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
News You Can Use January/February 2016
Let’s get charitable! Have you made 2016 resolutions for your business? Clients prevail in encroachment case. Lommen Abdo has two new shareholders – meet them. Read about these topics and more in the January/February 2016 newsletter.
News You Can Use November/December 2015
Changes in the estate and gift tax. Analysis of successor liability. Using binding appraisals to resolve property damage claims. Music clearance for the Pope’s U.S. visit. Read about these topics and more in the November/December 2015 newsletter.
Business Litigation & Real Estate Q&A with Brent Johnson
Why is it important for the owners to work with a lawyer when starting up a new business? [Transcript] What is a shareholder dispute? [Transcript] Why would a client choose a medium size firm like Lommen Abdo over one of the BIG law firms for business litigation?...
Civil Litigation Q&A with Barry O’Neil:
What issues come up most in employment law litigation? [Transcript] What rights do minority shareholders have in a shareholder dispute? [Transcript] What is the first thing a business should do if served with a commercial litigation lawsuit? [Transcript] ...
Resolving Property Damage Insurance Claims
This year has again brought us countless hail and extreme weather events. In fact, only Texas has more hail claims per year than Minnesota. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that where there is property damage, insurance claims and disputes soon follow. Fortunately,...
Power of Attorneys and Trusts
Powers of Attorney and Trusts are two frequently used estate planning instruments. One of the most difficult decisions to make in relation to the drafting of a Power of Attorney or Trust as part of an estate plan is who shall handle your personal and financial...