Office of Legal Services Innovation and a regulatory "sandbox" allowing entities to explore new ways of delivering legal services. More than 25 innovations are currently being piloted in the sandbox.

Deno has taught trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, been honored by the College of Law as an Honorary Alumnus of the Year, and served as the Innovator-in-Residence at the College. He also has been a recipient of the Judicial Excellence award from the Utah State Bar.

Experience

Justice Constandinos "Deno" Himonas is a partner in the Salt Lake City office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he advises companies on complex governance and regulatory issues.

Deno joined the firm's litigation and appellate practices upon his retirement from the Utah Supreme Court, where he served for seven years and participated in hundreds of appeals that spanned nearly all areas of the law. Prior to his appointment to the high court, Deno served as a trial court judge in Utah for nearly 11 years. In that capacity, he tried well over 100 cases and presided over thousands of matters. These matters included the most serious of criminal cases; complex civil litigation involving, among other areas, corporate governance and tax; torts; and numerous state and federal constitutional issues. Before Deno was a judge, he spent 15 years working as a litigator for Jones Waldo Holbrook & McDonough, where he focused on complex civil litigation.

Throughout his legal career, Deno has concerned himself with issues relating to the access and affordability of civil justice in the U.S. court system. He has received widespread acclaim for his work in this arena, including distinction by the American Bar Association as a "Legal Rebel" and by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System with the Rebuilding Justice Award (along with Utah attorney John Lund) for establishing Utah’s Office of Legal Services Innovation and a regulatory "sandbox" allowing entities to explore new ways of delivering legal services. More than 25 innovations are currently being piloted in the sandbox.

Deno has taught trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, been honored by the College of Law as an Honorary Alumnus of the Year, and served as the Innovator-in-Residence at the College. He also has been a recipient of the Judicial Excellence award from the Utah State Bar.

Focus Areas
Recent Insights
Alerts
Utah Passes New Versions of Social Media Laws for Minors in Response to Challenges
On March 13, 2024, Governor Spencer Cox signed Utah’s Social Media Amendments, SB 194 and HB 464. Utah was the first state last year to pass laws strictly limiting minors’ use of social media. These laws were challenged in two lawsuits: one brought by social media users and another brought by NetChoice, a trade association representing internet companies.
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Client Highlights
D.C. Circuit Grants NRDC Petition for Review Supported by Wilson Sonsini Amicus Brief
On May 9, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) decision not to regulate perchlorate in drinking water violated the Safe Drinking Water Act (NRDC v. Michael Regan, et al., USCA Case #20-1335). When perchlorate is ingested through drinking water, it can disrupt thyroid hormone production, leading to neurodevelopmental issues, particularly in fetuses and young children. Due to these risks, in 2011 the EPA issued a final determination to regulate perchlorate in drinking water nationally. However, the EPA never promulgated such regulations and withdrew its own determination that it should regulate perchlorate. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) petitioned for review, arguing that the EPA lacked the authority to withdraw that determination under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
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Recent Events
Speaking Engagements
Annual IBA Conference
Wilson Sonsini attorneys Deno Himonas and Kenneth O’Rourke will speak at the 2022 Annual IBA Conference in Miami, Florida taking place October 30 through November 3, 2022.
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WSGR Events
Startup Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs
Wilson Sonsini is pleased to partner with Biohive, BioUtah, and The University of Utah PIVOT Center to host a Startup Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs. This is an exclusive one-day program designed for those in the process of—or considering—starting a new venture. Join us for this unique event that will provide practical information on the most important legal and business issues facing today’s entrepreneurs.
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