Phillip A. Cole / Retired
Former Areas of Practice: Legal Malpractice, Professional Liability, Medical Malpractice, Commercial Litigation, Business Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Shareholder/Owner Disputes, Wrongful Death
Phillip A. Cole / Biography
Before his retirement, Phil Cole used his extensive litigation experience in handling personal injury cases, commercial disputes, business torts, class actions, medical malpractice claims, and the defense of all types of claims brought against lawyers. Mr. Cole has been a frequent lecturer and a published author in the areas of trial strategies and professional liability subjects. Mr. Cole was a board certified civil trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy before retiring.
He has been a qualified neutral under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice and included on the civil neutrals rosters for both facilitative/hybrid and adjudicative/evaluative panels. Mr. Cole was selected as the Minneapolis Best Lawyers Legal Malpractice Lawyer of the Year for 2011 and as the Minneapolis Best Lawyers Legal Malpractice Lawyer-Defendants of the Year for 2014 and again in 2019. Cole, a member of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys until his retirement, was certified as a specialist in the litigation of both legal and medical professional liability claims (this national organization is not accredited by the Minnesota Board of Legal Certification).
Mr. Cole has also been recognized in the International Who’s Who, Who’s Who in American Law, the National Registry of Who’s Who, and as one of The Best Lawyers in America© by U.S. World & News Report. He has been repeatedly listed as a Minnesota Super Lawyer and has been listed as a Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer for over a dozen years. Before his retirement he was rated AV Preeminent® for the highest level of professional excellence by Martindale-Hubbell.
Education
- University of Maryland, B.A., 1961
- Georgetown University, J.D., 1964
News + Articles
US Supreme Court Walks Back Arbitration as a Way to Resolve Disputes Between Carriers and Independent Contractors
To resolve disputes with its independent contractors, motor carriers frequently include broad mandatory arbitration clauses in their agreements with those contractors. Courts will usually compel arbitration under those agreements through application of the 1925...
Shoulder Injuries from Vaccines? Separating Fact from Fiction
This article appeared on the Mitchell Hamline Law Review blog on February 17, 2019. SIRVA “Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration” is compensated through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) which is administered through the United...
Assumption of Risk Doctrine Remains in Minnesota, But Held Not to Apply to Recreational Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding
On January 23, 2019, the Minnesota Supreme Court decided for the first time that the doctrine of implied primary assumption of risk does not apply to recreational downhill skiing or snowboarding. Soderberg v. Anderson, --- N.W.2d --- (Minn. Jan. 23, 2019). This means...
Lommen Abdo brings in Josh Feneis to assist clients in high stakes family law and business litigation
Josh Feneis understands that going through the court process is a stressful time in a client's life and that an experienced litigator can ease that stress in two ways: 1) by providing clear information and recommendations about the options available and 2) by working...
Commercial Litigation Q&A by Lauren Nuffort
Why is early involvement so important in property subrogation? [Transcript] Why are contracts so important in construction defect litigation? [Transcript] What is a rewarding aspect in your practice as a professional liability defense attorney? [Transcript] View all...
Protecting My Client’s Clients: Confidentiality and Privilege Issues in Legal Malpractice Cases
Bryan Feldhaus was a panelist at an ABA webinar on February 12, 2019, "Protecting My Client’s Clients: Confidentiality and Privilege Issues in Legal Malpractice Cases." Overview: Lawyers and law firm defendants are unique. For example, the defendant-lawyer is not...