Tort Litigation Unit

Deputy Attorney General

Mark Klaassen

Deputy Attorney General Klaassen was raised in Gillette and has lived in Cheyenne with his wife and three children since 2009. Before joining the Attorney General’s office, Klaassen served as United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming from 2017-2021.

Prior to his appointment as United States Attorney, Klaassen spent nine years as an Assistant United States Attorney, where he handled affirmative civil and financial litigation cases across the state. During that time, he was also elected to the Board of Trustees for Laramie County School District Number One, serving from 2014-2017.

Klaassen spent time early in his career in a variety of government positions in Washington, D.C. He was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Chief of Staff to the General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security from 2007 to 2009. Prior to that appointment, he was General Counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security from 2003 to 2007.

Klaassen has experience as an appellate law clerk for the Honorable Wade Brorby of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and worked in private practice as a litigation associate with the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP. He received his B.S. in Finance, summa cum laude, from Oral Roberts University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.

Senior Assistant Attorneys General

Debra Hulett

Debra grew up in Iowa City, Iowa. She earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Iowa and a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. After graduating from law school, she served as a term law clerk for the Honorable Ronald E. Longstaff in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. After completing the term clerkship, Debra joined an Iowa-based law firm and worked on civil litigation cases as an associate and then a partner for over 22 years. She joined the Attorney General's Office in 2022 and moved to Wyoming to live close to family.  

Tim Miller

Tim was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. He earned his B.S. from the University of Wyoming in 1985, and his J.D. from the University of Wyoming in 1989. He initially worked as an associate in Salt Lake City and Jackson. He returned to Casper in 1994 and joined Reeves & Murdock (later Reeves & Miller). He opened his own office in 2005 and joined the Attorney General’s Office as a Senior Assistant Attorney General in 2016.

Assistant Attorney General

Katherine Diane Kleve

Katherine was born and raised in Redding, California. She earned her B.A. in political science from the University of California, Irvine, in 2017. She initially came to Wyoming to attend the University of Wyoming College of Law, where she earned her J.D. in 2024.  She fell in love with the state during her law school years and, upon graduation, chose to make Wyoming her home. Katherine has been working at the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office since fall of 2024.

Prentice Olive

Prentice was born and raised in Cheyenne Wyoming. He graduated with a B.A. in history from Thomas Edison State University in 2018. That fall, he began attending the University of Wyoming College of Law, where he earned his J.D. with honors in 2021. During law school, he interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Yellowstone National Park and a private law firm. He also participated in the International Human Rights Clinic and the Prosecution Assistance Program. Prentice began working at the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office in the fall of 2021.    

Tort Employment Unit

Supervising Attorney General

Peter Howard

Before joining the Tort Litigation Division in 2017, Peter worked with a private firm in Cheyenne litigating a variety of civil matters in state and federal court. Before returning to his home state of Wyoming, Peter was a Sergeant in the US Army, serving as a cavalry scout in Iraq.  He graduated from the University of Wyoming magna cum laude with a B.A. in history, and earned his J.D. with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law. Peter enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, lifting weights, and working on engines.

Senior Assistant Attorney General

Holli J. Welch

Holli serves as a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Tort Employment Unit of the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office. She was raised in Cody, where she graduated as part of Cody High School's 100th graduating class. Holli attended the University of Wyoming for both her B.S. in Business Marketing in 2012 and her law degree in 2015. Holli worked in private practice in Cheyenne across many specialties until joining the Attorney General's Office in March 2020. She is an active member of the American Bar Association Young Lawyer Division, and currently serves as the ABA YLD Administrative Director for the 2021-2022 term and as the Wyoming Young Lawyer Delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. In her spare time, she can be found with her dogs and cat, reading, cooking, and crafting.

Assistant Attorneys General

Cal Botten

Cal was born and raised in Sheridan, Wyoming. He completed an Associate Degree of Science in Nursing at Sheridan College before he obtained a Bachelor Degree of Science in Nursing at the University of Wyoming. Cal attended law school at the University of Wyoming where he earned his Juris Doctor degree. After graduating, Cal was hired at Franklin D. Azar & Associates in Aurora, Colorado. Cal Worked at Azar for around a year and a half where he primarily focused on claimant’s workers’ compensation but also worked on some plaintiff personal injury matters and did many hours of document review for several class action claims the firm handled. Cal missed Wyoming and sought an opportunity to return when he applied for a position with the Wyoming AG to represent the Wyoming Division of Workers’ Compensation. Cal is currently licensed to practice law in Wyoming and Colorado. 

Tort Personnel Unit

Supervising Attorney General

Sue Chatfield

Sue represents state agencies in employment/personnel matters and prosecutes professional licensing matters. She was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where she obtained her bachelor of arts degree in Psychology and English in 1993. She attended graduate school for psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Wyoming. Sue went on to receive her juris doctorate from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1999. During law school, Sue interned with the Wyoming Attorney General's Civil Division and the Honorable Judge Stebner. Sue joined the Attorney General's Office in April of 2000. She is admitted to practice before the Wyoming Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Sue has litigation experience in civil rights, bankruptcy, termination of parental rights, juvenile justice, adult protection, and child protection advocacy. On her time off, Sue enjoys playing volleyball, golf, tennis and pool.

Senior Assistant Attorneys General

Jessica Frint

Prior to law school, Jessica served as the Western Governors' Association Mickelson Fellow in Governor Freudenthal's administration focusing on energy issues. During law school, she served as a graduate assistant for the School of Energy Resources and the student director of the Prosecution Assistance Program. She is the recipient of the Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Student Award for the University of Wyoming. Prior to joining the Attorney General's Office, she was an intellectual property analyst for the University of Wyoming's Research Product Center. Jessica served for several years in the Civil Division representing professional licensing boards as board counsel. She now serves as a prosecuting attorney in the Tort Division.

Marci Linde

Marci obtained her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Wyoming. She has practiced mainly litigating indigent criminal defense. Marci has experience in administrative, healthcare, juvenile, mental health and disability law. She has served as a hearing officer and special commissioner. Marci joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2024. When she is not driving kids to sporting events, she spends her time volunteering, walking the dog, hiking and reading.

Assistant Attorney General

Branden Blaylock

Branden represents state agencies in employment/personnel matters and prosecutes professional licensing matters. He was born and raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and attended the University of Wyoming where he obtained his bachelor of arts degree in Social Studies Secondary Education with a double major in History in 2020. Branden returned to Oklahoma to receive his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2023 with distinction. During law school, Branden gained valuable legal experience by interning with Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Cleveland County District Attorney as a Licensed Legal Intern, and Helms Law Firm in Oklahoma City. Branden joined the Attorney General's Office in August of 2023. On his time off, Branden enjoys spending time with his wife, playing golf, exploring the outdoors on his mountain bike or on a hiking trail, or keeping up with his Wyoming Cowboys or Oklahoma Sooners.