2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008
January 1, 2012
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP has again been accepted for inclusion in the Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys, by the A.M. Best Company. A.M. Best Company is the leading provider of ratings and financial data for the insurance industry worldwide.
January 1, 2012
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP is pleased to announce that Patrick M. Biren has been elected a partner in the firm. Mr. Biren will continue his civil litigation practice, with an emphasis on insurance defense and construction-related litigation matters.
More about Patrick M. Biren
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December 31, 2011
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP, in furtherance of its policy of giving back to the community, made contributions to a number of charitable organizations in 2011, including:
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc.
Police Officers’ Federation of Minneapolis
Foundation of the American Board of trial Advocates
USO
Volunteers of America, Minnesota, Operation Backpack
December 28, 2011
D. Scott Ballou, won a verdict after a jury trial in the Hennepin County, Minnesota, District Court in favor of the firm’s client, Lakes Gas Company, against a breach of contract claim. In the case of, Maria E. Amplatz, d/b/a Riaz Properties v. Allstate Indemnity Company and Lakes Gas Co., the jury unanimously rejected the plaintiff’s claim that Lakes Gas provided an automatic delivery agreement under its contract with the plaintiff. In its Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Order for Judgment, the Court, Judge Deborah Hedlund, agreed, dismissing all claims against Lakes Gas Company.
View Findings of Fact
November 1, 2011
Robert D. Brownson is an author of the White Paper “Asbestos Claims and Litigation: Update and Review: 2010 New Case Filing: Summary and Analysis” by the Asbestos Litigation Risk Analysis (ALRA) Group. In this Paper, the ALRA Group presents and reviews trends in asbestos litigation, and compiles new case filing data in jurisdictions where its members are active in representing defendants. The ALRA Group assists business, insurance, and financial clients in predicting future asbestos liability. The ALRA Group has a proven track record in counseling companies about asbestos liability risk management strategies.
View ALRA Group Website
October 28, 2011
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP is pleased to announce that Jessie E. Rosenthal has joined the firm as an associate attorney. Ms. Rosenthal joins the firm’s civil litigation practice, with an emphasis on insurance defense, insurance coverage, and workers’ compensation defense matters.
More about Jessie E. Rosenthal
August 2011
Robert D. Brownson and Kristi K. Warner have successfully negotiated and implemented new insurance coverage and claims handling Agreements with five excess and umbrella insurers for a company involved as an asbestos Defendant in asbestos personal injury cases in 25 states, and supervise defense counsel and coordinating counsel for that litigation, manage all insurance-related issues, discovery issues, and litigation strategy.
July 2011
Patrick W. Biren was named a Super Lawyer Rising Star by Superlawyers.com., a designation awarded to Minnesota’s top up and coming attorneys under the age of 40.
D. Scott Ballou was named a Super Lawyer for the second consecutive year by Superlawyers.com, a designation in the specialty areas of Personal Injury Defense, Employment Litigation Defense, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
April 1, 2011
Robert D. Brownson has been named a Senior Life Fellow of the Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
January 1, 2011
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP has been again accepted for inclusion in the Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys, by the A.M. Best Company. A.M. Best Company is the leading provider of ratings and financial data for the insurance industry worldwide.
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December 31, 2010
Kristi K. Warner successfully obtained dismissals on summary judgment in four asbestos personal injury cases in Ramsey County District Court, in favor of Brownson & Ballou’s client, A.W. Chesterton Company. Ms. Warner defended A.W. Chesterton Company, a gasket and packing company, against claims made by the four separate plaintiffs, all of whom were alleging they had mesothelioma as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos-containing products.
View Representative Order
December 31, 2010
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP, in furtherance of its policy of giving back to the community, made contributions to a number of charitable organizations in 2010, including:
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc.
Police Officers’ Federation of Minneapolis
Foundation of the American Board of trial Advocates
ALS Association of the Amyotrophic Lateral Schlerosis Association (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
October 1, 2010
Robert D. Brownson is an author of the White Paper “Asbestos Claims and Litigation: Update and Review: 2009 New Case Filing: Summary and Analysis.” In this Paper, the ALRA Group offers its compilation of new case filing data in jurisdictions where its members are active in representing defendants in the litigation. As the five year anniversary Report in this series, this Report also contains an additional review of trends in asbestos case initiation over the 2005-2009 time period. The ALRA Group assists business, insurance, and financial clients in predicting future asbestos liability. The ALRA Group has a proven track record in counseling companies about asbestos liability risk management strategies.
View ALRA Group Website
July 23, 2010
Scott Ballou has been selected as a 201 Minnesota Super Lawyer in the 2010 Edition of Minnesota Super Lawyers. Mr. Ballou was named in the categories of General Litigation, Personal Injury Defense, and Employment Litigation. www.superlawyers.com
April 23, 2010
Patrick M. Biren obtained summary judgment on behalf of the Defendant on all counts in an important employment law case. In its opinion in the case of Wingert & Associates, Inc. v. Richard Burrows, et al., the Hennepin County District Court dismissed a lawsuit brought on both breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and account stated, holding that advanced commissions for a group of commissioned salesmen were earned by the Defendants, and not recoverable by their former employer. See now
January 1, 2010
Scott Ballou has been voted President of the Golden Dunkers Booster Club for 2010. The Golden Dunkers Booster Club is a tax exempt, not-for-profit organization of men and women whose purpose is to support the University of Minnesota Men’s Basketball Program. Mr. Ballou has long been involved in support and fund raising for the University of Minnesota Athletic Department, including the Williams Scholarship program. www.goldendunkers.org
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December 31, 2009
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP, in furtherance of its policy of giving back to the community, made contributions to a number of charitable organizations in 2009, including:
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc.
Police Officers’ Federation of Minneapolis
Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates
ALS Association of the Amyotrophic Lateral Schlerosis Association (Lou Gewhrig’s disease)
Toys For Tots
June 20, 2009
Robert D. Brownson is an author of the White Paper titled, Asbestos Claims and Litigation: Update and Review: 2008 New Case Filing Summary and Analysis, by the Asbestos Liability Risk Assessment Group (“ALRA Group”). The ALRA Group assists business, insurance, and financial clients in predicting future asbestos liability. The ALRA Group has a proven track record in counseling companies about asbestos liability risk management strategies.
August 10, 2009
Patrick M. Biren was featured in an article in the Sunday, August 9, 2009 St. Paul Pioneer Press in connection with his representation of First Student, Inc., the bus company whose school bus with 50 passengers fell during the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in August 2007. First Student’s case against URS Corp. was also featured in a front page Metro section article in the August 5, 2009 Minneapolis StarTribune.
June 1, 2009
Robert D. Brownson is a founding member of the Asbestos Liability Risk Assessment Group ("ALRA Group"). Asbestos litigation has bankrupted scores of otherwise viable companies. As this trend continues, investors need sound business advice. Members of the ALRA Group assist business, insurance, and financial clients to predict future asbestos liability. The ALRA Group has a proven track record in counseling companies about asbestos liability risk management strategies. Among other activities, the ALRA Group issues a series of highly-regarded and well- received annual reports concerning the number of asbestos case filings in key jurisdictions.
View ALRA Group Website
February 1, 2009
Robert D. Brownson has become a Fellow of the ABOTA Foundation. The ABOTA Foundation is the charitable arm of the American Board of Trial Advocates whose mission is to preserve the constitutional vision of equal justice for all Americans and to preserve the civil justice system for future generations.
January 8, 2009
D. Scott Ballou and Patrick M. Biren have won a decision at the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirming an Order for summary judgment in favor of Brownson & Ballou, PLLP’s client, a Defendant against whom the Plaintiff made employment-related claims of assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violations of the state Whistleblower statute, and punitive damages, in the case of Johnson v. Independent School District #6067, et al.
The case is significant in employment law because of a lack of prior precedent dealing with claims of civil assault, here claims of threatening conduct. The Court held that the mere threat, without sufficient evidence of force, was insufficient. Also, the Court rejected a trend in other jurisdictions holding that individual supervisors may be liable under the Whistleblower statute.
January 1, 2009
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP has once again been named to the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers. The Bar Registry is limited to only those firms that receive the AV rating, the top rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law directory.
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December 31, 2008
Brownson & Ballou, PLLP, in furtherance of its policy of giving back to the community, made contributions to a number of charitable organizations in 2008, including:
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc.
Police Officers’ Federation of Minneapolis
Foundation of the American board of Trial Advocates
2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day
ALS Association of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association
Volunteers of America of Minnesota’s Operation Backpack
November 2008
Kristi K. Warner was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star 2008 by Minnesota Law & Politics Magazine for her practice in the areas of Environmental Litigation and Civil Litigation Defense.
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