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Our business litigation practice embraces the wide variety of commercial disputes facing private and public companies today. Areas of particular expertise include intellectual property, antitrust, securities, employment, professional liability, and construction disputes.

Our attorneys are experienced in handling matters involving complex financial instruments and transactions, trade secrets, and professional liability issues, and are regularly called upon to teach and write about these issues.

Trials

Most cases can and should be resolved short of trial. Some cannot. Our attorneys are experienced and respected trial lawyers with deep trial experience in state and federal courts. In fact, Greene Espel is often retained shortly before trial to assist or replace existing litigation counsel.

Complex Financial Instruments and Transactions
We regularly litigate disputes concerning complex financial instruments and investment vehicles such as hedge funds, low income tax credits, tax increment financing, venture capital, mortgage-backed securities, derivatives, Real Estate Investment Trusts, and trust indentures. We litigate these cases on behalf of financial institutions, securities professionals, investment firms, and individuals. We make these complex instruments and transactions accessible and understandable to judges and juries.

Class Actions and Multi-Party Cases
We have defended and prosecuted complex class actions involving allegations of securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duty in the corporate context, and other business torts.

Financial Experts
We work closely with financial experts and consultants to refute allegations of market manipulation in mortgage-backed securities, to trace millions of dollars in real estate transactions, to defend securities professionals on issues of due diligence, and to defend the practices of broker-dealers and investment advisors.

Pre-Litigation Investigations
Frequently, we are contacted by institutions interested in pursuing potential litigation concerning misconduct that they believe may have occurred. In these cases, we have successfully utilized a quick but thorough pre-litigation investigation to uncover the facts necessary both to bring the case and to resolve it quickly. Our experience has shown that a thorough pre-litigation investigation can save the client time and money where the results of the investigation provide the wrongdoer with little or no defense.

Responding to a Crisis
We are often contacted by clients facing legal and public relations crises. These matters require the immediate mobilization of attorneys, paralegals, and experts to assist the client through the emergency. Recent examples include:

  • When a “whistleblower” went public with allegations of widespread misconduct at the Minnesota facility of a national firm, we were retained to interview dozens of employees, review thousands of documents, and respond to regulators, law enforcement authorities, and the media. We mobilized a team of attorneys, paralegals, experts, and others to respond to the emergency, learn the facts, and resolve the matter.
  • During litigation on the East coast, a national securities firm was ordered to make dozens of Minnesota employees available for depositions immediately to address allegations of wrongdoing. We were retained to represent the employees, who faced serious allegations relating to a court-ordered settlement. Within days, we mobilized a team of attorneys and paralegals to master the litigation facts and the documents related to each employee. Within weeks, all employees were interviewed and prepared for their depositions.
  • A national health care firm learned through an article in a local newspaper of allegations of misconduct at its Minnesota facility. Within days, we assembled a team of attorneys and paralegals to conduct interviews of current and former employees in three states. We prepared a detailed report responding to the allegations. The report convinced regulators and potential private litigants not to pursue the allegations.
Farah Famouri
Aaron Knoll
Holley Horrell
Mark Johnson

Practice Contact

Mark L. Johnson
612.373.8377

Attorneys

Events & Presentations

  • May 6, 2024. Faris Rashid and X. Kevin Zhao Present at Minnesota CLE's 2024 Business Law Institute Read More
  • February 23, 2024. Chad Blumenfield to Present on Taking FCA Cases to Trial for the FBA Qui Tam Conference Read More
  • February 20, 2024. Kate Swenson to Present on Pre-Trial Preparation for Minnesota CLE Read More
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EXTRAORDINARY NEWS

Jeanette Bazis Named to Minnesota Lawyer's 2024 POWER 30 for Business Litigation

The “POWER 30” list—curated through extensive interviews with legal luminaries and analysis of landmark cases—recognizes attorneys whose presence on a case “signifies the stakes, who have influenced the direction of the law, whose leadership in the community is pervasive and whose respect within the bar is undeniable.”

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Greene Espel Welcomes Attorneys Ben Larson and Kshithij Shrinath to the Firm

Each attorney brings significant experience that supports extraordinary client service across a broad range of matters.

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Holley Horrell Appointed to U.S. Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel

The panel will review applications, interview prospective candidates, and recommend the five best-qualified candidates to the District Judges for consideration.

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