Mark W. Vyvyan | Fredrikson & Byron In a recent decision, the Minnesota Supreme Court found that where the damages stemming from a contractor’s negligence exceeded the amount due under its construction contract with the project owner, the contractor’s mechanic’s lien was satisfied, and the contractor was not entitled to recover its attorneys’ fees. In Sustainable… Continue reading Not a Sure Thing: Negligent Contractors May Lose Their Ability To Recover Their Attorneys’ Fees on a Lien Claim
Tag: Minnesota
Should Courts Ask for Appraisal Award Clarification
Advise & Consult, Inc. In Jamestown Villas Homeowners Association v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit clarified the standard for finality in property insurance appraisal awards under Minnesota law, holding that courts should not seek appraiser clarification when the financial award logically resolves the disputed factual… Continue reading Should Courts Ask for Appraisal Award Clarification
Minnesota Raises the Bar on PFAS Regulation: Understanding Amara’s Law and Its Place Among State Reporting Requirements
Matthew J. Schroeder, Valerie E. Lott, and Bryce Pilawski | Akerman Amara’s Law (the Law) establishes Minnesota’s most comprehensive regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to date.[1] Enacted in May 2023, the Law introduces a three-part framework including product prohibitions and manufacturer reporting obligations for products containing intentionally added PFAS.[2] The Law applies to products sold,… Continue reading Minnesota Raises the Bar on PFAS Regulation: Understanding Amara’s Law and Its Place Among State Reporting Requirements
Minnesota Court of Appeals Holds that an Insurer’s Reservation of Rights Can Entitle an Insured to Select Independent Counsel
John A. Knapp and Brandon Batchelor | Stinson On June 1, 2026, the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a decision in Fabyanske, Westra, Hart & Thomson, P.A. v. Western National Mutual Insurance Company, in which the court held that a conflict of interest on the part of counsel hired by an insurance carrier can entitle an… Continue reading Minnesota Court of Appeals Holds that an Insurer’s Reservation of Rights Can Entitle an Insured to Select Independent Counsel
Minnesota Court Clarifies Post-Fire Restoration Work Is Not Necessarily an “Improvement”
John Knapp | Stinson On April 13, 2026, the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued a precedential decision in Haire-Cochran v. 24 Restore, Inc., reversing a district court’s dismissal of claims against a restoration company and clarifying an important question regarding the scope of the two-year statute of limitations under Minnesota Statutes section 541.051, subdivision 1(a). The… Continue reading Minnesota Court Clarifies Post-Fire Restoration Work Is Not Necessarily an “Improvement”