It is with great sadness that we share that our partner and friend, James (Jim) Kruse, and his wife Mary passed away on January 28, 2025, in a tragic accident.
Jim was a legend in the Utah legal and business communities. During his more than 50 years of practice, Jim developed the leading securities law practice in Utah and became a trusted advisor to many of Utah’s most powerful companies and individuals. Simply put, Jim was the real deal and was adored by his clients and colleagues, whom he truly cared about.
Professionally, Jim was a founding partner of KLMR and his wife, Mary, was the Office Manager. After 39 years of building a powerhouse firm in KLMR, Jim and the team joined Michael Best in 2017. Through that merger, Jim brought an extremely strong team of lawyers and professionals to Michael Best, including Betsy Voter, Kevin Timken, Terrell Smith, Lyndon Ricks, Vicki Stevens, Kim Miyake, and Stacy Fredericks.
Jim’s professional excellence was recognized through numerous accolades. He was listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Corporate Law and for Commercial Transactions. He was also named among Utah’s Legal Elite in Securities Law by Utah Business magazine and held the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Rating.
Actively involved with the Utah State Bar, particularly in the Securities and Corporate Law Sections, he served on the Securities Advisory Committee to the Utah Securities Division and was Chairman of the Securities Section. In 1983, Jim was appointed by Governor Matheson to the Utah State Securities Advisory Board.
He was also involved in his community, serving as a member of the Board of Governors for Nebraska Wesleyan University from 1990 to 2014 and appointed as a lifetime Governor Emeritus in 2019. Additionally, he was a former member and President of the Board of Trustees for the Realms of Inquiry School.
Jim was adored for being extremely kind, witty, charitable, and humble. He truly cared for those around him and was always quick to assist however he could. All those who knew Jim are better for it.
Jim’s contributions to building the Michael Best reputation in Utah cannot be understated. In addition to his external efforts, Jim was deeply committed to building strong relationships with and mentoring those around him. Even during his “golden years,” Jim insisted on remaining a member of the team and lent a helping hand wherever he could.
Because of Jim’s important contributions to the Utah legal community, his legendary career, and his role at the firm, Michael Best decided several months ago to name a conference room in our pending office after his ranch, which held a very special place in Jim’s heart. It is beyond disappointing that Jim will never get to see the completed conference room, but we will always think of him when we pass by or use the room, and we are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to show him our great appreciation for him before he passed away.
Jim and Mary will be dearly missed by so many. We extend our deepest condolences to Jim and Mary’s family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know them.