Congratulations to the Minnetonka law firm of Johnson & Johnson for their win against the county of Anoka in connection with their clients’ road-kill bill. The city of Anoka entered into a contract with Rick Johnson’s Deer & Beaver, Inc. (“D&B”). D&B agreed to collect “all” of the county’s deer and beaver road kill on […]

Update (November 29, 2017): One thing about trials: they seem so momentous, so dramatic, so climactic, but sometimes they’re just a blip, just one chapter of an excruciating saga. Linked here is an order from the U.S. District Court (D. Minn.) (Frank, J.) vacating the judgment that we linked to below (and again link to […]

Corey Smith slipped on ice, fell, and was injured in a Wal-mart parking lot in Freeborn County three winters ago. One year ago, Mr. Smith, through counsel, sued Wal-mart for his injuries. About six months ago, the case settled in a settlement conference but the parties could not agree on the language of the formal […]

Update (November 24, 2017): The Minnesota Supreme Court granted the linked petition for review by CorVascular. The issue in the case is when a Minnesota limited liability company (an “LLC”) has a duty (imposed by statute) to indemnify an LLC member, whom it sues. The question, roughly, is, “When a company sues a member for […]

TIME TO GOBBLE (for meat-eating Americans (not so much for turkeys)). More than 40 million turkeys are raised by Minnesota family farmers every year. From LEVENTHAL pllc, Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays to All!

Update (November 22, 2107): The case, described below, involved a worker, Nereus Montemayor, who climbed into an extruder, a giant meat grinder (more or less), which had been jammed. Another worker, not knowing Mr. Montemayor was inside the meat grinder, fired up the machine. Mr. Montemayor was badly injured. The case has been up to […]

There has to be a technical psychological expression for the phenomenon that (1) people envy the lives of other people, seeing the positive differentiators, and then (2) reassure themselves that their envy is unjustified, perhaps because of an inability to see the whole picture. Maybe this is captured in the simple concept of “rationalization.” This, […]

Today’s the day: the start of a patent infringement trial before Chief U.S. District Court Judge John R. Tunheim (D. Minn.) in Bombardier v. Arctic Cat. The case has been pending for about five years. On Friday, Judge Tunheim decided a passel of “motions in limine,” that is, evidentiary motions on the threshold of trial. […]

If you are a civil litigator and you do not know of this rule, you’re welcome: Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a motion for attorney fees “must . . . be filed no later than 14 days after the entry of judgment.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(d)(2)(B)(i). Noncompliance with this timing requirement is […]

                                                Update (November 8, 2017): Just posting a reminder. Original post (October 2, 2017):  Try to imagine that your passion in life, your dreams, your love, is art and artistic expression. You sacrifice […]