The practice group is rounded out by a cadre of distinguished attorneys who reflect the firm’s diversity in subject matter expertise and geography.
Timothy Billion is a partner licensed to practice in Minnesota and South Dakota. He represents clients in trust and fiduciary litigation, contract and fraud claims, earn-out disputes, class action lawsuits, personal injury claims, constitutional litigation, internal investigations and criminal proceedings. He also advises Tribes across the country.
Timothy Q. Purdon is a partner and co-chair of both the American Indian law and policy group and government and internal investigations group. He is a former U.S. attorney for the District of North Dakota who has made his career leading complex criminal investigations and high-stakes civil plaintiff and defense litigation. He is also a passionate champion for Tribes and Tribal members. Purdon is licensed to practice in Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota.
Brendan V. Johnson is a partner, co-chair of the American Indian law and policy group, co-chair of the government and internal investigations group and a member of the executive board. Licensed to practice in Minnesota and South Dakota, he is a former U.S. attorney for the District of South Dakota. He is an aggressive courtroom, political and public advocate.
Thomas F. Berndt is a partner in Robins Kaplan’s Minneapolis office. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes disputes involving alleged fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, shareholder oppression, antitrust violations and unfair trade practices.
Teamwork and resource sharing contribute to the outstanding legal results the firm is known for. “Anytime you can more effectively harness and leverage the work of your partners, like we now do much more effectively with this group, we can provide our clients with added value,” Lockner says. “When a client hires one of us to handle a fiduciary matter, they are not just getting the knowledge and experience of one person. Rather, we can draw on the collective wisdom and experience of our close-knit group of attorneys who all work in the fiduciary space, including our colleagues in New York, Boston, California and the Dakotas, in addition to those of us in Minnesota. We also have experience in a wide variety of industries and various types of corporate structures — all of which have fiduciary duties that can give rise to disputes.”
In her practice, where matters are often resolved by a relatively small legal team, Rahne says junior attorneys can enjoy an immersive practice experience. “It translates to early, significant experience and opportunities to take depositions or appear in court. Associates can also get up close with what clients’ problems and worries are, which orients them toward thinking about how to make a person’s life better. The complexities and dynamics tend to be more interpersonal and historical, and the application of law can be complicated. It all comes down to whether or not somebody breached a duty. And what’s more visceral than proving somebody did wrong by somebody else?”
Across the firm at large, Lockner affirms the “opportunities at Robins Kaplan are meaty, meaningful and available for any associate willing to step up and take them. We have always been known to staff our cases leanly and efficiently. Not only does this ensure that the clients are obtaining high-quality and cost-effective legal work, but it also allows associates to have exciting opportunities at an early stage.”
