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
Criminal Law, Construction Defect & Mediation Q&A with James Johnson:
How can I reduce the risk of litigation in real estate transactions from the buyers perspective? [Transcript] Why would clients who are having problems with insurance companies come to you? [Transcript] As a client, why use a branch office firm that has offices in...
Clients Prevail on Damages in Encroachment Case: Remand to Decide Whether Building Must Be Removed
Lommen Abdo lawyers Kay Nord Hunt and Michael Moline recently won a real estate boundary dispute case that provides new precedent for analyzing trespass damages related to encroaching buildings. The Minnesota Court of Appeals clarified the relief available for...
Love is in the February Air
February…the month of love. It got me thinking about marriage. So I hopped onto Urban Dictionary* to see how others define it. Among the traditional definitions, I found a few gems. One said marriage is "the number one cause of divorce." Another one states marriage is...
News You Can Use July/August 2016
Federal civil right of action for trade secrets misappropriation created. Do you want to assure that enough money is set aside to take care of your pets after your death? Minneapolis requires paid sick and safe time for workers starting July 2017. Lommen Abdo expands...
Let’s get charitable in the New Year!
Are you required to take minimum distributions from your IRA but you don’t want or need the additional taxable income? Are you charitably inclined? On a temporary basis since 2006, IRA owners have had the ability to exclude up to $100,000 from gross income for...
Kathleen Loucks and Mike Moline Elected Lommen Abdo Shareholders
Kathleen Loucks and Mike Moline have become shareholders of Lommen Abdo, P.A. effective January 1, 2016. Kathleen Loucks is a litigator who focuses on business and construction defect litigation, as well as medical malpractice and insurance coverage disputes. In her...