Our History
The Maslon firm was formally organized as a partnership in 1956, but the firm's roots began during the 1920's. In 1923, Samuel H. Maslon graduated with honors from Harvard Law School and was awarded a prestigious clerkship with United States Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis. After concluding his clerkship, Maslon returned to Minneapolis and began his career in private practice. In 1948 he began practice as a sole proprietor. During those years, Sam Maslon built a national reputation as a skilled lawyer in the areas of business and corporate law and tax planning. By 1949, his busy practice grew to three associates, including Harvard Law School graduate Marvin Borman. In 1956, Maslon and his colleagues joined forces with a local litigation firm and created the partnership of Maslon Kaplan Edelman Joseph & Borman.
From its inception, the firm embraced the valued tradition of community service begun by Sam Maslon. Marvin Borman was elected to a number of community service positions, including Chairman of the United Way Campaign, Chairman of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Chairman of Mount Sinai Hospital and President of the University of Minnesota Foundation. Hy Edelman supported the cause of equal rights early in his career by serving on then-Mayor Hubert Humphrey's Council on Human Relations, which drafted the first city ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, creed or color. Later, another firm partner led the legal battle to integrate the Minneapolis public schools.
From the 1950's on, the firm grew steadily by adding attorneys with unique and diverse backgrounds, including lawyers who practiced on Wall Street, university professors and bankers who were entering law as a second career. By 1974, the firm had grown to include eighteen attorneys, including two women. Eventually, the firm changed its name to Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand.
Today, the firm includes more than 80 diverse lawyers who have the experience, maturity, and legal skills to handle a wide range of legal problems. Although the firm has matured from its beginnings in the early part of the twentieth century, the character of the firm is still true to the dreams and visions of its founders. We are proud of our strong commitment to integrity and excellence in the practice of law as well as serving our community.
