Minnesota Lawyer

The year that was, 2020. From a global pandemic’s death and fear to severe economic recession; the death of George Floyd in police custody, civic unrest and public outcries for racial justice; a polarized electorate, and a challenged electoral system.

In 2006, a Minnesota businessman, whose company was involved in health care real estate development nationwide for several decades, created a complex estate plan to minimize taxes and maintain flexibility over his assets.

During the COVID-19 pandemic that has disrupted daily life across the U.S., one especially vulnerable population is prisoners in the corrections system — who often live in settings where social distancing is not possible.

When Mayo Clinic unveiled a new diagnostic test a few years ago that helped detect a rare autoimmune disorder, a Massachusetts company sued for patent infringement.

Following Gov. Tim Walz’s executive orders outlining restrictions in several areas of the economy, the Attorney General’s Office created teams to protect Minnesotans during the pandemic.

The battle over Bde Maka Ska ended in 2020 after the Minnesota Supreme Court decided the state had the authority to change its name from Lake Calhoun.

No previous Minnesota governor has had to exercise emergency powers as much as Gov. Tim Walz during the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the complication behind doing so was that there was no equivalent legal history to lead the way.

When the coronavirus started spreading a year ago, it came with a byproduct that not many expected: the indignant refusal by some to wear a mask, a simple measure that health experts said would stop the virus from spreading.

Election Day 2020 was one of the most closely watched political events of this generation — and most hotly disputed.

Defense attorney Tom Hagen took the case for a simple reason: He believed what Christopher Kruse told him.