Mike S. Beardsley

Mike Beardsley, a native of Rapid City, South Dakota, graduated from Montana State University in 2006. In 2010, he continued his family's legal legacy as a third-generation graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law. Mike handles a wide range of litigation, with a focus on personal injury, workers’ compensation, and bad faith claims against insurance companies.

Outside of work, Mike enjoys hunting, skiing, and riding motorcycles in the Black Hills with his wife, Nicole, and their two sons, Carson and Weston.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Member, Board of Governors (2015–2025)
• State Bar of South Dakota
• South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association
• Pennington County Bar Association
• SDTLA
  • Elected to Board of Governors for 2015-2017
• Black Hills Criminal Defense Bar
• American Association of Justice

Representative Cases:

Some specific examples of Mike’s practice include:

• Rupert v. City of Rapid City: Co-counsel in a jury trial, securing a verdict in an inverse condemnation case against the City of Rapid City for tree damage.
• Work v. Allgier: Obtained a favorable appellate decision from the South Dakota Supreme Court in a breach of contract case.
• Effenberger v. Nohr: Co-counsel in a motor vehicle injury case, achieving a $300,000 jury verdict with medical expenses of approximately $30,000.
• USA v. Garrett: Co-counsel in a federal felony crop insurance fraud case, resulting in acquittal on six of nine counts.
• Severson v. Colbert: Lead counsel in a personal injury jury trial, obtaining a judgment in the amount of $140,052.01. The Defendant’s last offer of settlement prior to trial was $15,000. Medical expenses in the case were $23,000.
• KT Entities v. Wiedmeier: Co-counsel in a breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty arbitration proceeding resulting in a verdict of $547,202.72.
• State of SD v. Harvey: Co-counsel in a criminal defense jury trial regarding allegations of elderly abuse, helping to obtain a judgment of acquittal after the close of the state’s case.
• Steele v. Hunsaker: Co-counsel in a personal injury action tried to the court obtaining a judgment in the amount of $197,183.29.

Professional Associations and Memberships

• SDTLA
  • Elected to Board of Governors for 2015-2017.
• Black Hills Criminal Defense Bar.
• American Association of Justice.

Community Activity

Since the beginning of his practice, Mike has been active in the local Pennington County Bar Association (PCBA). PCBA is an organization devoted to educating others about the role of lawyers in our communities as well as helping the financially needy organizations in the Rapid City area. Mike is also involved in other charity work in the area.

Schedule your consultation with Mike today at (605) 777-7466.