Christian Dietrich

Christian advises clients on real estate transactions, laws relating to land conservation and tax-exempt organizations, and related areas. He specializes in conservation easement transactions. Before co-founding Neilson, Swanson, Dietrich, Smith, PLLC, Christian served as General Counsel for the Montana Land Reliance, one of the nation's preeminent land trusts. In addition to the interpretation and defense of a million-plus-acre conservation easement portfolio at MLR, he successfully advised on over 100 completed conservation easement transactions protecting more than 250,000 acres of Montana's agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space. Christian speaks and writes frequently on conservation easements in Montana and around the country, is an emeritus member of the national Land Trust Alliance's Conservation Defense Advisory Council, and is the co-author of Conservation Easements: Tax and Real Estate Planning for Landowners and Advisors (American Bar Association, 2011). Christian attended St. Paul's School (NH) on the Cook Scholarship and graduated from Yale University before returning to the University of Montana School of Law.