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
Special Considerations in Family Law Appeals
Family law appeals have several unique characteristics that are important for parties to understand before pursuing an appeal. This blog summarizes some of the most noteworthy features of family law appeals. Appellate Mediation Program Most family law cases in...
How Appeals Are Different Than Trial Court Proceedings
Appellate litigation is a unique practice area in which decisions of the trial court are appealed to the Court of Appeals or Supreme Court in the hopes of obtaining reversal or, if you are the respondent, of solidifying your victory once and for all. Almost by...
Special Considerations in Trust and Estate Appeals
With any legal case, there are several factors to consider in deciding whether to appeal, as discussed in my previous blog, “To Appeal or Not to Appeal. That is the Question.” But in addition to those factors, there are certain features of trust and estate matters in...
Six Times to Call an Appellate Attorney
It may seem obvious that the time to contact an appellate attorney is when you want to file an appeal. But there are benefits to getting an appellate attorney involved even during earlier stages of your case. Here are six times it might make sense to seek an appellate...
Spreading Warmth and Goodwill: Lommen Abdo’s Second Socktober Success
As the autumn leaves painted the world in hues of amber, Lommen Abdo once again wrapped its community in warmth through its annual Socktober charity drive. From October 9 through October 27, the firm orchestrated a remarkable campaign that saw the collection of an...
Minnesota Supreme Court Clarifies Who Must Be Served With a Notice of Appeal
Whenever a party wants to appeal a district court’s decision, it is crucial to comply with all the requirements in the Minnesota Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure to do so. One such requirement is Rule 103.01, subd. 1, which requires serving the notice of appeal on...