Governor Mark Dayton Reappoints Jerry W. Blackwell to the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has announced his reappointment of At-Large Attorney Member Jerry W. Blackwell to the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection. The Commission was created for the purpose of soliciting judicial candidates, evaluating applicants and recommending nominees to the Governor for appointment. The Commission is committed to providing equal access to the judicial selection […]
Partner S. Jamal Faleel Named a 2015 LCLD Fellow
Blackwell Burke P.A. Partner S. Jamal Faleel has been selected as a Fellow of the 2015 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). Mr. Faleel joins this prestigious group of more than 220 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a truly diverse legal profession. The purpose of […]
Brendan M. Kenny Discusses Product Liability Trials to Watch in 2015
Law360 interviewed Blackwell Burke P.A. attorney Brendan M. Kenny for a recent article discussing product liability trials that court watchers will be following in 2015. Mr. Kenny identified bellwether trials in pelvic mesh litigation and in tobacco suits spawned by the decertified Engle class. Mr. Kenny explained that pelvic mesh cases involve sympathetic plaintiffs alleging […]
Brendan M. Kenny Discusses Product Liability Cases To Watch In 2015
Law360 interviewed Blackwell Burke P.A. attorney Brendan M. Kenny for a recent article discussing product liability cases that court watchers will be following in 2015. Mr. Kenny identified the most recent developments in the Engle personal-injury litigation in Florida, where the Florida Supreme Court is being asked to resolve a split among Florida appellate courts […]
Peter J. Goss Applies the ‘Checklist Approach’ to Experts at Minnesota CLE
On December 16, 2014 Peter Goss served on the faculty of A Checklist Approach to Civil Litigation at the Minnesota CLE Conference Center in Minneapolis. The program follows the observation of Atul Gawande, surgeon and author of the best-selling book The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, that “checklists seem able to defend anyone, […]
Brendan M. Kenny Featured in E-Discovery Blog
Blackwell Burke P.A. attorney Brendan M. Kenny and the Twin Cities E-Discovery Forum that he founded were recently profiled in the Shepherd Data Services Blog. The article described Mr. Kenny’s forum as “invaluable to the Minnesota legal community,” a “way to stay educated on the latest trends and information,” and a “great way to network […]
Blackwell Burke P.A. Wins Dismissal of Hebrew National Putative Nationwide Class Action – This Time in State Court
In October 2014, a Minnesota state court dismissed with prejudice a putative nationwide class action brought against firm client, ConAgra Foods, Inc. This is the third victory for the Blackwell Burke defense team (following published decisions in federal court and the Eighth Circuit) in litigation in which the plaintiffs alleged that ConAgra’s Hebrew National brand […]
Blackwell Burke Secures Win for General Mills in False Ad Suit Over Nature Valley Bars
Blackwell Burke P.A. secured a complete victory for General Mills, Inc. in a putative nationwide class action over the alleged false advertising of the company’s Nature Valley snack bars. The named plaintiffs Tracie Chin and Salvatore Montalbano claimed that the company misled consumers by labeling its Nature Valley snack bars as “100% Natural” when the […]
Blackwell Burke P.A. Included and Ranked on U.S News & World Report and Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” List
Blackwell Burke P.A. has been included on the 2015 U.S News and World Report and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms list with a ranking of “Metropolitan Tier 2 for Products Liability Litigation-Defendant.” Firms included on the Best Law Firms list are those that are “recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and […]
Peter J. Goss Discusses MDL Court’s Reduction of Punitive Award in Actos Bellwether Trial
Peter Goss commented for Law360 on the MDL court’s post-trial reduction of a $9 billion punitive jury verdict awarded in the first bellwether case to be tried in the Actos litigation. Goss noted that the reduced award of $37 million still represented a 25:1 ratio of punitive to compensatory damages, which could be found on […]