Eight Maslon Attorneys and Two Alumni Selected as 2018 "Attorneys of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer

Maslon is pleased to announce that eight Maslon attorneys and two alumni have been selected as 2018 "Attorneys of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer. The 2018 honorees were chosen based on their leadership in the profession, involvement in major cases or other newsworthy events, excellence in corporate or transactional services, and public service. The selected Maslon attorneys are recognized for the specific achievements below:

Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Bankruptcy Case: 
Maslon partner Margo Brownell led a team, including Partner Stephanie Bitterman and Counsel John Darda, to provide the insurance coverage work in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Bankruptcy Case. As Court-Appointed Special Insurance Counsel for over 100 parishes sued in hundreds of clergy abuse lawsuits, Margo, Stephanie and John played a key role in maximizing the ASPM parishes' insurance coverage to ensure proper restitution to the victims. The total amount raised by Maslon on behalf of the parishes was a key contribution, both monetarily and politically, to the overall settlement—the largest for abuse claims in any archdiocese bankruptcy in the U.S. to date. (View Related Feature Article.)

Douglas Tyrone Armstrong Death Penalty Case: 
Maslon Partners Mike McCarthy, Nicole Narotzky, Julian Zebot; Public Interest Counsel Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, and alumni U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David Schultz and 3M Senior Litigation Counsel Haley Schaffer are recognized for their decade-long pro bono representation of Douglas Tyrone Armstrong. In late 2017, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals vacated Mr. Armstrong's death sentence after the Maslon team investigated, prepared, filed, and argued a petition for writ of habeas corpus on the grounds that Armstrong was innocent and received ineffective assistance of counsel from his court-appointed trial attorneys. Over 4,000 pro bono hours have been devoted thus far and the team continues its fight for Armstrong's complete exoneration. (View Related Feature Article.)

Outstanding Service to the Profession:
Partner and head of Maslon's Estate Planning Group, Susan Link, is recognized for Outstanding Service to the Profession related to her work as program director for the Minnesota Wills for Heroes program. Since 2007, Susan has worked to provide first responders and their families with basic wills, powers of attorneys, and health care directives at no cost through the Minnesota State Bar Association's Wills for Heroes program. To date, the program has provided over 14,000 wills to first responders due to Susan's passion to participate, build, and expand the program. (View Related Feature Article.)

To read a full list of honorees, go to: 2018 Attorneys of the Year.