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Cooper S. Ashley 
Partner
Chair of Firm Governance Committee, since 2007

p 612.672.8363
f612.642.8363
cooper.ashley@maslon.com

3300 Wells Fargo Center
90 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Cooper Ashley is a partner in Maslon's Litigation Practice Group.  Since 2003, he has served on the firm's Governance Committee and is currently the Chair. Cooper's practice is focused primarily on products liability matters on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants and complex class action and tort cases, including environmental toxic tort and fire/explosion cases.  He has first chaired numerous jury and bench trials in state and federal courts, argued appeals before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (en banc), the Minnesota Supreme Court and the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and conducted all manner of related fact and expert discovery and motion practice.  Cooper has appeared on behalf of clients in multiple state and federal jurisdictions, including courts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, Texas, Nevada, Florida and North Dakota .

Areas of Practice
  • Litigation
  • Insurance
  • Insurance Coverage Litigation
  • Tort & Product Liability
  • Drugs and Medical Devices
  • Environmental Litigation
  • Explosions and Fire
  • Federal Preemption
  • Mass Torts, MDL and Class Actions
  • Products Liability
  • Punitive Damages
Education
  • Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1980
    J.D.
  • The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1976
    B.A.
Bar Admissions
  • Minnesota, 1980
  • U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1980
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1989
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
Professional Associations and Memberships
  • Minnesota State Bar Association - Member
  • Hennepin County Bar Association - Member
  • Minnesota Loan Repayment Assistance Program ("LRAP") - Board Member
  • Fund for the Legal Aid Society - Board Member
Classes Taught
  • Paulson et al. v. 3M: The Jury's Verdict -- 3M Groundwater Litigation, Hennepin County Bar Association, October 2009
  • Hold Everything! Document preservation requirements and 'litigation holds' and how to survive them. What matters. A Maslon speaker series. November 2006
Honors and Awards
  • Attorney of the Year, Minnesota Lawyer, 2009
  • Minnesota Super Lawyers
  • AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (AV, BV, and CV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies)
Experience
  • Paulson, et al. v. 3M, C2-04-6309 (State of Minnesota, Washington County District Court)
    Defeated motion seeking class certification of a 67,000 member putative class claiming chemical exposure via drinking water contamination (2007) and obtained a defense verdict on the merits after a seven-week jury trial (2009).
  • G&K Services, Inc. v. Syswa, Inc., et al. (D. Minn. 2006)
    Obtained multi-million dollar jury verdict in favor of plaintiff uniform supplier against defective industrial detergent supplier.
  • Brooks v. Howmedica, 273 F.3d 785 (8th Cir. 2002)
    Obtained summary judgment for defendant medical device manufacturer in precedent-setting 8th Circuit federal preemption case.
  • In re St. Cloud Gas Explosion Cases, State of Minnesota, Stearns County District Court, C3-99-2293, et al. (1999)
    Defended and successfully mediated multiple death, burn, injury and property damage claims against cable company arising from natural gas explosion.
  • In re 3rd and Maria Gas Explosion Cases, State of Minnesota, Ramsey County District Court, C9-95-6556 (1993-1997)
    Defended and successfully mediated multiple death, burn, injury and property damage claims against local utility arising from natural gas explosion.
  • Association for Better Living v. Federal Reserve Bank, 1994 WL 323412 (Minn. App. 1994)
    Successfully represented Federal Reserve Bank in defense of a lawsuit seeking to block construction of new bank facility in Minneapolis.
  • GT & MC, Inc. v. Texas City Refining, Inc. , 822 S.W.2d 252 (Tex. 1991)
    Obtained 7-figure verdict for plaintiff refinery in a crude oil storage design defect case.
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Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP  | 3300 Wells Fargo Center | 90 South Seventh Street | Minneapolis, MN 55402-4140 | p 612.672.8200