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
Ailing 7-year-old girl at center of state Supreme Court ruling dies
A month after 7-year-old Jocelyn Dickhoff became the center of a precedent-setting Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, her family will lay her to rest. Read the Star Tribune article. Read about the Loss of Chance decision of the Minnesota Supreme Court.
Top Ten Tips for Family Law Appellate Practice
Kay Hunt spoke on June 19, 2013 at a family law CLE presented jointly by the Hennepin County Bar Association and Ramsey County Bar Association with the Honorable Francis Connolly, Minnesota Court of Appeals; the Honorable John Rodenberg, Minnesota Court of Appeals;...
Kay Nord Hunt Presented with Gustavus Adolphus Distinguished Alumni Citation
Kay Nord Hunt was presented with the Gustavus Adolphus Distinguished Alumni Citation on June 1st. This award has been given annually since 1955 and recipients include Supreme Court Justices J.R. Magney and G. Barry Anderson, Governor Harold LeVander; Artist Paul...
Minnesota’s Amended Rules for Civil Cases: A Summary
The Minnesota Supreme Court has adopted amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure and the General Rules of Practice for the District Courts to be effective July 1, 2013. The amendments significantly change the process for civil cases. All attorneys handling civil...
What Minnesota’s Same-Sex Marriage Law Means for Estate Planning, Employment and Family Law
UPDATE: On June 26, 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court issued decisions in two cases impacting same-sex marriage. While these rulings do not decide a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, the implications are very broad. As a result of these decisions, once same-sex...
Minnesota Adopts Loss of a Chance Doctrine: Medical Malpractice Trial Ordered to Proceed
The parents of Jocelyn Dickhoff, who turns seven on June 12, brought a case against her physicians for failing to timely diagnose her cancer or refer her to another doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The trial court dismissed her case. Today, the Minnesota Supreme...