Mike is grateful to be a part of the growing national Arthur Chapman Subrogation Practice spearheaded by Joe Nemo.

Established Litigator:

Mike became a lawyer because his father was a lawyer and “Dad had more integrity then anyone I will ever hope to know. ”  Over his 25 year career, Mike has learned that law can be a healing profession where a lasting difference can be made and he does his best through the continued successful resolution of hundreds of cases and the litigation of numerous summary judgment motions, trials, and appeals with enduring impact on workers’ compensation subrogation and employer liability law, including Tyroll, Aune, Jackson, Zurich v. Bjelland, Alsaker, Tourville (over half million jury victory featured in May, 2011 “Minnesota Lawyer”), and now Scherber (presently on appeal).

Results Oriented Mediator:

Mike’s friendly non-judgmental style and his big-picture, innovative, get-it-done approach to resolution allows him to enjoy genuine success as a neutral mediator and arbitrator.

Respected Author and Teacher:

Mike feels fortunate to share his expertise with the attorneys, employers, and insurance professionals who call regularly for assistance and as a regional and national author and presenter on legal issues including such topics as professionalism, litigation, contracts, insurance, employment, and workers' compensation subrogation.

(Mike has accepted invitations to speak from various professional, insurer, and self-insured organizations including: Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, National Association of Subrogation Professionals, Minnesota State Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota CLE, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, Minnesota Claim Managers’ Association, Twin-Cities Claims Association, Minnesota Association for Justice f/k/a Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, Minnesota Law & Politics, and Minnesota Self-Insurer’s Association). Subrogation Leadership:

Mike learned a ton about running a non-profit during an interim stint as the Executive Director of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP), an international leader in education, policy making, information sharing, and the professional certification and networking of individuals specializing in insurance recovery from responsible parties that cause injury and damage.

Legislative Innovation:

Frustrated with the complicated law in his primary area of practice, Mike accepted a challenge from the Minnesota Self-Insurers’ to draft and collaboratively lobby through sweeping subrogation and employer liability legislation that clarified over 30 years of case law into a simple paragraph that over the past decade has enhanced early settlement and dramatically decreased litigation expenses. Mike jokes his “claim to fame is that the amendment was signed into law by then Governor Jesse ‘the Body’ Ventura.”

Peer Recognition and Professional Enrichment:

Mike has received various “popularity honors” such as Martindale-Hubbell's top AV rating for professional excellence, Super Lawyer, Who's Who, Claims & Litigation Management Alliance membership, and the featuring of a victory by “Minnesota Lawyer”. However, Mike values most his varied opportunities to give back to the legal profession that include his present service as a member of the State Bar Professionalism Committee and his prior service as a legal ethics investigator; a fee-dispute arbitrator, University of St. Thomas moot court judge, an amicus committee member of the Minnesota Self-Insures’ Association, an editorial committee member of the “Minnesota Defense” regional magazine, and his brief overseeing of all aspects of the publication of “Subrogator” the international magazine published by NASP that now has over 15,000 in circulation.

Child Advocacy and Community Service:

Now as a board member and previously as a policy specialist, youth leader, and parent advocate at PACER Center, Mike feels fortunate to work on behalf of families of children with disabilities and PACER’S initiative to stop bullying now for all children. In addition, Mike believes this is just a continuation of his growth through opportunities to be an elementary school teacher (Immaculate Conception Catholic, Tulsa, OK / Dominican Volunteers), camp director (Camp House, Lutheran Church in America), scout leader (Tulsa), hockey coach (Hopkins/Edina), registrar and board member (Hopkins Youth Hockey Association), canoe guide (Boundary Waters Canoe Area), monitoring of micro-loan programs (Guatemala / World Vision), painting of an elementary school (Manzanillo), re-building a fire-damaged home (Appalachia / Glenmary), teaching junior high students the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Minnetonka / Human Rights Center), escorting blind adults (Minneapolis Society for the Blind), and serving as a Big Brother (St. Paul / Apostolic Volunteers).

Family:

Mike met his wife Ann (Executive Vice President at Mars and former Vice President at General Mills) in his senior year at Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School and they are blessed with three wonderful children, Tom (Augsburg), Lucia (SMU in Dallas) and Tim (Edina High School).

Areas of Practice:

Subrogation and Employer Liability Workers' Compensation Mediation / Arbitration Insurance Coverage Construction Law Bad Faith Disputes Professional Liability Products Liability Motor Vehicle Liability

Bar Admissions:

Minnesota, 1985 Wisconsin, 1992 U.S. District Court, 1986

Education:

William Mitchell College of Law, St Paul, Minnesota, 1985, J.D., Law Review Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel, 1984, Visiting Student University of Saint Thomas, St. Paul, MN, 1982, B.A. University of London's College of St. Mary's, London, England, 1979, Visiting Student

Representative Published Works:

Workers' Compensation and Employer Liability at a Glance (two to four-page articles summarizing the law of over 20 different states), National Association of Subrogation Professionals, National Conferences, Colorado Springs, 2009, Dallas, Texas 2010, and Orlando, Florida 2011. A Short Answer to "What is Subrogation?" Subrogator Magazine, National Association of Subrogation Professionals, Fall, 2008 Maximizing Subrogation Recovery through Winning Case Management, National Association of Subrogation Professionals, National Conference, New Orleans, 2007 Understanding the Contractual Indemnity Quagmire: Analyzing Contractual Indemnity at a Glance, Minnesota Defense, Fall, 2006 Statutes of Limitations, Statutes of Repose and Notice Requirements at a Glance, Minnesota Defense, Winter, 2006, (Republished by Volunteer Lawyers Network - Legal Advice Clinic Resource Handbook) MN Workers' Compensation Subrogation and Employer Liability at a Glance, Minnesota Defense, Winter, 2005

 

Primary practice areas

Civil Litigation; Construction Law – defects: Insurance law; Personal Injury and Products Liability; Toxic Torts; Litigation and Trial practice; Arbitration

Education:

Concordia College (B.A. magna cum laude 1972); University of Minnesota Law School (J.D. 1975)

Admitted:

Minnesota state and federal courts, Colorado state courts

Member:

American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance, Construction, and Alternative Resolution Dispute practice sections); MN State Bar Association - Residential Construction Defects Committee; Hennepin County Bar Association; Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association (Section on Construction Law); Defense Research Institute – Construction Law Committee; AAA Arbitration Panel; Amdahl Inn of Court; Claims and Litigation Management Alliance; Professional Liability Defense Federation, Member and co-chair Construction Professionals

Recognition:

Designated "Super Lawyer" in 2006 - 2010 by Minnesota Law & Politics. A/V Individual Rating from Martindale-Hubbell

Lecture and publication subjects:

Instructor: Course for Licensing Minnesota Real Estate Agents; Lecturer: State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education seminars on: No-Fault Auto Claims, Defense Perspectives; Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace; Introduction to FMLA; Select ADA issues; and Residential Construction Defect Claims, Defense Perspectives (presenter and Co-Chair); National Association Home Remodelers, Responding to Construction Defect Claims. Author: Minnesota’s Notice & Opportunity to Repair Law, Hennepin Lawyer, Nov. 2006