Five Ciresi Conlin Attorneys Named Minnesota Attorneys of the Year 2021

Minnesota Lawyer honored two teams of Ciresi Conlin attorneys with Minnesota Attorneys of the Year awards for 2021: Kathleen Flynn Peterson and Robert J. King, Jr. for obtaining for a $13.14 million jury verdict in an auto accident case; and Michael A. Sacchet, Leslie O’Leary and Megan L. Odom as part of an appellate team that led the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the dismissal of nearly 6,000 Bair Hugger lawsuits against 3M.

Kathleen and Bob’s case involved a 44-year-old man driving his pickup truck on a rural road in southern Minnesota while working. A truck from a local turkey farm failed to yield the right of way, crashing into him at 30 mph. The plaintiff sustained multiple traumatic injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. Though his physical injuries healed without residual disability, and he returned to fulltime work seven months after the injury, he continues to suffer effects of what the treating neuropsychologist described as a mild cognitive impairment without functional impairment. On December 2, 2021, after a two-day trial, a jury in Willmar, Minnesota awarded $13.14 million to the plaintiff. Read more about the case here.

Michael, Leslie, Megan, and the Bair Hugger team’s appellate victory against 3M resulted in nearly 6,000 lawsuits coming back to life following their dismissal by the district court. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that U.S. District Court Judge Joan Ericksen abused her discretion in excluding nearly all of plaintiffs’ experts and granting summary judgment in favor of 3M. Mike Sacchet, Megan Odom, and Leslie O’Leary were lead drafters of plaintiffs’ appellate briefs, and Mike argued the omnibus appeal at the Eighth Circuit. Read more about the case here.

“We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of these attorneys,” said Founding Partner Jan M. Conlin. “They bring exceptional skill, creativity, and tenacity to every case they touch. Our firm is committed to protecting the future for all by making the law a force for good. Kathleen, Bob, Mike, Leslie, and Megan all exemplify these values and it shows through their incredible advocacy. We are pleased to see Minnesota Lawyer recognize their talents by naming them as Attorneys of the Year.”

See the list of honorees here.