Appeals

Appellate Practice

Bringing an appeal or defending on appeal a successful decision in the trial court is a necessary and important part of litigation. Lind, Jensen, Sullivan & Peterson, P.A. is very experienced and well-prepared to represent our clients in several state and federal appellate courts. Our lawyers have brought or defended hundreds of appeals in Minnesota, and several in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Whether an appeal from summary judgment, a jury verdict, or an interlocutory appeal, Lind Jensen’s experienced advocates can help guide our clients through the appeal process. In addition, we are also called upon by others to file “friend of the court” or amicus curiae briefs with appellate courts to offer a broader perspective about the issues on appeal that may transcend the specific facts and law involved with the case.

A sampling of our Minnesota appellate expertise is reflected in these cases:

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation

Pfeil v. v. St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession of Worthington, 877 N.W.2d 528 (Minn.2016) (First Amendmant and Defamation)
Vargo-Schaper v. Weyerhaeuser Co., 619 F.3d 845 (8th Cir. 2010) (wrongful death)
Cahalan v. Rohan, 423 F.3d 815 (8th Cir. 2005) (New Jersey/Minnesota workers’compensation law)
Harrison v. Harrison, 733 N.W.2d 451 (Minn. 2007) (seatbelt non-use evidentiaryrule)
Albert v. Paper Calmenson & Co., 524 N.W.2d 460 (Minn. 1994) (workers’ compensation subrogation)
Jones v. Allard, 2010 WL 1968319 (Minn. Ct. App. May 18, 2010) (“dram shop” liability)
Gilmore v. Walgreen Co., 759 N.W.2d 433 (Minn. Ct. App. 2009) (premises liability)
Marshall v. The Inn on Madeline Island, 631 N.W.2d 113 (Minn. Ct. App. Jul. 17, 2001) (federal/Wisconsin law claim preclusion)

Professional Liability

Howard v. Svoboda, M.D., 877 N.W.2d 562 (Minn. App. 2016), vacated, 890 N.W.2d 111 (Minn. 2017) (medical malpractice claim and scope of Minnesota’s informal conference statute, Minn. Stat. § 595.02, subd.5)
Sample v. City of Woodbury, 836 F.3d 913 (8th Cir.2016) (absolute prosecutorial immunity issues relating to Section 1983 and state law claims against city attorneys)
Guzick v. Kimball, 869 N.W.2d 42 (Minn. 2015) (amicus counsel for Professional Liability Defense Federation regarding Minnesota’s expert review affidavit statute and causation issues in a legal malpractice case)
Shea v. Esensten, 208 F.3d 712 (8th Cir. 2000) (medical malpractice/ERISA preemption)
In re Andrade, 736 N.W.2d 603 (Minn. 2007) (attorney discipline)
Antone v. Mirviss, 720 N.W.2d 331 (Minn. 2006) (statute of limitations for legal malpractice claims)
Noske v. Friedberg, 670 N.W.2d 740 (Minn. 2003) (LPL claim against criminal defense attorney)
Linden v. Siemers, 2012 WL 34042 (Minn. Ct. App. Jan. 9, 2012) (medical malpractice)
Minn. Board of Chiropractic Examiners v. Cich, 788 N.W.2d 515 (Minn. Ct. App. 2010) (chiropractic discipline)
Yath v. Fairview Clinics, N.P., 767 N.W.2d 34 (Minn. Ct. App. 2009) (HIPAA privacy claims)
Wagener v. McDonald, 509 N.W.2d 188 (Minn. Ct. App. 1993) (assignability of legal malpractice claim)

Products Liability

Tabish v. Target Corp., 2011 WL 2519209 (Minn. Ct. App. June 27, 2011) (bicycle)
Dahl v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 742 N.W.2d 186 (Minn. Ct. App. 2007) (cigarettes)
Kline v. Doughboy Recreational Mfg. Co., 495 N.W.2d 435 (Minn. Ct. App. 1993) (swimming pool)

Insurance Coverage

Westfield Ins. Co. v. Robinson Outdoors, Inc., 700 F.3d 1172 (8th Cir. 2012) (failure-to-conform exclusion)
Progressive Northern Ins. Co. v. McDonough, 608 F.3d 388 (8th Cir. 2010) (intentional act exclusion)
West Bend Mut. Ins. Co. v. Allstate Ins. Co., 776 N.W.2d 693 (Minn. 2009) (excess UIM coverage)
Wooddale Builders, Inc. v. Maryland Cas. Co., 722 N.W.2d 283 (Minn. 2006) (pro-rata allocation)
In re Silicone Implant Ins. Coverage Litigation, 667 N.W.2d 405 (Minn. 2003) (trigger and allocation)
State v. Joseph, 636 N.W.2d 322 (Minn. 2001) (garnishment of insurance policy)
Leamington Co. v. Nonprofits’ Ins. Ass’n, 615 N.W.2d 349 (Minn. 2000) (proof of loss requirements)
Economy Premier Assur. Co. v. Western Nat’l Mut. Ins. Co., 2013 WL 6152318 (Minn. Ct. App. Nov. 25, 2013) (contra proferentem doctrine)
Kasid v. Country Mutual Ins. Co., 776 N.W.2d 181 (Minn. Ct. App. 2009) (UM coverage)
Johnson v. Mutual Services Cas. Ins. Co., 732 N.W.2d 340 (Minn. Ct. App. 2007) (standard statutory fire policy)
Wakefield Pork, Inc. v. RAM Mutual Ins. Co., 731 N.W.2d 154 (Minn. Ct. App. 2007) (pollution exclusion)
Metropolitan Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Jablonske, 722 N.W.2d 312 (Minn. Ct. App. 2006) (confessed judgment against insurer)
Reinsurance Ass’n of Minn. v. Timmer, 641 N.W.2d 302 (Minn. Ct. App. 2002) (coverage for negligent misrepresentation)
CPT Corp. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 515 N.W.2d 747 (Minn. Ct. App. 1994) (employee benefits and fiduciary insurance)

Employment Law

LaPoint v. Family Orthodontics, P.A., 892 N.W.2d 506(Minn. 2017) (amicus counsel for Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association regarding pregnancy discrimination claim)
Tipka v. Lincoln Int’l Charter School, 864 N.W.2d 371 (Minn. App. 2015) (certiorari appeal of a wrongful discharge claim of a charter school executive director)
Sysdyne Corp. v. Rousslang, 860 N.W.2d 374 (Minn. 2015) (amicus counsel for TechServe Alliance regarding non-compete agreements)
Minnesota Brewing Co. v. Egan & Sons Co., 574 N.W.2d 54 (Minn. 1998) (workers’ compensation subrogation/common enterprise)
Pinson v. Grazzini Bros. & Co., 2004 WL 1254117 (Minn. Ct. App. May 28, 2004) (race discrimination discharge claim)
Floyd v. University of Minnesota, 1993 WL 328737 (Minn. Ct. App. Aug. 31, 1993) (defamation/breach of education contract)

Environmental Law

Steiner v. Beaudry Oil & Service, Inc., 545 N.W.2d 39 (Minn. Ct. App. 1996) (fuel oil release/Petrofund statute)
Jacobsen v. Yocum Oil Co., 1993 WL 152313 (Minn. Ct. App. May 5, 1993) (contributory negligence/attorneys fees)
Matter of Daugherty, 482 N.W.2d 485 (Minn. Ct. App. 1992) (administrative penalties/responsible corporate officer doctrine)

Fraud and Misrepresentation Claims

Streambend Properties II, LLC v. Ivy Tower Minneapolis, LLC 781 F.3d 1003 (8th Cir. 2015) (fraud and misrepresentation claims concerning purchase agreements for condominiums)
Highway Sales, Inc. v. Blue Bird Corp., 559 F.3d 782 (8th Cir. 2009) (“lemon law”)
Peters v. Lupient, 220 F.3d 915 (8th Cir. 2000) (Truth-in-Lending Act)
Ittel v. Pietig, 705 N.W.2d 203 (Minn. Ct. App. 2005) (construction fraud)
Sutton v. Viking Oldsmobile Nissan, Inc., 611 N.W.2d 60 (Minn. Ct. App. 2000) (consumer fraud act)

Amicus Curiae Representation

LaPoint v. Family Orthodontics, P.A.,—N.W.2d—(Minn. 2017) (amicus counsel for Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association regarding pregnancy discrimination claim)
Guzick v. Kimball, 869 N.W.2d 42 (Minn. 2015) (amicus counsel for Professional Liability Defense Federation regarding Minnesota’s expert review affidavit statute and causation issues in a legal malpractice case)
Sysdyne Corp. v. Rousslang, 860 N.W.2d 374 (Minn. 2015) (amicus counsel for TechServe Alliance regarding non-compete agreement)
Graphic Communications Local 1B Health & Welfare Fund v. CVS Caremark Corp., 850 N.W.2d 682 (Minn. 2014) (amicus counsel for Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association regarding Consumer Fraud Act claim)
Jerry’s Enterprises, Inc. v. Larkin, Hoffman, Daly & Lindgren, Ltd., 711 N.W.2d 811 (Minn. 2006) (amicus counsel for Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association regarding a transactional legal malpractice claim)
Rosenberg v. Heritage Renovations, LLC, 685 N.W.2d 320 (Minn. 2004) (amicus counsel for Minnesota Association of Realtors® regarding commission claims)
Dohney v. Allstate Ins. Co., 632 N.W.2d 598 (Minn. 2001) (amicus counsel for Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association regarding “best settlement” rule for UIMclaims)
Ly v. Nystrom, 615 N.W.2d 302 (Minn. 2000) (amicus counsel for Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association regarding Consumer Fraud Act)
Losen v. Allina Health System, 767 N.W.2d 703 (Minn. Ct. App. 2009) (amici counsel for Minnesota Medical Association and Fairview Health Services regarding commitment immunity)

Our experience with the appeals courts in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin is revealed here:

North Dakota

Bornsen v. Pragotrade, LLC, 805 N.W.2d 55 (N.D. 2011) (apparent manufacturer doctrine)
Mertz v. 999 Quebec, Inc., 780 N.W.2d 446 (N.D. 2010) (survival claim discovery rule)
Vicknair v. Phelps Dodge Industries, Inc., 767 N.W.2d 171 (N.D. 2009) (asbestos forum non conveniens dismissal)

South Dakota

Jorgensen Farms, Inc. v. Country Pride Cooperative, Inc., 824 N.W.2d 410 (S.D. 2012) (crop damage due to adulterated fertilizer)

Wisconsin

Northern States Power Co. v. Continental Ins. Co., 2011 WL 3802723 (Wis. Ct. App. Aug. 30, 2011) (trigger and allocation/full faith and credit)
Schreiner v. Wieser Concrete Products, Inc., 720 N.W.2d 525 (Wis. Ct. App. 2006) (duty to warn)