Michael R. Moline

Michael Moline is a nationally experienced trial attorney whose practice encompasses construction litigation, products liability, insurance disputes, commercial litigation, real estate matters, and cultural heritage law. He represents manufacturers, insurers, property owners and developers, design and construction professionals, distributors, business owners, museums, and other nonprofit organizations. 

Mike is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the Minnesota State Bar Association. He has tried more than 50 jury trials, handled hundreds of binding arbitrations, and represented clients in more than a dozen appeals. He has been selected for inclusion in Minnesota Super Lawyers since 2014 and is rated Distinguished for high professional achievement by Martindale-Hubbell. 

Mike has defended construction and products liability claims throughout the Upper Midwest, East Coast, and Florida. His cases have involved products ranging from industrial fasteners and electrical components to construction materials and building systems. He also represents clients in property insurance matters involving hail, fire, storm, and wind damage claims, as well as insurance appraisals and coverage disputes. 

In addition to his litigation practice, Mike has a particular interest in cultural heritage law and representing museums and other nonprofit organizations. He earned a Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies in the field of Museum Studies from Harvard University in 2024. His capstone project proposed a mandatory binding arbitration system for resolving ownership disputes involving artwork looted by the Nazis. 

Areas of Concentration 

• Construction law and construction litigation  
• Design Professionals -  Engineers and Architects 
• Food safety and product recalls  
• Property damage insurance claims and insurance appraisals  
• Insurance coverage disputes  
• Commercial arbitration  
• Products liability  
• Property boundary disputes  
• Museum and cultural heritage law 

Representative Results 

• Successfully represented Minneapolis’ largest parking ramp operator before the Minnesota Supreme Court  
• Obtained a $1 million award for a commercial client in a property boundary dispute  
• Successfully represented a property owner before the Minnesota Supreme Court in a case of first impression defining “total loss” in insurance appraisals  
• Obtained a complete defense verdict following a 42-day, $16 million products liability and construction defect trial in Palm Beach County, Florida  
• Obtained a directed verdict in a $10 million products liability and construction defect trial  
• Obtained a $900,000 insurance appraisal award for a developer in a first-party hail damage claim involving a townhouse development  
• Successfully defended the world’s largest manufacturer of discrete electrical components in a products liability claim involving failed electrical power meters, obtaining a defense verdict in a federal summary jury trial following a $3 million demand  
• Obtained a defense decision in a multimillion-dollar products liability and construction defect trial in Miami-Dade County 

Published Cases 

• Court Park Company v. Hennepin County, 907 N.W.2d 641 (Minn. 2018)  
• Dakota Style Foods v. Sunopta Grains and Foods, 329 F. Supp. 3d 723 (D.S.D. 2018)  
• In re Minnwest Bank Litigation, 873 N.W.2d 135 (Minn. Ct. App. 2015)  
• Auto-Owners Insurance v. Second Chance Investments, 827 N.W.2d 766 (Minn. 2013)  
• Cannon Technologies v. Sensus Metering Systems, 734 F. Supp. 2d 753 (D. Minn. 2010)  
• Vlahos v. R & I Construction, 676 N.W.2d 672 (Minn. 2004)  
• Reiter v. Honeywell, 104 F.3d 1071 (8th Cir. 1997)  
• State v. Holmberg, 527 N.W.2d 100 (Minn. Ct. App. 1995)  
• State v. Peterson, 533 N.W.2d 87 (Minn. Ct. App. 1995)  
• Schibursky v. IBM, 820 F. Supp. 1169 (D. Minn. 1993)