July 2010

Joseph Anthony featured in Minnesota Super Lawyers August 2010 Magazine

Joseph Anthony was recently featured on the cover of the Minnesota Super Lawyers August 2010 issue.  The cover article, titled In the Swing of Things, can be found here.

Eight Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Attorneys Designated “Super Lawyers”

Eight attorneys from Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie have been named “Super Lawyers” by Minnesota Super Lawyers magazine.  Only 5 percent of the lawyers licensed to practice in Minnesota are named Super Lawyers. 

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A. is proud to announce that Joseph W. Anthony, Norman J. Baer, Randy G. Gullickson, Mary L. Knoblauch, Vincent D. Louwagie, Robert C. Moilanen, Richard T. Ostlund, and Steven M. Phillips, have all been recognized by their peers as Super Lawyers.

Joseph W. Anthony and Richard T. Ostlund were also listed in the Top 100, which is comprised of the lawyers who received the highest point totals in the 2010 Minnesota Super Lawyers nomination, research and blue ribbon review process.  Joseph W. Anthony also made the Top 10 list.

For more information about Super Lawyers Top List in Minnesota, click here.

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Add Associate

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is pleased to announce that Brooke Anthony has joined the firm as an associate. Ms. Anthony received her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in 2005, where she was a two-time member of the Regional Champion Northwestern University National Trial Team.  Ms. Anthony practices in all areas of commercial litigation, focusing on complex commercial disputes.  She has also dedicated a portion of her practice to pro bono work.  Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Anthony was an associate with the law firms of Grippo & Elden LLC and Schiff Hardin LLP in Chicago, Illinois.

April 2010

Richard Ostlund to Represent Former Bank First Executives on $77 million FDIC Claim

Link to article in the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal.

March 2010

Norman Baer and Cheryl Stanton win Jury Verdict on behalf of client Maple Bank

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March 30, 2010.  The million dollar jury verdict in favor of our client Maple Bank has been affirmed by Judge McGunnigle.  After AOBL attorneys Norman Baer and Cheryl Stanton won a jury verdict on behalf of our client, the defendant (Alliance Bank) filed post trial motions to have the verdict set aside.  In an order dated March 30, the trial judge denied the defendant's motions and affirmed the jury's verdict.  In addition, Judge McGunnigle awarded more than $250,000 in attorneys' fees and costs to the judgment in favor of Maple Bank.  To see the Court's order, click here.

February 2010

Rich Ostlund honored at Minnesota Lawyer's Attorneys of the Year Banquet

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – February 18, 2010.  Minnesota Lawyer held a reception and dinner honoring its 2009 Attorneys of the Year.  Rich Ostlund was one of twenty-six (26) attorneys recognized in Minnesota for this honor.  This was the eleventh year Minnesota Lawyer has given out this award.  Attached is a copy of the Minnesota Lawyer article featuring Rich Ostlund.

Restaurant Technologies, Inc    

Anthony, Ostlund, Baer & Louwagie initiated a putative class action against Restaurant Technologies Inc. (RTI) and certain on its officers and directors. The case is being brought on behalf of individuals and entities who owned RTI common stock and options. The case was originally filed in state court in July, 2009, but was removed to the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The case is now pending before the Honorable Michael Davis. Below is a copy of the Complaint as well as an Order recently issued by Judge Davis denying a Motion to Dismiss brought by Defendants. The case is scheduled to be tried early next year.   The attorneys working on this matter include Robert Moilanen, Larina Brown and Nathan Brennan. For updated information on this case, go to News line.

January 2010

Four Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Shareholders Named to “Top 40 Business Litigation Attorneys” in Minnesota Law & Politics

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – January 21, 2010.  Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A., is proud to announce that Joseph Anthony, Randy Gullickson, Vincent Louwagie and Richard Ostlund have been named to “Top 40 Business Litigation Attorneys” published in the February/March 2010 issue of Minnesota Law & Politics, a leading national legal publication. The “Top 40 Business Litigation Attorneys” list represents those attorneys who received the highest point totals for the practice area in the 2009 Minnesota Super LawyersÒ nomination, research and blue ribbon review process. 

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is among the Midwest's largest law firms focused solely on business litigation. We assist clients in litigation, arbitration, regulatory and enforcement matters as well as providing counseling and litigation representation in the labor and employment matters.

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie adds new shareholder

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A. is pleased to announce that Aaron Hartman has become a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Hartman received his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 2002 and his B.A. undergraudate degree in Politcal Science and History from the University of Michigan in 1997.

December 2009

Richard Ostlund Named “Attorney of the Year” by Minnesota Lawyer

Minnesota Lawyer recently announced Richard Ostlund as a recipient of the publication's "2009 Attorney of the Year" award. This award is presented annually to a select group of attorneys who distinguished themselves during the year through their accomplishments, leadership in the profession, involvement in major cases and/or other newsworthy events.  Mr. Ostlund was recognized for securing a recovery of more than $73 million in a case involving alleged financial self-dealing by a residential developer.

Mr. Ostlund is one of twenty-six (26) attorneys recognized in Minnesota for this honor, the eleventh year Minnesota Lawyer has given out this award.

For a copy of the Minnesota Lawyer article on its “Attorneys of the Year” recipients for 2009, click on the link below.

Minnesota Lawyer:  http://www.minnlawyer.com/article.cfm/2009/12/14/Minnesota-Lawyer-names-the-2009-Attorneys-of-the-Year

November 2009

Alliance Bank Liable for Breach of Participation Agreement

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie, PA (AOBL), was successful in obtaining a $967,682 verdict from a Minnesota jury in a lawsuit against St. Paul-based, Alliance Bank.  The verdict came on November 23, 2009 at the close of a two-week jury trial in  Hennepin County District Court.  The lawsuit involved claims that Alliance Bank breached it duties as the originating bank under the participation agreement it entered into with participant bank, Maple Bank, a Champlin-based bank. 

Three Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Attorneys Named ‘Minnesota Rising Stars 2010’

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie’s Shannon Awsumb, Janel Dressen, and Courtland Merrill have been named to the Minnesota Rising Stars 2010 list, a designation resulting from a peer survey conducted yearly by Minnesota Law & Politics, Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business.

Rising Stars are nominated by their peers and must be 40 years of age or younger or have practiced law for 10 or fewer years. They represent the top 2.5 percent of up-and-coming attorneys in the state, as selected through a peer review survey and research process.

According to Law & Politics web site, "Rising Stars names the state's top up-and-coming attorneys."

October 2009

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Lawyers participate in The Fund for the Legal Aid Society 2009-10 One Hour of Sharing Lawyer Trivia Challenge    

Saturday, October 24, 2009, Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie lawyers participated in The Legal Aid Society’s One Hour of Sharing campaign by entering the One Hour of Sharing Lawyer Trivia Challenge. Steven Phillips, Shannon Awsumb, Cory Olson and Steven Kerbaugh represented AOBL in the challenge against nine other teams of four representing their law firms or corporations.  The challenge was run like a high school quiz bowl contest with 20-question rounds on topics such as sports, music, popular culture, and legal trivia.

Mary Knoblauch Named in Top 100 Women Super Lawyers Listing

Mary Knoblauch, shareholder with Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A., has been named one of Minnesota’s Top 100 Women Super Lawyers, as published in the October/November issue of Minnesota Law & Politics.  The "Top 100 Women Super Lawyers" represent the top 100 point earners out of all women selected as "Super Lawyers." Only 5 percent of attorneys in the state are named Super Lawyers.  Ms. Knoblauch has previously received this honor.

Ms. Knoblauch’s practice focuses on Employment Litigation, Complex Business Litigation, Trade Secrets, Noncompetition Agreements, Labor Negotiations and Arbitrations, and Contract Disputes.

September 2009

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Add New Associate

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is pleased to announce that Steven Kerbaugh has joined the firm as an associate. Steven is a 2009 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire in Political Science and French. Steven joined the firm as a Summer Associate in May 2008.

Mark Wisser, Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie partner dies

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009, MINNEAPOLIS - Lawyers and staff spent Wednesday absorbing the news that Mark passed away late Tuesday, September 1. Mark was 55.

“Mark was a wonderful person, a good friend and a great lawyer. He will be missed by all of us who had the opportunity to work with him. He was a tremendous and important part of our firm and I am certain that his untimely passing saddens each firm member,” said Joseph Anthony, managing partner of the firm.  “There is simply nothing I or anyone else can say that lessens the hurt that each of us feels. “

Mark Wisser is survived by his wife, Kathy (Kate); a daughter, Emily; and son, Douglas.

Family and friends are invited to a memorial gathering on Friday, September 4 at 11 a.m., the Bunker Hills Activity Center, 550 Bunker Lake Blvd N.W., Andover (2 miles west of Hwy 65). Memorials preferred to Mark Wisser Memorial Fund to support area youth baseball and a lasting tribute to a game he loved so much.

Link to full obituary:  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/startribune/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=132198351

August 2009

Eight Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Attorneys Designated “Super Lawyers”

Eight attorneys from Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie have been named “Super Lawyers” by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. Only 5 percent of the lawyers licensed to practice in Minnesota are named Super Lawyers.

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A. Adds New Associate

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is pleased to announce that Nathan Brennan has joined the firm as an associate. Nathan is a 2009 cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School. He graduated in 2004 from St. Cloud State University, summa cum laude, with a degree in English. Nathan joined the firm as a Summer Associate in May 2008.

July 2009

Joseph Anthony, general counsel for United States Golf Association, featured in National Law Journal

Joseph Anthony was recently featured in the National Law Journal July 6, 2009 issue for his appointment as general counsel for the United States Golf Association (USGA).  The USGA is the governing body of golf for U.S. and Mexico.  The USGA produces and interprets the rules of golf, provides a national handicap system for golf, conducts 13 national championships and more.  Click here for a copy of the NLJ article. To read more on nlj.com or click here:  http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202432109914.

Project: Habitat for Humanity

A group of 16 employees from Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A. had a fulfilling day working at the Habitat for Humanity site in Ramsey, Minnesota July 16, 2009.   All employees rearranged their schedules to accommodate being out of the office the entire day.  The group from AOBL, along with family members, spouses, and friends, installed sheet rock, ceilings, caulked and seemed windows, walls, etc. 

June 2009

Joseph Anthony and Steve Pincus successfully represent clients in dispute with Metropolitan Airports Commission

Attorneys Joseph Anthony and Steve Pincus successfully represented off-airport parking lot operators Park 'N Fly and Park 'N Go in a dispute with the Metropolitan Airports Commission (the "MAC").  Mr. Anthony and Mr. Pincus helped their clients convince the Management and Operations Committee of the MAC to table a proposal which would have imposed a "privilege fee" on off-airport parking lot operators at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.  The proposed "privilege fee" would have significantly increased the fees that AOBL's clients already pay to the MAC and would have seriously threatened their businesses. 

May 2009

Associate Larina Brown prevails in Employment Litigation Matter

Larina Brown successfully represented pro bono client N. Frazier in an unemployment insurance benefits dispute with her previous employer.  The legal investigation and evidentiary hearing resulted in an award of benefits to the client. 

April 2009

The Best Lawyers in America® name Joseph Anthony and Richard Ostlund in Specialty of Commercial Litigation

Once again, Joseph Anthony and Richard Ostlund have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2009®.  The Best Lawyers in America®, published by Woodward White, Inc., is a compilation of outstanding lawyers from across the United States who has been selected as “the best” by vote of their peers.

Rich Ostlund obtains $73 million total recovery in Development Fraud Arbitration

Rich Ostlund led an AOBL team to a total recovery of over $73 million in an arbitration in California which concluded in April, 2009.  The case involved alleged financial self-dealing by the developer of a large residential complex in California.

March 2009

Joseph Anthony and Steve Phillips Obtain $5.5 Million Arbitration Award

A panel of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) arbitrators awarded an Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie, P.A. client $5.5 million in damages in a claim against RBC Dain Rauscher Inc., now known as RBC Wealth Management.

The client sued RBC to recover losses sustained in an investment account as a result of RBC’s mismanagement and negligence.  Following a three-week hearing in Minneapolis, a panel of experienced FINRA arbitrators awarded the client 100% of the out-of pocket losses she claimed, $4.35 million.  With the addition of interest and the recovery of costs, the award is approximately $5.5 million.

In 2000, Joseph Anthony obtained a $16 million arbitration award against RBC predecessor Dain Bosworth stemming from the firm’s improper hiring of employees from a competing firm. 

Link to Star Tribune Article

January 2009

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie adds new shareholder

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A. is pleased to announce that Courtland C. Merrill has become a shareholder in the firm. Mr. Merrill received his law degree from the University of North Dakota in 2001 and his Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University in 1997. Mr. Merrill's practice focuses on complex business and intellectual property litigation, among other areas of law. He joined the firm in 2001 and has been elected a "Rising Star" by Minnesota Law & Politics every year since 2005.

Vincent Louwagie Named “Attorney of the Year”
Minnesota Lawyer recently announced that Vincent Louwagie is a recipient of the publication's "Attorney of the Year" award. The award is reserved for attorneys who distinguished themselves in 2008 through exemplary work. Mr. Louwagie was recognized for winning a $1.6 million verdict for his client, an attorney who accused his former firm of fraud by omission relating to the distribution of fees from a class-action settlement.  Secondly, Mr. Louwagie was, and is, instrumental in creating, developing, and administering the Master Trial Lawyers Practice Series (MTLPS) which involves a series of alternating sessions where the faculty covers all the essential stages leading up to, and including, a mock trial.

Mr. Louwagie is one of only twenty (20) attorneys recognized in Minnesota for this honor in 2009, the tenth year Minnesota Lawyer has given out this award.

For a copy of the Minnesota Lawyer articles on its “Attorney of the Year” recipients, and the trial, click on the links below.

Minnesota Lawyer:  http://minnlawyer.com/article.cfm?recid=80183

Minnesota Law and Politics article “Because It’s My Goddamn Law Firm:  http://www.lawandpolitics.com/minnesota/Because-It’s-My-Goddamn-Law-Firm/85d1d2f6-1deb-49c1-ba83-6a03f50bf4e6.html

Four Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Shareholders named Top 40 Business Litigation Attorneys by Minnesota Super Lawyers

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Law & Politics, a leading national legal publication, named four shareholders from Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A., to “Minnesota’s Top 40 Business Litigation Attorneys” list in the February/March 2009 issue.  Included in this year’s “Top 40 Business Litigation Attorneys” are Joseph W. Anthony, Randy G. Gullickson, Vincent D. Louwagie, and Richard T. Ostlund.  The “Top 40 Business Litigation Attorneys” reflect the top attorneys in Minnesota based on Super Lawyers® awards.

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is among the Midwest's largest law firms focused solely on business litigation. We assist clients in litigation, arbitration, regulatory and enforcement matters as well as providing counseling and litigation representation within the labor and employment law arenas.

December 2008

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is Successful in Obtaining $141 Million Jury Verdict in Securities Fraud Lawsuit

Jeff Ross and Randy Gullickson successfully obtained a $141 million verdict from a New York federal court jury following a six-week securities fraud trial.  The case, AIG Global Securities Lending Corp., et al. v. Banc of America Securities, LLC, involved claims by a number of financial institutions that a business unit of Bank of America engaged in fraud in connection with the underwriting and sale of asset-backed securities for Heilig-Meiers, once a large furniture retailer located throughout the southern United States.  The verdict represents 100% of the investors’ losses plus 9% interest for several years.  It is one of the largest securities fraud jury verdicts in the country in recent years.

This December 2008 verdict comes on the heels of a $130 million jury verdict obtained by AOBL attorneys Joseph Anthony and Randy Gullickson in December 2007 on behalf of Park Dental, a large Twin Cities dental group, in a case involving claims of breach of contract and tortious interference with contract against its former management service provider. 

October 2008

Joseph Anthony Named USGA General Counsel
Joseph W. Anthony, a co-founder of and partner in the firm, has been named general counsel for the United States Golf Association (USGA). The appointment is effective February 7, 2009, the date of the USGA’s Annual Meeting. Anthony will continue as a trial lawyer and president for Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie while serving as general counsel for the USGA.

About the USGA: The USGA is the national governing body of golf in this country and Mexico, a combined territory that includes more than half the world’s golfers and golf courses. The Association’s most visible role is played out each season in conducting 13 national championships, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open. Ten additional USGA national championships are exclusively for amateurs and include the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, funds research for better turf and a better environment, maintains a Handicap System, and administers an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program, which has allocated more than $62 million over 11 years to successful programs that bring the game’s values to youth from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie Add Two Associates
Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is pleased to announce that Larina Brown and Philip Kaplan have joined the firm as associates.  Larina is a 2007 magna cum laude graduatefrom the University of Minnesota Law School. Prior to joining the firm, Larina worked asa judicial law clerk for the Honorable Judge David Minge at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Her undergraduate work was in Biology from the University of Minnesota. Philip is a 2008 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Investment Banking. Philip joined the firm as a Summer Associate in May 2007.

Norman Baer elected to the Board of Directors of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
Norman Baer has been elected to the Board of Directors of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.  In the past year, Habitat provided affordable housing for some 250 people by building 50 homes with the help of approximately 20,000 volunteers.

September 2008

Rich Ostlund and Cory Olson recover $900,000 in employment litigation matter.
Rich Ostlund and Cory Olson have resolved claims associated with breaches of contract and discriminatory actions taken against a surgeon at a nationally respected hospital in exchange for our client's receipt of $900,000.00.  This result was obtained through a confidential mediation whereby the reputations of both the hospital and the surgeon were preserved.

June 2008

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie attorneys Vince Louwagie and Mark Wisser win a $1,650,257 jury verdict for client.
After an eight-day jury trial in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a unanimous jury awarded Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie client, Brian Williams, $1,650,257 in damages.   The seven-member jury deliberated approximately 3 hours, and found that the defendants, Heins, Mills & Olson, PLC, and Samuel Heins and Stacey Mills, were liable to Williams for misrepresentation by omission.  For articles on the case, visit:  http://www.startribune.com/local/19873704.html?page=1&c=y

May 2008

Steven Phillips successfully defends brokerage firm.
Steve Phillips successfully defended a securities brokerage firm against a claim brought by a former customer seeking damages for alleged securities fraud. Following a four-day arbitration in West Virginia, in May 2008 a three person panel of FINRA arbitrators dismissed the customer's claims in their entirety.

April 2008

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie adds new shareholder.
Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is pleased to announce that Janel M. Dressen has rejoined the firm as a shareholder. Ms. Dressen has eight years of focused litigation experience representing individuals and companies in complex commercial, business and employment matters. Ms. Dressen received her law degree with honors from the University of South Dakota School of Law where she served as the Vice President of the Moot Court Board and as a trial and negotiation competition teams member.

In addition to her business litigation background as a trial lawyer, Ms. Dressen served as litigation counsel for a Fortune 1000 company in Minneapolis for over one year during which time she directed and supervised the strategy and defense of varied types of litigation, with a special emphasis on national product matters. As corporate litigation counsel, Ms. Dressen also counseled business groups, executives and other members of senior management with respect to litigation strategy, e-discovery, risk management, preventive measures and compliance matters.

March 2008

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie add new associate.
Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie is pleased to announce that Augustine (Gus) Chung has joined the firm as an associate. Gus is a 2006 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School. Prior to becoming an attorney, Gus was a financial analyst for Fidelity Investments and an entrepreneur.

February 2008

Rich Ostlund and Mary Knoblauch recover $4.8 million in employment litigation matter.
Rich Ostlund and Mary Knoblauch have resolved claims associated with the resignation of our client as a senior executive of a large California based business in exchange for our client's receipt of $4.8 million.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer attorneys Vince Louwagie and Shannon Awsumb win a $878,000 jury verdict in Cook County, Minnesota on behalf of client.
After an eight-day jury trial in Grand Marais, Minnesota, a unanimous seven-member jury awarded Anthony Ostlund & Baer client $878,000 in damages for a breach of contract. AOB attorneys Vince Louwagie and Shannon Awsumb represented the plaintiff. The case involved a claim by AOB's client that the defendants had breached a contract to work cooperatively to acquire and develop certain property on the North Shore of Lake Superior, and that the breach had cause damages. The defendants, who proceeded to develop the property without involving AOB's client, claimed, among other things, that there was no contract, that any contract had been voluntarily terminated, and that recent real estate market declines eliminate any damages. The jury agreed with AOB that there was a contract, it had not been voluntarily terminated, and that there were significant damages.

January 2008

Rich Ostlund and Courtland Merrill recover $23 million in medical device patent litigation.
Rich Ostlund and Courtland Merrill lead patent infringement litigation on behalf of Sutura Inc initiated in 2006 in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Abbott Laboratories. The matter was resolved with Abbott paying Sutura $23 million to solve the claims that Abbott's products violated Sutura's patents. Sutura is a California based manufacturer of devices used for wound closure and related procedures during cardiac care and surgery. This case is representative of the firm's expanding intellectual property litigation practice both locally and across the nation.

Joseph Anthony Named “Attorney of the Year”
Minnesota Lawyer recently announced that Joseph W. Anthony is a 2008 recipient of the publication's "Attorney of the Year" award. The award is reserved for attorneys who distinguished themselves in 2007 through exemplary work. Mr. Anthony was recognized for his work on a case in which he represented a large Twin Cities dental group, PDG, P.A. and Dental Specialists of Minnesota, P.A.. At the close of a month-long trial and three days of deliberations, a Hennepin County jury awarded the dental group over $130 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Mr. Anthony is one of only sixteen (16) attorneys recognized in Minnesota for this honor in 2008, the ninth year Minnesota Lawyer has given out this award.

For a copy of the Minnesota Lawyer articles on its “Attorney of the Year” recipients, and the trial, click on the links below.

Attorneys of The Year - Minnesota Lawyer
Trial Article - Minnesota Lawyer

Rich Ostlund appointed to Minnesota Medical Foundation Board to lead efforts to pursue charitable funding for pediatric research at new University of Minnesota Childrens Hospital.
For several years Rich Ostlund has been a director of the University of Minnesota Pediatrics Foundation, which seeks charitable funding for pediatric medical care and research at the University of Minnesota. In January 2008 Rich was appointed Development Chair of the Pediatrics Foundation and to membership upon the Minnesota Medical Foundation's committee to lead charitable funding work to support pediatric program research and support for the new University of Minnesota Childrens Hospital, which has its ground breaking in June 2008 and which will open in 2010.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. adds New Shareholder
Anthony Ostlund & Baer is pleased to announce that Cheryl A. Stanton has become a shareholder in the firm. Ms. Stanton received her law degree from Hamline University of Law in 1997 where she was an editor of Hamline Law Review. Ms. Stanton practices in all areas of commercial litigation, and has experience in complex business litigation, real estate litigation, shareholder disputes and franchise litigation, among other areas of law. Prior to joining Anthony Ostlund & Baer in 2006, Ms. Stanton practiced in the business litigation department at Messerli & Kramer, P.A. Ms. Stanton is a contributing author of the Franchise Desk Book and The Franchise and Dealership Termination Handbook. Ms. Stanton received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.

AOB Trial Is No. 3 Top Legal News Story of 2007
Minnesota Lawyer, a weekly publication covering legal news and issues in Minnesota, has identified a successful trial by Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. as No. 3 on its list of Top 10 legal news stories of 2007. Attorneys Joseph Anthony, Randy Gullickson, and Karlyn Vegoe Boraas represent a Twin Cities dental group (PDG, P.A. and Dental Specialists of Minnesota, P.A.) in a dispute with its administrative service provider. Following a month-long trial, a Hennepin County jury in December 2007 awarded AOB's client $88.3 million in compensatory damages and $42.25 million in punitive damages.

In the January 4, 2008 edition of Minnesota Lawyer, Editor-in-Chief Mark A. Cohen provided his list of "The Top 10 legal news stories of 2007." The successful trial by AOB on behalf of its client was idenfied as the No. 3 news story of 2007. For a link to Minnesota Lawyer's "Top 10" list and to its story on the trial, click

Minnesota Lawyer Blogspot Top 10 Legal News Stories

December 2007

AOB Client Obtains $130 Million Jury Verdict
In a landmark case, a Hennepin County jury recently awarded over $130 million to AOB client, PDG, P.A., after a month-long trial. The award, reached by the unanimous jury after three days of deliberations, included $88.3 million in actual damages and an additional $42.25 million in punitive damages. AOB attorneys Joseph Anthony, Randy Gullickson and Karlyn Vegoe Boraas successfully tried the case on behalf of PDG, P.A.

PDG, P.A. is the dental group comprised of 115 doctors that practice at 31 Park Dental and The Dental Specialists clinics in the Twin Cities. PDG asserted claims against its administrative service provider, American Dental Partners, Inc. and its local subsidiary, PDHC, Ltd. PDG alleged that the service provider wrongfully engaged in conduct constituting the practice of dentistry in violation of Minnesota law and the parties' contract. PDG also alleged that defendants interfered with its plans to transition to new clinics after PDG terminated its contract with the service provider. The jury ruled in PDG's favor and awarded damages on multiple claims. The case highlights the tensions that exist in the health care industry over who controls the practice of medicine and dentistry -- the doctors or the non-doctor service providers.

For articles on the case, visit:
Star Tribune Article "Jury awards $130 million to Twin Cities dentists"
Minnesota Lawyer Trial Article

October 2007

AOB's Clients Dismissed From Mechanics Lien Action
On October 23, 2007, AOB's clients, two land owners, were dismissed from a lawsuit seeking foreclosure on a mechanic's lien in excess of $125,000. The $125,000 was allegedly the fee for work ordered by a property developer who had contracted to buy the land from AOB's clients. AOB's clients moved for summary judgment, arguing that they were not liable for the fee after the property developer breached its contract to purchase the land. The Minnesota District Court for Washington County found that the mechanic's lien was invalid as matter of law and dismissed the land owners from the lawsuit. AOB attorney Cory D. Olson represented the two property owners.

August 2007

AOB Client Prevails on Summary Judgment
On August 14, 2007, AOB's client, a Minnesota-based bank, prevailed on a motion for summary judgment in an over $1,000,000 dispute regarding the adequacy of claimed security interests in two annuity contracts with a combined value of $1,000,000. The federal district court ruled in favor of AOB's client, granting its motion for summary judgment and finding that its security interest in the two annuity contracts was superior to a claimed prior security interest of the defendants. The federal district court also denied defendants' motion to dismiss on the same issues. AOB attorneys Richard Ostlund, Robert Moilanen and Shannon Awsumb represented the Minnesota bank.

July 2007

Nine Anthony Ostlund & Baer Attorneys Designated “Super Lawyers”
Nine attorneys from Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. have been named “Super Lawyers” by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. Only 5 percent of the lawyers licensed to practice in Minnesota are named Super Lawyers.

Law & Politics mailed over 18,500 ballots to Minnesota attorneys asking them to nominate their peers they have personally observed in action, not just purely on reputation or hearsay. A Blue Ribbon panel consisting of the top vote-getters from the previous surveys was assembled for each area of practice. These panels reviewed and voted on the list of nominees in their areas of practice.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. is proud to announce that Joseph W. Anthony, Norman J. Baer, Randy G. Gullickson, Mary L. Knoblauch, Vincent D. Louwagie, Robert C. Moilanen, Richard T. Ostlund, Steven M. Phillips, and Mark D. Wisser have all been recognized by their peers as Super Lawyers.

June 2007

AOB Client Dismissed From Case
On June 11, 2007, an AOB client, a registered representative in the securities industry, was dismissed as a respondent from an NASD arbitration proceeding. The arbitration claim was brought against the registered representative by his former customers. The claim sought $515,000 in compensatory damages, plus an unspecified amount of additional damages. The NASD panel hearing the case dismissed the claims following the registered representative's pre-hearing motion to dismiss. The arbitrators granted the motion on the grounds that the claim was not eligible for arbitration under the NASD's six year eligibility rule and/or the applicable statutes of limitations. AOB attorneys Vince Louwagie and Aaron Hartman represented the former registered representative.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer continues to rank among the top firms according to Chambers and Partners.
Since 2003, Chambers and Partners publishing have selected Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. as one of the top four business litigation firms in Minnesota. Chambers is the leading legal services publisher worldwide. Their researchers spend a year canvassing clients and lawyers across the US to obtain a consistent market view of those firms and attorneys that are considered leaders in their field.

Individually, Chambers USA has ranked Joseph Anthony as one of the top seven business trial lawyers in the state of Minnesota. They describe Joe Anthony as “appropriately aggressive” and “can lead any case.” Also ranked among the top trial lawyers are his partners Richard Ostlund (described as “talented”) and Randy Gullickson who was recognized for his representation of clients in shareholder litigation and other business disputes.

You can find the results of their survey at
www.chambersandpartners.com/usa/rankings36.aspx?fid=78440&solbar=1

Archived News