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2026 Notable Litigation & Trial Attorneys

Whether working on multimillion-dollar disputes, major antitrust claims, complicated class actions, or other knotty legal matters, these 19 local litigation and trial attorneys have the depth of knowledge and judgment that are invaluable.

Methodology: The individuals featured did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list is not comprehensive; it includes only people who were nominated and accepted after editorial review. To qualify for this list, individuals must have at least five years of experience in their field and have shown the ability to effect change in their roles or areas of practice.

To nominate other best-in-class executives in their fields, click here.

2026 Notable Litigation & Trial Attorneys

Emily Ambrose

Emily Ambrose

Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright
At Norton Rose Fulbright’s Minneapolis office, where she has practiced for four years, Emily Ambrose focuses on class action defense, product liability defense, appeals, and other complex litigation. Ambrose began
Jason Asmus

Jason Asmus

Partner and Practice Group co-chair, Taft
As firmwide co-chair of Taft’s commercial litigation practice, at the firm's Minneapolis office, Jason Asmus leads complex disputes spanning banking, commercial real estate and construction defect, land use and zoning,
Thomas Boyd

Thomas Boyd

Shareholder, Winthrop & Weinstine
Thomas Boyd has spent the vast majority of his almost 40 years in litigation and trial practice with the Minneapolis-based Winthrop & Weinstine, where he is one of the firm's
Eric Chadwick

Eric Chadwick

Partner, DeWitt
At DeWitt, where he has worked for seven years, Eric Chadwick has notched several recent victories involving millions of dollars and critical business operations for clients of the Minneapolis-based law
Emily Chow

Emily Chow

Partner, Faegre Drinker
For 18 years, Emily Chow has practiced with Faegre Drinker, where she leads the Minneapolis-based firm’s antitrust practice and represents clients in bet-the-company litigation in federal court and arbitration. In
Michael Ciresi

Michael Ciresi

Founding partner, Ciresi Conlin
Across decades of practice, Michael Ciresi has shaped the legal landscape through his leadership in complex product liability, intellectual property, and business litigation. He has obtained nearly $12 billion in
Brian Dillon

Brian Dillon

Partner in charge, Minneapolis office, Lathrop GPM
Brian Dillon is known as a strategic and empathetic leader at Lathrop GPM’s Minneapolis office, where he has spent most of his 24-year career. In the past year and a
Bryan Freeman

Bryan Freeman

Partner, co-chair of Litigation Group, chair of Insurance Recovery Group, Maslon
Bryan Freeman, an experienced first-chair litigator with Minneapolis-based Maslon, specializes in representing business policyholders with claims against their insurance companies. He has helped clients recover millions in insurance proceeds for
Dan Hall

Dan Hall

Attorney and shareholder, Anthony Ostlund Louwagie Dressen & Boylan P.A.
Dan Hall is trial and appellate lawyer who represents clients in a range of disputes and appeals in state and federal courts. Hall has been with Anthony Ostlund Louwagie Dressen & Boylan P.A. in
Joshua Hasko

Joshua Hasko

President, attorney, and board chair, Messerli Kramer
Joshua Hasko has guided Messerli Kramer through a period defined by growth. He led the Minneapolis-based firm’s response to post-Covid operational challenges, driving expansion across all practice areas, eventually prompting
Ben D. Kappelman

Ben D. Kappelman

Partner, Dorsey & Whitney
In his 13 years with the Minneapolis-based law firm, Ben D. Kappelman has led Dorsey & Whitney to victory across industries. In the past year, he has argued before the
Robert Keena

Robert Keena

Partner, head of litigation, Hellmuth & Johnson
As chair of Hellmuth & Johnson’s litigation practice department, Robert Keena has helped build a diverse team of 40-plus litigators who appear in state and federal courts nationwide. Keena has
Sara Gullickson McGrane

Sara Gullickson McGrane

Attorney, Felhaber Larson
Sara Gullickson McGrane is a trial attorney at Felhaber Larson, based in Minneapolis, with a courtroom record that spans 35 years. She is admitted to practice before nine federal and
Isabella Salomão Nascimento

Isabella Salomão Nascimento

Associate, Ballard Spahr LLP
Central to Isabella Salomão Nascimento’s legal work is fighting for the First Amendment rights of the news media. A seventh-year associate at Minneapolis-based Ballard Spahr, she often advises the media
Patrick Newman

Patrick Newman

Shareholder, Consumer Finance Practice Group co-chair, Bassford Remele
Patrick Newman is a commercial litigator and trial attorney with Bassford Remele in Minneapolis. A lawyer of 13 years, with more than two decades’ experience in collections, he works at
Patrick Rooney

Patrick Rooney

Shareholder, Fafinski Mark & Johnson
In his 18 years with Fafinski Mark & Johnson, Patrick Rooney has led complex commercial litigation matters for a diverse client base, with a significant portion of his practice focused
James Susag

James Susag

Shareholder, Larkin Hoffman
In nearly 30 years with the Bloomington-based Larkin Hoffman law firm, James Susag has become a go-to trial lawyer in bet-the-company franchise litigation as well as other commercial litigation matters.
Bryant D. Tchida

Bryant D. Tchida

Member and shareholder, Cozen O’Connor
Bryant D. Tchida has been with Minneapolis-based Cozen O’Connor since it finalized its merger early this year with Moss & Barnett, where Tchida worked for seven years. He brings nearly