April 2008

Anthony Ostlund Baer Louwagie & Ross adds new shareholder.
Anthony Ostlund Baer Louwagie & Ross is pleased to announce that Janel M. Dressen has rejoined the firm as a shareholder. Ms. Dressen has eight years of focused litigation experience representing individuals and companies in complex commercial, business and employment matters. Ms. Dressen received her law degree with honors from the University of South Dakota School of Law where she served as the Vice President of the Moot Court Board and as a trial and negotiation competition teams member.

In addition to her business litigation background as a trial lawyer, Ms. Dressen served as litigation counsel for a Fortune 1000 company in Minneapolis for over one year during which time she directed and supervised the strategy and defense of varied types of litigation, with a special emphasis on national product matters. As corporate litigation counsel, Ms. Dressen also counseled business groups, executives and other members of senior management with respect to litigation strategy, e-discovery, risk management, preventive measures and compliance matters.

March 2008

Anthony Ostlund & Baer add new associate.
Anthony Ostlund Baer Louwagie & Ross is pleased to announce that Augustine (Gus) Chung has joined the firm as an associate. Gus is a 2006 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School. Prior to becoming an attorney, Gus was a financial analyst for Fidelity Investments and an entrepreneur.

February 2008

Anthony Ostlund & Baer announces new name.
As of February 18, 2008, Anthony Ostlund & Baer, one of the Midwest’s largest and most respected business litigation firms, is practicing under the banner Anthony Ostlund Baer Louwagie & Ross P.A. The name change is in recognition of the firm’s equity partners, Vincent Louwagie and Jeff Ross.

“We’re proud to announce Mr. Louwagie and Mr. Ross as additions to our nameplate,” said firm founder, Joseph Anthony. “We remain focused on business litigation. Our name change is in recognition of two partners who have made significant contributions to our growth and success,” added Anthony.

In addition to the name change, the firm’s URL has also been changed to aoblr.com to reflect the firm’s new name.

Rich Ostlund and Mary Knoblauch recover $4.8 million in employment litigation matter.
Rich Ostlund and Mary knoublach have resolved claims associated with the resignation of our client as a senior executive of a large California based business in exchange for our client's receipt of $4.8 million.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer attorneys Vince Louwagie and Shannon Awsumb win a $878,000 jury verdict in Cook County, Minnesota on behalf of client.
After an eight-day jury trial in Grand Marais, Minnesota, a unanimous seven-member jury awarded Anthony Ostlund & Baer client $878,000 in damages for a breach of contract. AOB attorneys Vince Louwagie and Shannon Awsumb represented the plaintiff. The case involved a claim by AOB's client that the defendants had breached a contract to work cooperatively to acquire and develop certain property on the North Shore of Lake Superior, and that the breach had cause damages. The defendants, who proceeded to develop the property without involving AOB's client, claimed, among other things, that there was no contract, that any contract had been voluntarily terminated, and that recent real estate market declines eliminate any damages. The jury agreed with AOB that there was a contract, it had not been voluntarily terminated, and that there were significant damages.

January 2008

Rich Ostlund and Courtland Merrill recover $23 million in medical device patent litigation.
Rich Ostlund and Courtland Merrill lead patent infringement litigation on behalf of Sutura Inc initiated in 2006 in the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Abbott Laboratories. The matter was resolved with Abbott paying Sutura $23 million to solve the claims that Abbott's products violated Sutura's patents. Sutura is a California based manufacturer of devices used for wound closure and related procedures during cardiac care and surgery. This case is representative of the firm's expanding intellectual property litigation practice both locally and across the nation.

Joseph Anthony Named “Attorney of the Year”
Minnesota Lawyer recently announced that Joseph W. Anthony is a 2008 recipient of the publication's "Attorney of the Year" award. The award is reserved for attorneys who distinguished themselves in 2007 through exemplary work. Mr. Anthony was recognized for his work on a case in which he represented a large Twin Cities dental group, PDG, P.A. and Dental Specialists of Minnesota, P.A.. At the close of a month-long trial and three days of deliberations, a Hennepin County jury awarded the dental group over $130 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Mr. Anthony is one of only sixteen (16) attorneys recognized in Minnesota for this honor in 2008, the ninth year Minnesota Lawyer has given out this award.

For a copy of the Minnesota Lawyer articles on its “Attorney of the Year” recipients, and the trial, click on the links below.

Attorneys of The Year - Minnesota Lawyer
Trial Article - Minnesota Lawyer

Rich Ostlund appointed to Minnesota Medical Foundation Board to lead efforts to pursue charitable funding for pediatric research at new University of Minnesota Childrens Hospital.
For several years Rich Ostlund has been a director of the University of Minnesota Pediatrics Foundation, which seeks charitable funding for pediatric medical care and research at the University of Minnesota. In January 2008 Rich was appointed Development Chair of the Pediatrics Foundation and to membership upon the Minnesota Medical Foundation's committee to lead charitable funding work to support pediatric program research and support for the new University of Minnesota Childrens Hospital, which has its ground breaking in June 2008 and which will open in 2010.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. adds New Shareholder
Anthony Ostlund & Baer is pleased to announce that Cheryl A. Stanton has become a shareholder in the firm. Ms. Stanton received her law degree from Hamline University of Law in 1997 where she was an editor of Hamline Law Review. Ms. Stanton practices in all areas of commercial litigation, and has experience in complex business litigation, real estate litigation, shareholder disputes and franchise litigation, among other areas of law. Prior to joining Anthony Ostlund & Baer in 2006, Ms. Stanton practiced in the business litigation department at Messerli & Kramer, P.A. Ms. Stanton is a contributing author of the Franchise Desk Book and The Franchise and Dealership Termination Handbook. Ms. Stanton received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.

AOB Trial Is No. 3 Top Legal News Story of 2007
Minnesota Lawyer, a weekly publication covering legal news and issues in Minnesota, has identified a successful trial by Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. as No. 3 on its list of Top 10 legal news stories of 2007. Attorneys Joseph Anthony, Randy Gullickson, and Karlyn Vegoe Boraas represent a Twin Cities dental group (PDG, P.A. and Dental Specialists of Minnesota, P.A.) in a dispute with its administrative service provider. Following a month-long trial, a Hennepin County jury in December 2007 awarded AOB's client $88.3 million in compensatory damages and $42.25 million in punitive damages.

In the January 4, 2008 edition of Minnesota Lawyer, Editor-in-Chief Mark A. Cohen provided his list of "The Top 10 legal news stories of 2007." The successful trial by AOB on behalf of its client was idenfied as the No. 3 news story of 2007. For a link to Minnesota Lawyer's "Top 10" list and to its story on the trial, click

Minnesota Lawyer Blogspot Top 10 Legal News Stories

December 2007

AOB Client Obtains $130 Million Jury Verdict
In a landmark case, a Hennepin County jury recently awarded over $130 million to AOB client, PDG, P.A., after a month-long trial. The award, reached by the unanimous jury after three days of deliberations, included $88.3 million in actual damages and an additional $42.25 million in punitive damages. AOB attorneys Joseph Anthony, Randy Gullickson and Karlyn Vegoe Boraas successfully tried the case on behalf of PDG, P.A.

PDG, P.A. is the dental group comprised of 115 doctors that practice at 31 Park Dental and The Dental Specialists clinics in the Twin Cities. PDG asserted claims against its administrative service provider, American Dental Partners, Inc. and its local subsidiary, PDHC, Ltd. PDG alleged that the service provider wrongfully engaged in conduct constituting the practice of dentistry in violation of Minnesota law and the parties' contract. PDG also alleged that defendants interfered with its plans to transition to new clinics after PDG terminated its contract with the service provider. The jury ruled in PDG's favor and awarded damages on multiple claims. The case highlights the tensions that exist in the health care industry over who controls the practice of medicine and dentistry -- the doctors or the non-doctor service providers.

For articles on the case, visit:
Star Tribune Article "Jury awards $130 million to Twin Cities dentists"
Minnesota Lawyer Trial Article

October 2007

AOB's Clients Dismissed From Mechanics Lien Action
On October 23, 2007, AOB's clients, two land owners, were dismissed from a lawsuit seeking foreclosure on a mechanic's lien in excess of $125,000. The $125,000 was allegedly the fee for work ordered by a property developer who had contracted to buy the land from AOB's clients. AOB's clients moved for summary judgment, arguing that they were not liable for the fee after the property developer breached its contract to purchase the land. The Minnesota District Court for Washington County found that the mechanic's lien was invalid as matter of law and dismissed the land owners from the lawsuit. AOB attorney Cory D. Olson represented the two property owners.

August 2007

AOB Client Prevails on Summary Judgment
On August 14, 2007, AOB's client, a Minnesota-based bank, prevailed on a motion for summary judgment in an over $1,000,000 dispute regarding the adequacy of claimed security interests in two annuity contracts with a combined value of $1,000,000. The federal district court ruled in favor of AOB's client, granting its motion for summary judgment and finding that its security interest in the two annuity contracts was superior to a claimed prior security interest of the defendants. The federal district court also denied defendants' motion to dismiss on the same issues. AOB attorneys Richard Ostlund, Robert Moilanen and Shannon Awsumb represented the Minnesota bank.

July 2007

Nine Anthony Ostlund & Baer Attorneys Designated “Super Lawyers”
Nine attorneys from Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. have been named “Super Lawyers” by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. Only 5 percent of the lawyers licensed to practice in Minnesota are named Super Lawyers.

Law & Politics mailed over 18,500 ballots to Minnesota attorneys asking them to nominate their peers they have personally observed in action, not just purely on reputation or hearsay. A Blue Ribbon panel consisting of the top vote-getters from the previous surveys was assembled for each area of practice. These panels reviewed and voted on the list of nominees in their areas of practice.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. is proud to announce that Joseph W. Anthony, Norman J. Baer, Randy G. Gullickson, Mary L. Knoblauch, Vincent D. Louwagie, Robert C. Moilanen, Richard T. Ostlund, Steven M. Phillips, and Mark D. Wisser have all been recognized by their peers as Super Lawyers.

June 2007

AOB Client Dismissed From Case
On June 11, 2007, an AOB client, a registered representative in the securities industry, was dismissed as a respondent from an NASD arbitration proceeding. The arbitration claim was brought against the registered representative by his former customers. The claim sought $515,000 in compensatory damages, plus an unspecified amount of additional damages. The NASD panel hearing the case dismissed the claims following the registered representative's pre-hearing motion to dismiss. The arbitrators granted the motion on the grounds that the claim was not eligible for arbitration under the NASD's six year eligibility rule and/or the applicable statutes of limitations. AOB attorneys Vince Louwagie and Aaron Hartman represented the former registered representative.

Anthony Ostlund & Baer continues to rank among the top firms according to Chambers and Partners.
Since 2003, Chambers and Partners publishing have selected Anthony Ostlund & Baer, P.A. as one of the top four business litigation firms in Minnesota. Chambers is the leading legal services publisher worldwide. Their researchers spend a year canvassing clients and lawyers across the US to obtain a consistent market view of those firms and attorneys that are considered leaders in their field.

Individually, Chambers USA has ranked Joseph Anthony as one of the top seven business trial lawyers in the state of Minnesota. They describe Joe Anthony as “appropriately aggressive” and “can lead any case.” Also ranked among the top trial lawyers are his partners Richard Ostlund (described as “talented”) and Randy Gullickson who was recognized for his representation of clients in shareholder litigation and other business disputes.

You can find the results of their survey at
www.chambersandpartners.com/usa/rankings36.aspx?fid=78440&solbar=1

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