Charles F. Abbott: Lawyer and Entrepreneur

Charles F. Abbott is a distinguished lawyer and entrepreneur, currently residing in Provo, Utah. Born on October 12, 1937, in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington in 1959, where he initially intended to pursue a career in teaching. However, his interest shifted to law, leading him to earn his Juris Doctor in 1962 from the University of Washington School of Law, where he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Washington Law Review and the State Bar Association Journal.

Charles’s professional journey began in California, where he joined a law firm in Escondido. However, disillusioned by unethical practices within the firm, he left to establish his own practice. His entrepreneurial spirit and marketing acumen led to a series of successful ventures, including a telemarketing company with 300 employees and an auction company specializing in 18th- and 19th-century antiques imported from England. Additionally, he created a chain of yogurt shops in Utah and founded a company that promoted business seminars across the U.S. and Canada.

In his legal career, Charles developed a strong reputation, particularly through his involvement in representing victims of the Fen-Phen diet pill controversy, which earned him recognition as one of the top 50 filers in the nation for related cases. His expertise in advertising law and direct marketing also allowed him to work closely with top marketing experts such as Joe Karbo and Gary Halbert.

Charles’s prolific writing includes numerous books on law, marketing, and personal finance. His publications include How to Do Your Own Legal Work (1976, 2nd ed., 1981), The Millionaire Mindset (1987), How to Form a Corporation in Any State (1990), and Fen-Phen Fallout—The Medical and Legal Crisis (1997). In 2014, he published Immersion in Mormonism, a guide aimed at new members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), of which he has been a member since 1958. Charles joined the LDS Church after meeting his wife, Oranee Harward, a Utah native and devout church member. The couple married in 1958 and were blessed with six children—Patricia, Stephen, Nelson, Cynthia, Lisa, and Alyson. Tragically, their two eldest children passed away due to an inherited illness, but Charles and Oranee are also proud grandparents to 17 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Beyond his legal and entrepreneurial ventures, Charles has contributed significantly to the Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) community. Serving as president of Cure HHT, an organization dedicated to finding treatments for this rare genetic disorder, Charles’s leadership has helped establish treatment centers and advancements in medical care. His commitment to this cause is deeply personal, as the illness claimed the lives of his two oldest children and some grandchildren.

A member of the Utah Bar Association, the California Bar Association, and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar Association, Charles’s accomplishments have earned him widespread recognition, including the prestigious AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Throughout his career, Charles F. Abbott has exemplified professional integrity, entrepreneurial innovation, and a deep commitment to his family, faith, and community service.