LAW FIRM NEWS

Celebrating Our Longevity

On October 30, Cousineau McGuire hosted its 60th Anniversary celebration at the Metropolitan Club. We are pleased and honored that so many of our clients and friends joined us for a fun and festive event. We end 2008 knowing that our success depends on client satisfaction. It is our mission to begin 2009 with a renewed sense of vigor toward responsive service and attention to client needs.
Speaker

On Thursday, January 29, James Waldhauser will be a speaker at the Workers' Compensation Update in Minnesota hosted by Lorman Education Services. Jim will present "Case Law Updates" and "New Statutory Changes Effective October 1, 2008." For more information on this seminar, click on the following link: http://www.lorman.com/seminars/seminar_details.php?pid=198520.

Northern Wisconsin/Michigan Office

We are proud to acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the opening of our satellite office in Northern Wisconsin/Michigan. This office, headed by shareholder Lisa Kinney, has been available to assist our clients with their issues which arise in Duluth, Minnesota, all of Wisconsin and the upper part of Michigan for the past 10 years. Congratulations!!
New Attorneys

Cousineau McGuire Chartered is pleased to announce the addition of three attorneys to the Minneapolis office. Matthew J. Weissenborn focuses his practice on insurance defense, including claims of medical malpractice, construction defects, products, premises and automobile liability. Matt is currently assisting businesses in the defense of cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury. He is also providing coverage counsel for commercial and residential construction claims.

Prior to joining Cousineau, Matt practiced on Minnesota's north shore representing clients in matters involving allegations of medical malpractice, construction defects, transactional disputes, products, premises and automobile liability. He also handled a number of subrogation matters. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, cum laude, in 2006.

Robyn Johnson has more than 15 years of experience as an accomplished litigator with extensive practice in both state and federal courts. Robyn has represented businesses and individuals in a wide range of commercial disputes, and is currently working on employment law and coverage matters, and medical malpractice and products liability defense.

Before joining Cousineau, Robyn was a civil litigation attorney at firms in Minneapolis and Los Angeles focusing on commercial disputes including insurance coverage, product and premises liability, intellectual property and real estate. Additionally, Robyn counseled clients on employment, malpractice and construction matters. She obtained her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991.

Katie Weinlaeder is presently involved with the defense of workers' compensation claims, including pleadings, settlements with intervenors, and research.

For two years prior to joining Cousineau McGuire, Katie clerked for The Hon. Randall J. Slieter, District Court of Minnesota in Renville County. During 2004-2005, she clerked for a firm in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she drafted briefs, motions, jury instructions, and city ordinances. She earned her J.D. at the University of North Dakota School Of Law, with distinction, in 2006.
Media Mention

Cousineau McGuire's Andrea Reisbord was pictured and named in the October 6 issue of Minnesota Lawyer. A luncheon was held to launch a quarterly lunch series for the Appellate Practice Council of the Minnesota State Bar Association. The series is meant to bring appellate attorneys and judges together to debate and discuss issues affecting the appellate practice. Reisbord was a member of the planning committee.
Seminar Presenter

Tom Kieselbach presented at the 2008 Minnesota Workers' Compensation Deskbook on November 6. He participated in a panel discussion regarding the use of background information. The panel consisted of a defense attorney, petitioner's attorney, a judge and an investigator.
Workers' Compensation Classes

Once again, Tom Coleman and Tom Kieselbach are working at William Mitchell College of Law as adjunct professors where they are co-teaching an in-depth course on Workers' Compensation. Kieselbach has been teaching at the college level for 25 years and Coleman is on his 12th year.
Website Update

Recent updates were made to our website's Forum Series page.

We updated the Civil Procedure section of our online Forum Series with Minnesota Rule of Civil Procedure 68 Offer of Judgment or Settlement written by Jo Ann Strauss.

Under the Insurance Coverage Litigation section you'll find Navigating Minnesota's New First-Party Bad Faith Law, written by Jessica J. Theisen.

LEGAL NEWS BY E-MAIL: Our newsletter is available by hard copy, e-mail, or both. To receive it electronically, please send an e-mail to cmc@cousineaulaw.com. Please provide your e-mail address and your preferences for delivery (e-mail only or both e-mail and hard copy).

A free subscription to the paper copy is also available by sending an e-mail designating your hard copy preference and mailing address to cmc@cousineaulaw.com.

HOT TOPICS: Cases designated in our newsletter as a "Hot Topic" are posted, in full, on our website and are available for download. We have included other cases for review that have not been summarized. The following cases have recently been added:

In re Dr. Roy Wayne Buckmaster, D.P.M., and Albert Lea Medical Center - Mayo Health System, et al. v. Dr. Roy Wayne Buckmaster, D.P.M., et al., Minnesota Court of Appeals, filed September 9, 2008. An agreement for corrective action under Minn. Stat. § 214.103 (2006) between a health-related licensing board and a regulated person constitutes a settlement agreement within the meaning of Minn. R. Evid. 408. Therefore, Rule 408 precludes admission of such an agreement for corrective action as substantive evidence of liability in any subsequent civil action.

Tonicstar Limited v. Lovegreen Turbine Services, Inc., United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, filed August 1, 2008. Policy exclusion which excludes coverage for property damage to property which must be repaired because the insured's work was incorrectly performed applied to situation where insured's workers left a rag inside of a compressor, and insurer did not owe insured a defense and was not liable to indemnify the claim. Judge Beam, dissenting on the ground the property loss suffered by the compressor's owner was a covered loss.

Website Search Function

Don't forget that we have a search function on our website. You can search the site for terms, phrases or one of our attorneys.

To improve your search results, remember these tips:
  • Check spelling;
  • Use multiple and similar words;
  • Use appropriate capitalization;
  • Use quote marks with phrases;
  • Use "boolean" operatives;
  • Use field searches.
We continue to try to find ways to assist you in your business or practice. If you have any suggestions or comments about our website, please contact us at cmc@cousineaulaw.com.