Attorney Margo Brownell, Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Margo S. Brownell
Partner

p 612.672.8393
f612.642.8393
margo.brownell@maslon.com

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

Experience
Activities & Memberships
Articles & Presentations
Recognition

Margo is a member of Maslon's Litigation Group, specializing in insurance coverage counseling and litigation. She represents commercial policyholders with complex insurance claims under all types of property and liability policies, including commercial general liability, directors and officers liability, professional liability, cyber-liability,and intellectual property liability coverage. In addition, she handles complex property claims, such as those arising from major catastrophic events such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, as well as claims under financial institution bonds and commercial crime policies. Margo's coverage counseling experience includes preparing, reviewing and settling claims, policy analysis, risk review, negotiating and drafting policy language, and reviewing and drafting commercial contracts. In addition to her insurance practice, Margo represents clients in a broad range of commercial disputes. On a pro bono basis, Margo practices Indian law, particularly representing tribes seeking to attain federal recognition. Prior to becoming a lawyer, she was a free-lance journalist for Newsweek International, The Nation, and The New York Observer, among other publications, and was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Marrakech, Morocco.

Areas of Practice

General Commercial Litigation
Insurance Coverage Litigation
Insurance Counseling
Self-Insured Services
Life Insurance
Insurance Regulatory Matters
Products Liability
Explosions and Fires
Drugs and Medical Devices
Mold and Sick Buildings
Punitive Damages
Contract Formation and Administration
Construction Claims
ERISA Litigation

Education

The University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2000
J.D.
Honors: Cum Laude
Honors: Louis Honigman Memorial Award
Honors: E. Blythe Stason Award
Law Journal: University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Managing Articles Editor, 1999 - 2000
Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY, 1984
B.A.
Honors: Cum Laude
Major: Religion

Bar Admissions

Minnesota, 2001
U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 2001
U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, 2002
U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia, 2003

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Bar Association, Torts Trial & Insurance Practice Group, 2005 - 2006 - Chair, Business Litigation Committee
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice - Member
Minnesota Women Lawyers, 2005 - 2007 - Member, Board of Directors
Minnesota Women Lawyers, 2004 - 2003 - Co-Chair, Leadership Committee
Minnesota Women Lawyers, 2002 - 2003 - Co-Chair, Professional Development Committee

Pro Bono Activities:

Board of Directors, Linden Hills Co-Op, 2010 - 2012

Classes Taught

Improve Your Insurance IQ: An Overview of Common Commercial Policy Forms and Basic Insurance Principles, Minnesota CLE, August 2010
Shifting Fiduciary Duties in Troubled Economic Times, A Maslon Speakers Series Seminar, May 2009

Publications

Getting Something Back: Subrogating After the Catastrophe (Co-Author), The Brief, Summer, 2003
Recent Developments in Business Torts Law (Co-Author), Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Winter, 2003
Recent Developments in Business Torts Law (Co-Author), Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Winter, 2002
Getting Something Back: Subrogating After the Catastrophe (Co-Authored), American Bar Association, Torts and Insurance Practice Section Seminar, April, 2001
Who is an Indian? Searching for an Answer to the Question at the Core of Federal Indian Law, The University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Fall, 2000

Honors and Awards

Minnesota Rising Stars

Experience

U.S. Bank National Association v. Federal Insurance Company,
Case No. 10-266-CV-DDS (W.D. Mo. 2010)
Lead coverage counsel for U.S. Bank in its capacity as Trustee of Creditors' Trust in the Chapter 11 reorganization of Interstate Bakeries Corporation (IBC), in coverage action against Federal Ins. Co. and five excess insurers arising from the insurers' denial of coverage under IBC's Directors and Officers Liability policy for alleged wrongful acts of IBC's former CFO.
OneBeacon American Ins. Co. v. Cortiva Midwest LLC et. al.,
Case No. 2:09-CV- 04950-SRC-MAS (D.N.J. 2010)
Successfully represented New Jersey-based company that owns spas and massage schools nationwide in litigation arising from insurer's denial of coverage for class action lawsuit alleging Cortiva's violations of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. Coverage action settled prior to final adjudication.
Premier Pet Products, LLC v. Travelers Property Cas. Co. of America,
678 F.Supp.2d 409 (E.D. Va. 2010)
Represented company that manufactures dog-training collars in insurance dispute over whether its trademark infringement liability was covered under the Advertising Injury provisions of its commercial general liability policy. Case ultimately settled prior to final adjudication.
General Cas. Co. of Wisconsin v. Wozniak Travel, Inc.,
762 N.W.2d 572 (Minn. 2009)
Successfully represented group of Minnesota commercial policyholders as amicus curiae in a case certified to the Minnesota Supreme Court on the question of whether the Advertising Injury coverage of Wozniak Travel Inc.'s commercial general liability policy covered trademark infringement liability.
State Farm Fire and Casualty Company v. Universal Recovery Systems, et al.,
Court File No. 62-CV-08-2253 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. 2008)
Successfully represented Minnesota company in dispute against State Farm for coverage under a commercial general liability policy for a lawsuit alleging tortious interference with contract. Case settled favorably for client prior to final adjudication.
Bourgeois v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company,
Court File No. 27-CV-07-3134 (Hennepin County Dist. Ct. 2008)
Obtained jury verdict for homeowner in coverage action against American Family for progressive water damage loss to the Bourgeois home
Florists' Mut. Ins. Co. v. Wagners Greenhouses, Inc.,
535 F.Supp.2d 947 (D. Minn. 2008)
Represented Minnesota garden products company in coverage dispute arising from whether liability for the sale of diseased plants was covered under the company's products/completed operations coverage of its commercial general liability policy. Obtained full defense coverage for insured prior to global settlement of underlying case and insurance dispute.
Wilsons The Leather Experts, Inc. v. Peter J. Paek and Federal Insurance Company,
Court File No. 07-2315 JRT/FLN (D. Minn. 2007)
Successfully represented Wilson's leather in litigation against Federal Insurance Company for coverage arising under commercial crime policy for losses due to employee kickback scheme. Case settled prior to final adjudication.
Kean Argovitz Resorts v. Willard Smith v. Lakes Entertainment,
2000-15830 (80th Dist. Ct. , Harris County, Tex. 2005)
Obtained jury verdict in favor of publicly traded entity in the business of financing and managing Indian gaming operations in a dispute with joint venture partners and others seeking to unwind two significant projects under a fraudulent conveyance theory.
LeMond Cycling, Inc., et al. v. PTI Holding, Inc.,
Case No. 03-5441(D. Minn. 2005)
Obtained $3.5 million jury verdict for three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond in a dispute over PTI's breach of a licensing agreement involving the licensing and branding of a line of LeMond bicycle accessories.
Industrial Risk Insurers, Inc. v. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,
02 Civ. 7170 (S.D.N.Y. 2002)
Represented insurer in World Trade Center subrogation litigation over issues of negligent design and operation of high-rise office building on World Trade Center site.
Factory Mutual Ins. Co. v. Ford Motor Co.,
(Arbitration Proceeding, 2002)
Represented insurer in $300 million subrogation action involving catastrophic explosion at Rouge Powerhouse in Dearborn, MI .
American Foods Group, Inc. v. Supervalu, Inc.,
(American Arbitration Association Proceeding, 2001)
Represented large Minnesota food distributor in dispute over cause and liability for e. coli contamination of beef products and resulting personal injuries.

Professionals

Margo S. Brownell Partner

Margo S. Brownell
Partner