EDITORIAL REVIEW

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Legendary for his work against Union Carbide over Bhopal, more recently he beat Big Tobacco and cosmetics giant Mary Kay.


In 1998, trial lawyer Michael Ciresi took on Big Tobacco, and the result was historic. He represented Minnesota, as well as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, in a suit to recover the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. During the trial, Ciresi told jurors that tobacco executives misled the public about the dangers of smoking, and his courtroom adversaries felt the pressure. The tobacco industry settled the case for $6.6 billion. He has also handled other prominent cases, including the gas leak disaster at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, that killed thousands of people in 1984. Ciresi represented the government of India in a civil suit against Union Carbide, a case that settled for $470 million. Ciresi made an even bigger name for himself by running for the U.S. Senate in 2000, though he lost his bid. But Ciresi has plenty to keep him busy in his role as chairman of Robins Kaplan. This attorney is a member of the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers.




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Practice Groups

• Business Litigation
• International Arbitration
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Corporate Governance and Special Situations
• Mass Tort
• Personal Injury

Experience

• Trial practice focuses in the areas of product liability, intellectual property, business and commercial litigation.
• Has acted as counsel for corporations, individuals, and governmental entities throughout his career.
• Has taught and lectured nationally and internationally to various professional and business groups.
• Has been instrumental in the growth and diversity of the firm's practice.
• Chairman of the firm's Executive Board (1995-2008)
• Member of the firm's Executive Board (1983-2008)

Outside Experience

• Former candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota

Selected Results*

• Minnesota Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association et al. v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. A Ramsey County jury awarded $30.1 million to four Minnesota non-profits that the firm represented in an action against Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. The four non-profits-Minnesota Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association, Minnesota Medical Foundation, The Minneapolis Foundation, and Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi Foundation for Children-participated in a securities lending program run by Wells Fargo. The bank represented that the collateral in the program would be invested in short-term money market instruments, where the prime considerations would be safety of principal and liquidity. Instead, the bank invested a substantial portion of the collateral in risky and/or illiquid securities, including complex structured investments. The jury found that Wells Fargo breached its fiduciary duty and violated the Minnesota Consumer Fraud Act. This was the first trial and recovery of this type in the country. On December 23, 2010, in post-trial findings, the presiding judge ordered Wells Fargo to pay attorneys fees and costs, pre and post-trial interest and to forfeit fees it earned in operating the program. The judge's order will add up to $20 million to the verdict.
  
  
• Lead Trial Counsel in Charbonneau v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Pfizer, Inc. Represented plaintiffs in first Mirapex products liability bellwether trial. On July 30, 2008, jury returned a verdict in favor of plaintiffs for $8,279,300, including $7.8 million in punitive damages for failing to warn of risk of compulsive behaviors, including pathological gambling, from the Parkinson's drug Mirapex.
  
  
• Lead Trial Counsel in Zwayer v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Pfizer, Inc. Represented plaintiffs in second Mirapex bellwether trial. Case was confidentially settled prior to closing argument. After the conclusion of the Zwayer trial, settlement negotiations resulted in settlement of all the firm's Mirapex cases.
  
  
• State of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota v. Phillip Morris Incorporated, et al. Co-lead counsel for the State of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in a groundbreaking lawsuit against the tobacco industry. After four years of litigation - including discovery of more than 30 million pages of internal documents, litigation of crime-fraud privilege issues, more than a dozen interlocutory appeals (including two to the United States Supreme Court) and four months of trial, the case settled on May 8, 1998, on the eve of jury deliberations for $7 billion and unprecedented injunctive relief against the tobacco industry. Received Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from Trial Lawyers for Public Justice for work on the litigation.
  
  
• TriStrata Technology, Inc. v. Mary Kay Inc. Mr. Ciresi was co-lead trial counsel on behalf of TriStrata Technology, Inc. in a patent infringement case relating to alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) anti-aging technology. TriStrata was awarded $26.4 million in damages plus interest by a Delaware jury in March, 2005. A final judgment including pre-judgment and post-judgment interest brought the total award to more than $43 million and the verdict was summarily affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit on January 10, 2007.
  
  
• Honeywell v. Minolta. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel on behalf of Honeywell in the Honeywell v. Minolta autofocus patent litigation, which resulted in a jury verdict of $96,350,000 on February 7, 1992. The case was settled shortly after the verdict for $127,500,000, which included pre-judgment interest. Mr. Ciresi went on to represent Honeywell against multiple other defendants with respect to the autofocus technology and Honeywell eventually recovered approximately $500 million for patent infringement.
  
  
• Atlantic Richfield Company, et al. v. Unocal Corporation, et al. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel for Unocal Corporation in patent infringement case involving a patent owned by Unocal covering automotive gasoline compositions designed to reduce tailpipe emissions. A jury in Los Angeles awarded Unocal $91 million on October 14, 1997. The United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of JMOL due to the substantial evidence supporting the jury verdict.
  
  
• Ecolab v. Ford, et al. Mr. Ciresi represented Ecolab in a commercial dispute involving the departure of six top salespeople who joined a key competitor. He tried the matter to conclusion in 1994, enforcing noncompetition agreements and other lawful protection of proprietary company information
  
  
• Dalkon Shield litigation. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel on behalf of hundreds of women who suffered infertility issues as a result of the use of the Dalkon Shield. Two bellweather cases went to trial and resulted in jury verdicts of compensatory and punitive damages: Stremke v. A.H. Robins $250,000 in compensatory damages and $1,500,000 in punitive damages (June 1983); Hahn v. A.H. Robins $250,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages (December 1983). In 1984, the A. H. Robins Co. entered into a settlement on behalf of all remaining clients represented by Mr. Ciresi.
  
  
• Copper-7 litigation. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel in the Copper-7 litigation, in which he represented over 100 women who were injured as a result of the use of the Copper-7 intrauterine device. Two of the clients' cases were tried. In September of 1989, a Minnesota jury awarded $8,750,000 in the case of Kociemba v. G. D. Searle. Of the verdict, $8 million was punitive damages and $750,000 were compensatory. In March of 1989, Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel in McCarthy v. G. D. Searle & Co., the second bellweather Copper-7 trial. The case was confidentially settled just prior to closing argument. In the summer of 1989, the G. D. Searle Co. settled the cases of all remaining clients represented by Mr. Ciresi.
  
  
• Government of India v. Union Carbide. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel for the Government of India for damages arising from the Bhopal disaster, which occurred when methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas was discharged from Union Carbide India Ltd.'s plant in Bhopal, India, resulting in over 3,000 deaths, thousands of injuries and property damage. The case was eventually settled in India in 1987 for $470 million.
  
  
• Ricoh v. Pitney Bowes. Mr. Ciresi was co-lead trial counsel for Pitney Bowes in defending against a claim by Ricoh in which Ricoh asserted that Pitney Bowes infringed 18 claims from 4 Ricoh patents. On November 30, 2006, a federal jury in New Jersey returned a verdict for Pitney Bowes, finding that the Ricoh patents were invalid for anticipation. The jury's verdict was affirmed on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit.
  
  
• Pitney Bowes v. Hewlett Packard. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel for Pitney Bowes in a patent dispute against Hewlett Packard over laser jet printers. In 2001, on the first day of trial, the case was settled with Hewlett Packard agreeing to pay Pitney Bowes $400 million and other intellectual property considerations.
  
  
• Hutto v. Estee Lauder Inc. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel for Estee Lauder in a putitive class action and obtained a dismissal with prejudice prior to class certification. (April 2006)
  
  
• Haagen-Dazs International Shoppe Company, Inc. v. Corporacion Todosabor C.A. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel for Haagen-Dazs International Shoppe Company, Inc. in defending a claim brought by Corporacion Todosabor C.A. regarding a dispute over a franchise agreement. The matter went to international arbitration and Corporacion Todosabor C.A.'s claim was dismissed and judgment was entered on behalf of Haagen-Dazs International.
  
  
• H & D Tire v. Pitney Bowes. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel in defending Pitney Bowes in a putitive nationwide class action. Class certification was defeated in Federal Court in the Eastern District of Texas in 1997. The case settled following remand to State Court by the 5th Circuit.
  
  
• Wilkinson v. Dow Chemical Co. Mr. Ciresi was lead counsel for Richard Wilkinson in a product liability action against Dow Chemical arising from Mr. Wilkinson being blinded in an industrial accident. A jury in State court in Duluth, MN returned a verdict of $1.6 million in 1979. The case was settled on appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
  
  
• Wellstone case. Co-lead counsel representing families of Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter and three staff members who died in a crash of a chartered plane near Eveleth, Minnesota. The case settled against the affiliated air charter companies for the insurance policy limits of $25 million in 2003.

* Past results are reported to provide the reader with an indication of the type of litigation in which we practice and does not and should not be construed to create an expectation of result in any other case as all cases are dependent upon their own unique fact situation and applicable law.

Recognition

• "Minneapolis Bet-the-Company Litigation Law Lawyer of the Year," Best Lawyers (2012)**
• Listed in IAM250 - World Leading IP Strategists (2011)**
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota for Litigation: Intellectual Property and #1 in Minnesota for Litigation: General Commercial in Chambers USA (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)**
• Listed in "500 Leading Lawyers in America" Lawdragon (2010, 2011)**
• Named "Minneapolis Product Liability Litigator of the Year," Best Lawyers (2010)**
• Ranked on the list of "Top 10 Super Lawyer," Minnesota Law & Politics (2003-2010)**
• Named a "Litigation Star," Legal Media Group Benchmark Litigation Survey (2010, 2011)**
• Ranked #1 on the list of "Top 10 Super Lawyers," Minnesota Law & Politics (2007)**
• Listed in "Minnesota's Legal Hall of Fame: The 100 Most Influential Attorneys in State History," Minnesota Law & Politics (2007)**
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota for Litigation: Intellectual Property and #1 in Minnesota for Litigation: General Commercial in Chambers USA 2007 Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2005 and 2007)**
• Named a "500 Leading Lawyers in America Finalist," Lawdragon (2007)**
• Awarded "Ellis Island Medal of Honor" by NECO (2002)**
• "Best Product Liability Lawyer" by Corporate Board Member magazine (August, 2001)**
• Awarded "Outstanding Achievement Award" by University of Minnesota (1999)**
• Awarded "Distinguished Alumnus Award" by University of St. Thomas (1999)**
• Named a runner-up for "Lawyer of the Year" by The National Law Journal (1998)**
• Awarded "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Minnesota Association for Justice (1998)**
• Awarded "1998 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award" by Public Justice Foundation**
• Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Minnesota Law & Politics (December, 1997)**
• Named as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in America" by National Law Journal (April 28, 1997, June 12, 2000 and June 19, 2006)**
• Listed in National Law Journal's "Ten of the Nation's Top Trial Lawyers" (February 13, 1989; February 8, 1993)**
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (1989-2012)**
• "Product Liability Lawyer of the Year 1989" by the Australian National Consumer Law Association (December, 1989)**
• Listed in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Litigation and Patent Chapters, 2002-present)**
• Listed in The International Who's Who of Commercial Litigation (2000-present)**
• Listed in Who's Who in the Midwest (2000-present)**
• Listed in The International Who's Who of Patent Lawyers (1998-present)**
• Listed in Who's Who in America (1994-present)**
• Listed in Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in America (1991-1994)**
• Listed in Marquis Who's Who in the World (1989-present)**
• Listed in Marquis Who's Who in American Law (1987-present)

**Being named to the list or receiving the award is not intended and should not be viewed as comparative to other lawyers or to create an expectation about results that might be achieved in a future matter.

Memberships

• Minnesota State Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Hennepin County Bar Association
• Inner Circle of Advocates
• International Academy of Trial Lawyers
• International Bar Association
• Ramsey County Bar Association
• American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• Minnesota Association for Justice
• American College of Trial Lawyers

*term of service completed

Civic Associations

• Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi Foundation for Children, Chairman of the Board
• MinnCAN, Board of Directors
• Public Radio International, Board of Directors
• Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation, Board of Directors
• Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Board of Directors
• Minnesota Early Learning Foundation, Board of Directors
• Regions Hospital Foundation, Board of Directors*
• Hennepin County Commission to End Homelessness, Co-chair
• University of St. Thomas, Board of Trustees
• University of St. Thomas School of Law, Board of Governors
• Saint Thomas Academy, Board of Trustees
• Centre of Advanced Litigation at Nottingham Law School, Nottingham, England, Advisory Board*
• Equal Justice Works, Board of Directors*
• Institute of Judicial Administration at New York University School of Law, Board of Directors
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Board of Trustees
• The Guthrie Theater, Board of Directors*
• Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Board of Directors*
• Public Justice Foundation, Board of Directors (1997-2005)*

*term of service completed

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota
• New York
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Minnesota
• U.S. Supreme Court

Education

• Southwestern University School of Law, Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws (2001)
• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. (1971)
• University of St. Thomas, B.A. (1968)

See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations
by Michael Ciresi

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Michael Ciresi News

• Nov 2011
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Ranks Prominently in Annual Benchmark Litigation Survey
  
  
• Oct 2011
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Partners Named Minneapolis Best Lawyers "Lawyers of the Year"
  
  
• Sep 6, 2011
  Best Lawyers 2012 Names Firm Partners
  
  
• Jun 17, 2011
  Robins Kaplan Miller Ciresi L.L.P. Ranks First for Litigation in Minnesota in Chambers USA 2011
  
  
• July 2010
  Attorneys Named as "Minnesota Super Lawyers 2010"
  
  
• Jun 11, 2010
  Chambers USA 2010 Ranks Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. First for Litigation in Minnesota; Entertainment Practice in California Also Highly Recognized
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Chambers USA 2010 has again ranked the firm first as a leading law firm for the category 'Litigation: General Commercial' in Minnesota.
  
  
• May 19, 2010
  Firm's Partners Selected for Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Michael Ciresi, Martin Lueck, Kathleen Flynn Peterson, Ronald Schutz, and Roman Silberfeld were named to the fifth annual Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America.
  
  
• Nov 19, 2009
  Michael Ciresi and Kathleen Flynn Peterson Recognized as Lawyers of the Year by Best Lawyers
  Michael Ciresi and Kathleen Flynn Peterson, partners in the Minneapolis office of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. were recently recognized by Best Lawyers as "Lawyers of the Year."
  
  
• Aug 12, 2009
  Best Lawyers 2010 Names 18 Firm Partners
  Attorneys in the Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Naples offices selected.
  
  
• Sep 2008
  CAFC Affirms Invalidity Finding of Ricoh's Patents
  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey's finding that five Ricoh patents are invalid. The Sept. 8 judgment came less than a week after the appeals argument.
  
  
• Jul, Aug, Sep 2008
  High-Stakes Litigation
  An Interview with Michael V. Ciresi.
  
  
• Aug 2008
  Attorneys Named as "Minnesota Super Lawyers 2008" Attorneys in the Minneapolis office named "Minnesota Super Lawyers 2008."
  
  
• Jun 16, 2008
  Firm Ranked First for Litigation by Chambers USA
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. is pleased to announce that the firm has again been ranked first as a leading firm in Minnesota for the category 'Litigation: General Commercial' in Chambers USA 2008.
  
  
• May 7, 2008
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi's Awareness Campaign Checks in at the Airport
  The Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi Foundation for Children and the law firm have created a new, large, three-dimensional overhead display at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.
  
  
• Sep 2007
  Kathleen Flynn Peterson Selected for Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America
  Finalists include Michael Ciresi, Jan Conlin and Roman Silberfeld.
  
  
• Aug 2007
  Attorneys Named as "Minnesota Super Lawyers 2007"
  Attorneys in the Minneapolis office recently named a "Minnesota Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics.
  
  
• Jun 2007
  Firm Ranked First for Litigation by Chambers USA
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. has again been ranked first as a leading firm in Minnesota for the category 'Litigation: General Commercial' in the Chambers USA 2007.
  
  
• Jan 2007
  Federal Circuit Upholds Judgment in TriStrata's Patent Infringement Case Against Mary Kay
  
  
• Jan 2007
  Firm's Attorneys Named Among Top Plaintiffs' Attorneys by Lawdragon
  
  
• Nov 10, 2006
  Law Firm Profile: Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P.
  Having racked up dozens of multimillion-dollar jury verdicts, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP's intellectual property group has so many cases coming its way, it has the luxury of taking the top picks.
  
  
• Jun 2006
  Chairman Michael V. Ciresi Named to List of '100 Most Influential Lawyers in America'
  
  
• Jun 2006
  Chambers USA Ranks Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. First for Litigation in Minnesota
  Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. is pleased to announce the firm has again been ranked first as a leading firm in Minnesota for the category 'Litigation: General Commercial' in the Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers 2006.
  
  
• Apr 2006
  Court Awards Interest and Grants Permanent Injunction in TriStrata Patent Infringement Case Against Mary Kay
  The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington, Del. issued a final judgment March 31 granting prejudgment and post-judgment interest to TriStrata Technology, Inc., concluding its patent infringement lawsuit against Mary Kay Inc.
  
  
• Jun 27, 2005
  Michael Ciresi Named to International Who's Who of Patent Lawyers 2005
  
  
• Mar 11, 2005
  Jury Awards TriStrata $26.4 Million in Patent Infringement Case Against Mary Kay
  A jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington, Del., has found that Mary Kay Inc. infringed several patents owned by TriStrata Technology, Inc.
  
  
• May 8, 2002
  Firm Chairman Michael Ciresi Receives National Ellis Island Medal of Honor
  The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is given each year to distinguished Americans who have made significant contributions to America's heritage.
  
  
• Sep 12, 2001
  Firm Cited in "The Best of Business 2001"
  Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. was noted in Twin Cities Business Monthly's ("TCBM") annual fall article, "Best of Business." The firm's nod was for the "Biggest Locally Generated Legal Settlement: Robins Kaplan's Pitney Bowes award:"
  
  
• Aug 28, 2001
  Directors of U.S. Companies Name Michael Ciresi Top Product Liability Lawyer in America
  Twin Cities attorney Michael V. Ciresi has been named the best product liability attorney in the United States by members of corporate boards across America.

Articles

• Trial
  Patent Litigation, Practicing Law Institute (with David Beehler) (2001)
  
  
• Trying the Complex Case in the United States--Courtroom Technology for Today
  The Litigator, Oxford, England (with Jan M. Conlin and Tara D. Sutton) (July 1995)
  
  
• A Misstatement of Minnesota Product Liability Law: Why Minnesota Should Reject the Requirement That a Plaintiff Prove a Reasonable Alternative Design
  William Mitchell Law Review, St. Paul, Minnesota, Volume 21, Issue 2 (with Gary L. Wilson) (1995)
  
  
• Trying the High-Tech Case: Lessons Learned from Honeywell vs. Minolta
  Trial Magazine (Jan Conlin) (September 1992)
  
  
• Protecting Your Evidence against 'Junk Science' Attacks
  Trial Magazine (with Martha K. Wivell) (November 1991)
  
  
• The Courts and Pleadings of the United States
  Appendix C in Pleadings: Principles and Practice, London, Sweet & Maxwell (1990)
  
  
• Products Liability Cases - United States
  (with Roberta B. Walburn, assisted by Jan Conlin), Chapter in Pre-Trial and Pre-Hearing Procedures Worldwide, Graham & Trotman and International Bar Association (1990)
  
  
• In Support of the Contingency Fee System
  Legal Action Magazine, London, England (with Jan Conlin ) (November 1989)
  
  
• Products Liability; Post-Injury Evidence
  Trial Magazine (with Roberta B. Walburn) (November 1989)
  
  
• Preemption in Pharmaceutical Cases; Dismantling the New Defenses
  Trial Magazine (with Roberta B. Walburn) (March 1988)

Selected Speeches

• Discovering and Proving Punitive Damages - the Dalkon Shield Story
  Minnesota Association for Justice, Minneapolis, MN (December 2011)
  
  
• A Survival Guide for Today's Class Action Settlements
  Panel Member, The American Bar Association Section of Litigation, 13th Annual National Institute on Class Actions, San Francisco, CA (October 30, 2009)
  
  
• Plaintiff's Argument for Wilkinson v. Dow Chemical Company and Continental Oil, Inc.
  Minnesota State Bar Association Civil Litigation Section, Minneapolis, MN (April 16, 2009)
  
  
• Trial Preparation and the Importance of Opening and Closing Statements
  Faculty Member, The American College of Trial Lawyers and the Fund for the Legal Aid Society, Minneapolis, MN (May 1, 2008)
  
  
• Damages in Mass Litigation
  Faculty Member, Class Actions, Damages and Mass Claims Mediation, Rimini, Italy (May 27-28, 2005)
  
  
• The Law and the Trial Lawyer - What Role in Society?
  Keynote Speaker, Mason City, IA (April 27, 2005)
  
  
• Set the Table: Documents Use in Depositions
  Minnesota State Bar Association, Tactics, Problems and Solutions, Minneapolis, MN (February 22, 2002)
  
  
• Commercial Law: Turning a Sow's Ear into a Silk Purse
  Panelist, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Annual Convention, Copper Mountain, CO (August 9, 2001)
  
  
• Cross Examination: Unmasking the Opposing Expert
  Faculty Member, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Expert Witness Seminar, Minneapolis, MN (March 23, 2000)
  
  
• Tactical Considerations in Deciding to Undertake Patent Litigation: Developing a Litigation Strategy Consistent with Business Goals
  Faculty Member, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., The Trial Lawyer's Approach to Winning Patent Cases Seminar, Wilmington, DE (May 21, 1999)
  
  
• Minnesota Tobacco Litigation
  Faculty Member, North Dakota Trial Lawyers Association, Fargo, ND (May 13-14, 1999)
  
  
• Management of Complex and Multi-District Litigation: The Tobacco Wars
  Panelist - Complex Business Litigation, The Sedona Conference, The Really Big Civil Action, Sedona, AZ (April 29, 1999)
  
  
• The Power of Principle: A Case Study in Politics, Public Policy and Public Health
  Guest lecturer, John F. Kennedy School of Government/Institute of Politics Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
  
  
• Litigation in a Capitalist Economy: A Case Profile of the Tobacco Lawsuit
  Keynote Speaker, University of St. Thomas Alumni Association, Minneapolis, MN (December 4, 1998)
  
  
• Anticipating and Efforts to Resolve The Mass Tort Plaintiff Perspective
  Panelist, 3rd Annual Mass Tort - The Litigation Institute, Washington, DC (November 5-6, 1998)
  
  
• Lawyers, Courts, and the Press: Who's Using Whom?
  Panelist, The 1998 Council For Court Excellence Public Forum, Washington, D.C. (November 4, 1998)
  
  
• Tobacco Free Initiative Media and Advocacy Workshop
  Keynote Speaker, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland (October 19 - 23, 1998)
  
  
• Tobacco Litigation: The Minnesota Experience
  Panelist - Tobacco Regulation, William Mitchell College of Law, The Convergence of Law, Medicine & Public Health, Minneapolis, MN (September 25, 1998)
  
  
• Tobacco Trial: View from the Plaintiff's Chair
  Keynote Speaker, Minnesota's 3rd Annual August Law & Technology Show '98, Minneapolis, MN (September 1-2, 1998)
  
  
• Tobacco Litigation
  Keynote Speaker, 1998 Annual Convention - Minnesota Trial Lawyers, Alexandria, MN (August 14 - 16, 1998)
  
  
• Tactical Considerations in Deciding to Undertake Patent Litigation: Developing a Litigation Strategy Consistent with Business Goals
  Faculty Member, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., The Trial Lawyer's Approach to Winning Patent Cases Seminar, Los Angeles, CA (November 5, 1997)
  
  
• Lawyers, Judges and Integrity: What Good are Professional Ethics?
  Panelist, William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN (April 25, 1997)
  
  
• Presenting Damages to the Jury in a Complex Business Case
  Keynote Speaker, Orange County Bar Association - Business Litigation Section, Orange, CA (December 6, 1996)
  
  
• Trial Lawyer's Role in Society: Cigarette Litigation - A Case Study
  Keynote Speaker, Gustavus Lawyers Guild, Minneapolis, MN (November 12, 1996)
  
  
• Tactical Considerations in Deciding to Undertake Patent Litigation: Developing a Litigation Strategy Consistent with Business Goals
  Faculty Member, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P., The Trial Lawyer's Approach to Winning Patent Cases Seminar, Minneapolis, MN (November 7, 1996)
  
  
• Suing and Defending Large Companies
  Faculty Member, The Association of General Counsel, Minneapolis, MN (October 9 - 11, 1996)
  
  
• Perfecting Trial Skills & Effective Inside/Academy Outside Counsel Relationships
  Faculty Member, Orange County Bar Association, Newport Beach, CA (September 27-29, 1996)
  
  
• Learn How Experts Can Help You Tell Your Client's Story in a Complex Business Case
  Faculty Member, Complex Business Litigation Seminar, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Minneapolis, MN (September 26, 1996)
  
  
• Trial Lawyer's Role in Society: Cigarette Litigation - A Case Study
  Faculty Member, 1996 Annual Convention - Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, Alexandria, MN (August 22-25, 1996)
  
  
• 21st Century Courtroom Technology: A Demonstration and Discussion of the Multimedia Trial
  Faculty Member, The Association of The Federal Bar of The State of New Jersey, West Orange, NJ (April 11, 1996)
  
  
• The Law and the Trial Lawyer - What Role in Society?
  Faculty Member, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN (March 13, 1996)
  
  
• Presentation at Trial of Technical Issues
  Faculty Member, Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association, Minneapolis, MN (February 1, 1996)
  
  
• Litigating High Profile Cases
  Faculty Member, Dealing With the Media Seminar, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Minneapolis, MN (January 18, 1996)
  
  
• New & Innovative Trial Techniques & Devices
  Panel Member, The Inner Circle of Advocates, Aspen, CO (August 13-17, 1995)
  
  
• What Went Right: Case Studies of Success
  Faculty Member, Minnesota's Journal of Law & Politics, Minneapolis, MN (June 26, 1995)
  
  
• Technology in the Courtroom
  Panel Member, Price Waterhouse LLP, Intellectual Property Leadership Forum, Tucson, AZ (February 22 - 26, 1995)
  
  
• The Art of Litigation Advocacy
  Faculty Member, 18th Annual Institute American Intellectual Property Law Association, Mock Patent Jury Trial, Boca Raton, FL (February 1 - 4, 1995)
  
  
• Tips From the Tops: Bold New Litigation Strategies and Advanced "Nuts and Bolts" Discussion
  Speaker, Faculty Member - Labor & Employment Law Institute, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN (November 17, 1994)
  
  
• The Role of the Jury Consultant
  Panel Member, The Inner Circle of Advocates, Palm Beach, FL (November 8, 1994)
  
  
• Liability and Damages Issues in the Trial of a Business Case
  Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Commercial Litigation, Chicago, IL (July 26, 1994)
  
  
• Jury Trials in Patent and High Tech Intellectual Property Litigation
  American Conference Institute, New York, NY (June 9-10, 1994)
  
  
• The Case is Won During Discovery
  Speaker, Faculty Member - Civil Litigation Institute, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN (December 9, 1993)
  
  
• Demonstrative Evidence
  Speaker, Faculty Member- Intellectual Legal Property July Trial Seminar, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Minneapolis, MN (October 29, 1993)
  
  
• International Corporate Liability After Bhopal and Honeywell's Camera Litigations
  Speaker, Faculty Member- Global Markets and the Law Seminar, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Minneapolis, MN (July 23, 1993)
  
  
• Don't Blame Me
  Panel Member - Stakeholder Dialogue, University of St. Thomas Minneapolis Campus, Minneapolis, MN (May 5, 1993)
  
  
• Big Verdicts: How Insurers Help Create Them
  Faculty Member - Insurance Claims & Management, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Minneapolis, MN (April 23, 1993)
  
  
• The Institute for Civil Justice - Rand Corporation On the Issues Forum produced by Alvin H. Perlmutter, Inc. and Price Waterhouse
  Panel Member - Roundtable on the Impact of Mass Torts, New York, NY (December 1, 1992)
  Panel Member - Products on Trial (Product Liability), Chantilly, VA (January 23-24, 1993)
  
  
• 8th Annual Master Advocates Advocacy Program
  National Institute of Trial Faculty Member, Washington, D.C. (October 4-9, 1992)
  
  
• Million Dollar Verdicts
  Faculty Member, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Seminar, Minneapolis, MN (October 1, 1992)
  
  
• 24th Biennial Conference
  International Bar Association, Cannes, France (September 20-25, 1992)
  
  
• Should We Litigate Here or in Foreign Courts: The Implications of Bhopal for the 90's and of America, Circle of Poison Issues
  1992 Annual Convention - Association of Trial Lawyers "International Practice Section" Program, Washington, D.C. (July 28, 1992)
  
  
• Awards in U.S. Jurisdictions
  Lloyd's of London Press - International Personal Injury Compensation Awards Conference, London, England (March 17, 1992)
  
  
• Global Markets and "Obtaining Discovery Abroad in U.S. Cases"
  Faculty Member, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Minneapolis, MN (July 1991)
  
  
• Participant in Discussion to Formulate Policy Recommendations American Assembly Report
  Seventy-Seventh American for Assembly on the Impact of Civil Liability Law on Innovation in Medicine, Science and Industry, Arden House, New York, NY (May/June 1990)
  
  
• Springtime in Paris: Product Liability in Bloom
  National Institute of the Mock ABA, International Bar Association and Union: Internationale des Avocats, Trial and Presentation, Paris, France (May 1990)
  
  
• Management of Complex Litigation
  Federal Bar Association Sixteenth Annual Federal Court Practice Seminar, Minneapolis, MN (March 1990)
  
  
• Mass Tort Litigation
  National Federation of Paralegal Associations Region I Conference, Newport Beach, CA (November 1989)
  
  
• Pre-Trial Procedures in United States Products Liability Actions and Disaster Litigation Worldwide
  International Bar Association, Strasbourg, France (October 1989)
  
  
• ...Do the Courts Have the Capacity to Face the Future? (Mass Tort & Disaster)
  Panel Discussion, Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference, Minneapolis, MN (July 1989)
  
  
• Panel Discussion on Toxic Torts
  Federal Judges Conference, Washington, D.C. (May 1989)
  
  
• Winning at Trial and in the Appellate Courts
  Seminar Panelist, Minnesota State Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Bloomington, MN (March 1989)
  
  
• Preparing and Trying the Punitive Damages Case
  Seminar Lecturer, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (MILE), Bloomington, MN (February 1989)
  
  
• Speech on Product Liability
  New York Bar Association Product Liability Committee, New York, NY (November 1988)
  
  
• Cu-7 Intrauterine Device Litigation
  The Washington Forum, New York, NY (October 1988)
  
  
• The Contingent Fee and Discovery under the Rules
  1988 Bar Conference American Bar of England and Wales, London, England (October 1988)
  
  
• Isolating the Parent Corporation from the Liability of the Subsidiary
  12th Annual International Business Law Institute, St. Paul, MN (November 1987)
  
  
• Preemption: Dismantling the New Defense
  Nevada Trial Lawyers Association, Monterey, CA (September 1987)
  
  
• The Bhopal Litigation - Its Current Status and Its Long-Term Implications for Transnational Corporations
  International Bar Association, New York, NY (September 1986)
  
  
• Professionalism in the Law
  Virginia Bar Association., Virginia Beach, VA (June 1986)
  
  
• Plaintiff's Perspectives of Recovery Approaches to Tort Litigation
  Minnesota Institute of Mass Legal Education, Minneapolis, MN (March 1986)
  
  
• Tort Liability of Corporations and Approaches to Defending
  Minnesota Corporation Council, Minneapolis, MN (October 1985)
  
  
• Multi-national Enterprise Liability and Other Theories of Recovery in the International Tort Field
  International Bar Association, Singapore (September 1985)
  
  
• Punitive Damages in Products Liability Cases
  Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, Atlanta, GA (September 1985)