News

LGN Attorneys Successfully Argue Criminal Appeal in Pro Bono Matter

/in , /by

LGN attorneys Arielle Wagner, Kate Baxter-Kauf, and Kristen Marttila successfully worked on and argued a criminal appeal in a pro bono matter involving a client who was unlawfully detained by police. On August 8, 2022, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the sheriff’s deputy unconstitutionally expanded the scope of a traffic stop by opening the client’s car door without an individualized, reasonable, and articulable justification, and reversed the district court’s denial of the motion to suppress evidence obtained after the car door was opened. The team considers this a victory for individual rights and hopes this decision helps clarify the boundaries of these types of traffic stops in the future. Read the full opinion here.

LGN attorneys participate in criminal appeals through the MSBA Appellate Section’s Pro Bono Project with the Appellate Public Defender.

News

Class Act Completes 2022 Lawyer League Co-Ed Softball Season

/in , , , /by

Class Act, featuring many LGNers, recently completed the 2022 season of the Minneapolis Park Board’s Co-Ed Lawyer League softball. Class Act posted a 6-4 record, but recently lost in the playoffs. Congrats to Class Act on a great season!

News

LGN Proud to Announce Six Attorneys Recognized as North Star Lawyers

/in , /by

LGN prides itself on our commitment to pro-bono volunteer work. We are thrilled to announce that LGN attorneys (pictured from left to right) Arielle Wagner, Rachel Kitze Collins, Kailey Mrosak, Maureen Kane Berg, Kate Baxter-Kauf, and Stephen Owen have been recognized as 2021 North Star Lawyers. The Minnesota State Bar Association designates North Star Lawyers as those who provided 50 hours or more of legal service in 2021. More information about the North Star Lawyers program is available here; the full list of 2021 North Star Lawyers can be found here.  This listing was also published in the May/June 2022 Bench & Bar Magazine.

Community

LGN Proud to Sponsor WomenWinning’s 40th Annual Luncheon

/in , /by

LGN was proud to sponsor WomenWinning’s 40th Annual Luncheon, which featured U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, State Representative Kelly Morrison, former State Representative Erin Maye Quade, Dr. Sarah Traxler, and Dr. Julie Amaon. WomenWinning’s mission is to encourage, promote, support, and elect pro-choice women of all political parties to all levels of public office.

Pictured from left to right, seated: Cate Crowe, Maureen Kane Berg, Laura Matson, and Heidi Esparza.

Pictured from left to right, standing: Abby Ward, Amos Briggs, Karen Hanson Riebel, Dave Zoll, Kate Baxter-Kauf, and Rebecca Kanninen.

News

LGN Attorney Appointed to Merit Selection Panel to Aid in Selection of U.S. Magistrate Judge

/in , , /by
Rachel Kitze Collins

LGN congratulates Rachel Kitze Collins on her appointment to the Merit Selection Panel which will advise the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on the selection of a new U.S. Magistrate Judge.  The panel will evaluate and recommend the best candidates to the District Judges for consideration.

Rachel practices in LGN’s environmental litigation, election law, business litigation, and employment groups, representing clients in complex, high-profile litigation in state and federal court.  Rachel also serves as Co-President of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the American Constitution Society.  Prior to joining LGN, Rachel clerked for the Honorable James B. Loken of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

News

19 LGN Attorneys Named Super Lawyers & Rising Stars

/in /by

Lockridge Grindal Nauen is proud to announce that nineteen of the firm’s attorneys were selected as 2022 Minnesota Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

Kate Baxter-Kauf, Joe Bruckner, Brian Clark, Susan Ellingstad, Gregg Fishbein, Yvonne Flaherty, Ted Grindal, Dick Lockridge, Kristen Marttila, Charlie Nauen, Rebecca Peterson, Karen Hanson Riebel, Robert Selquist, Heidi Silton, and David Zoll have been named Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers recognizes the top 5% of outstanding lawyers in each state, who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, from more than 70 practice areas. 

Joe Bourne, Rebecca Kanninen, Rachel Kitze Collins, and Arielle Wagner have been named Rising Stars. The Rising Stars recognition is given to the top 2.5% of up-and-coming attorneys in the state who are either 40 years or younger, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less. 

The selection process is multi-phased including independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations.

News

LGN Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

/in , /by

Lockridge Grindal Nauen has always advocated for equal rights and justice. We were the first law firm to publicly oppose the Minnesota same-sex marriage constitutional amendment, defeated in November 2012. And we supported Minnesota’s same-sex marriage law which went into effect in 2013. Now, ten years later, we join other law firms and businesses in expressing our opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that not only overturns 50 years of precedent protecting a woman’s right to choose but also puts at risk other fundamental freedoms, including other privacy rights and marriage equality.

We recognize that individuals within our community have sincere beliefs and emotions on both sides of this issue, and we respect and encourage genuine civil conversations on this topic. We also encourage everyone to be involved in the political process, study the issues, and, most importantly, VOTE!!

News

Major changes coming to HIPAA privacy rules

/in , , , /by

In January 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposed revisions and additions to HIPAA and HITECH’s protected health information (PHI) and privacy regulations. The final rule is expected to be published soon, and most provisions likely will be effective six months thereafter. 

LGN Partners Greg Myers and David Asp and law clerk Develyn Mistriotti, recently published an article detailing the proposed rule’s alterations to the HIPAA landscape and the major implications for health care entities and patients.

Read the full article published in the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Bench + Bar of Minnesota by following this link.

News

LGN Senior Counsel Simeon Morbey receives recognition from Minnesota’s US District Court

/in , /by
Simeon Morbey

LGN is proud to share the well-earned recognition that Senior Counsel Simeon Morbey received from Minnesota’s US District Court for his two years on the Minnesota Federal Bar Association’s Legal Education Committee. The Committee organizes and presents the MN FBA’s excellent Federal Practice Seminars, as well as other programs throughout the year. 

Retired Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer said in her note to Simeon, “we put on two outstanding seminars in seven months’ time under remarkably challenging circumstances, and we couldn’t have done it without you.” Join us in congratulating Simeon on this fantastic recognition!

News

Lockridge Grindal Nauen Welcomes Dan Pollock, Heidi Esparza to Firm’s State Government Relations Team

/in , , /by

Lockridge Grindal Nauen (LGN) is pleased to announce that Daniel L. Pollock will be joining the firm’s state government relations team in early August.

Mr. Pollock, a highly-regarded health and human services policy professional with 15 years of experience in state government, has served in high-ranking positions in both the executive branch and legislative branch.

He has served as the Assistant Commissioner of Continuing Care for Older Adults at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deputy Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health, Executive Assistant to the Minnesota House Majority Leader, Policy Advisor to Governor Mark Dayton, Legislative Director for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and the Committee Administrator for the Minnesota House Health Finance Committee.

Read more

Lockridge Grindal Nauen (LGN) is pleased to announce that Daniel L. Pollock will be joining the firm’s state government relations team in early August.

Mr. Pollock, a highly-regarded health and human services policy professional with 15 years of experience in state government, has served in high-ranking positions in both the executive branch and legislative branch.

He has served as the Assistant Commissioner of Continuing Care for Older Adults at the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deputy Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health, Executive Assistant to the Minnesota House Majority Leader, Policy Advisor to Governor Mark Dayton, Legislative Director for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and the Committee Administrator for the Minnesota House Health Finance Committee.

Read more