Richard T. Ostlund

Richard T. Ostlund

Attorney Profile

Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney in Minneapolis, MN

Anthony Ostlund Baer & Louwagie P.A.
 | 3600 Wells Fargo Center, 90 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Visit: http://www.anthonyostlund.com
Phone: 612-349-6969
Fax: 612-349-6996
Email: Richard T. Ostlund
Selected To Super Lawyers: 2003 - 2020
Licensed Since: 1982
Practice Areas:
  • Business Litigation (70%),
  • Intellectual Property Litigation (20%),
  • Closely Held Business (10%)
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Attorney Profile

Rich Ostlund is an experienced and successful senior business trial lawyer and an accomplished shareholder rights/corporate governance advocate.  Rich has tried complex cases in over 30 states, spanning a 33-year career. 

As a professional advisor and trial advocate, Rich possesses a rare combination of business judgment, strategic leadership and crisis management skills; personal experience as a board member of multiple national and multi-national companies; and, ultimately, a deep reservoir of success in litigating major, often bet the company cases across the United States.

Professional Accolades

Rich has long been recognized as one of the leading trial lawyers in Minnesota, and has for many years been named a “Best Lawyer in America” by Minnesota Monthly Magazine and has been selected to the Minnesota “Super Lawyer” list.  In 2009, Rich was selected by Minnesota Lawyer as 2009 Minnesota Lawyer of the Year based on his recovery of $73 and $62 million for clients and in 2014, Rich was selected as Business Litigation Attorney of the Year by Corporate INTL Magazine, based in London, England.  

Success in Trial

Rich has an unusually broad range of major business trial success as lead trial counsel on business cases for companies, private equity firms and individuals in State and Federal Courts and arbitrations across the United States since 1982.  He has received awards, decisions, verdicts and recoveries in just the past few years of his career of $24 million, $73 million, $62 million, $23 million, $18 million, $15 million and $7.5 million in breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, business governance and share buy-out, banking, employment, insurance coverage, ERISA fraud and intellectual property rights in Minnesota, California, Texas, and Arizona.  Rich has received multiple complete defense resolutions/summary dismissals in complex business disputes involving hundreds of millions in claimed losses as well in the past several years, again in cases in a variety of states, including Minnesota, Texas, California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida and Hawaii. 

Assessments based on Personal Experience

Clients, judges, and referral sources nationwide offer the following assessments of Rich based on personal experiences:

"I served as the chairman of the board of directors for three different companies that have engaged the services of Rich Ostlund at Anthony Ostlund for six various litigation cases.  Each case was won on summary judgment, by satisfactory settlement, by trial or arbitration.  Rich Ostlund’s case preparation, intellect and aggressiveness is unparalleled."  

-- Mark W. Sheffert, Chairman and CEO, Manchester Companies, Inc.; Minnesota Corporate Director Hall of Fame

"As a former Delaware Superior Court judge for 21 years, the Delaware Attorney General and senior counsel for Bifferato LLC I’ve had the opportunity to observe the best in action.  In my role as senior counsel to Bifferato LLC I represented the stockholders’ of a Delaware corporation who were sued in a complex issue involving stock options.  I asked several judges from Minnesota who would be the best litigators for this type of corporate matter.  I received Rich Ostlund’s name.  We were extremely pleased with the representation. He developed a successful motion strategy that ended the litigation with a minimum amount of expense and then successfully defended the result through two levels of appeal.  Clearly, Rich and his firm deserve their reputations as top corporate litigators."

-- Honorable Richard Gebelein, Delaware Judge and Attorney General of the State of Delaware

"Business executives never enjoy litigation.  When that is your only course of action you need the best.  Rich Ostlund fits that description.  Both public and private companies that I have been affiliated with as an owner and director over the past fifteen years have had numerous situations where litigating was our only avenue of choice.  Rich was very successful in getting a favorable ruling for us because he developed a superior litigation strategy, was better prepared, and was extremely convincing in court."

-- Kevin Roberg, CEO Kelsey Capital Management and board member of multiple private and public companies

"Since 2001, Rich Ostlund has led three complex litigation cases for entities for which I am general counsel. Each of the cases were exceptionally complex and, in each instance, the opposing parties were represented by extremely competent and exceptionally litigious counsel. From formulation of cases strategies, discovery, witness examination and cross-examination, motion practice and eventual hearing/trial I witnessed Rich's personal commitment to the case, the client and the profession. Rich has been blessed with extraordinary skill, diligence, analytical awareness and compassion."

-- Richard M. Barney, Jr., General Counsel, West Coast Beauty Supply

Strategist and Lawyer

Rich's business judgment and strategic thinking has led to his leadership being sought out beyond the legal arena, where he has been a director of over 15 national and multi-national companies, a Trustee of the University of Minnesota Foundation, a Trustee of St. John’s University, Chair of the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital and a Trustee of the Minnesota Medical Foundation, while also serving eight years on the Minnesota Governor’s Judicial Selection Committee to nominate and screen Minnesota judicial candidates for appointment by the Governor. 

If your legal and business needs require an aggressive and widely respected strategist and senior, lead trial attorney with a 30-year track record of success nationwide, Rich Ostlund is on the short list of those to interview and trust with your most important business and personal legal needs. 

About Richard Ostlund

Admitted: 1982, Minnesota

Professional Webpage: https://anthonyostlund.com/richard-t-ostlund

Honors/Awards:

  • Selected to the "Top 40 Business Litigator Attorneys" list by Minnesota Law & Politics, 2008 - 2010
  • Selected as a Minnesota Lawyer's "Attorney of the Year," 2009
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in Commercial Litigation every year since 2008
  • Minnesota Business Trial Lawyer of the Year, Corporate International, 2014
  • Chambers USA Rated Attorney, 2004 - 2017
  • Peer Reviewed as "AV® Preeminent™ 5.0" (highest possible rating), Martindale Hubbell

Bar/Professional Activity:

  • Member, Federal Bar Association  
  • Member, Hennepin County Association  
  • Member, Minnesota State Bar Association  

Pro bono/Community Service:

  • Director, Fairview Health System, a multi-billion regional hospital system
  • Director, RTP Company, a privately held multinational plastic compounding business
  • Trustee, University of Minnesota Foundation  
  • Trustee, Saint John’s University  
  • Chairman, University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital Board  
  • Trustee, University of Minnesota Medical Foundation  
  • Metropolitan area Representative, Minnesota Governor’s Judicial Selection Committee, which screens and recommends individual judicial candidates for appointment by the Governor  
  • Director, American Automobile Association, Minneapolis, MN  

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

Verdicts/Settlements:

  • Senior ExecutivesMany senior executives who have lost their jobs unfairly have retained Rich, who has recovered between $2 and $10 million multiple times in the past decade for terminated and/or squeezed-out executives.  
  • Texas BioMedical Patent Recovery of $23 MillionIn an Eastern District of Texas federal court action, Sutura v. Abbott Labs, Rich recovered $23 Million for Sutura for breach of its patents by Abbott Laboratories.
  • Cost of Defense Resolution in Alleged $100 Million Texas Anti-Trust LitigationRich led an Anthony Ostlund team that successfully defended and achieved dismissal of a $100 million anti-trust case pending in Texarkana, Texas.  Anthony Ostlund took over defense from one of the largest firms in America, which had recommended the client pay over $20 million to solve the case.  After key discovery and with a pending summary judgment motion, the case was solved confidentially for less than the client’s deductible on its insurance coverage.  Anthony Ostlund’s team of six lawyers efficiently replaced a team of 16 from the prior firm, and saved the client over $20 million.
  • Schwans v. SchwansRich successfully defended the Trustees of the Schwans Foundation in both an $869 million federal court lawsuit and a $600 million federal estate tax case in Washington, D.C.
  • Leading Appellate DecisionsRich has been lead counsel in multiple appellate cases which have made new law on critical business and corporate governance principles, including: Brenny v. The Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota, 813 N.W.2d 417 (Minn. Ct. App. 2012)Valspar Refinish, Inc. v. Gaylords, Inc., 764 N.W.2d 359 (Minn. 2009)Powell v. Anderson Corp., 660 N.W.2d 107 (Minn. 2003)Powell v. Anderson, 660 N.W.2d 107 (Minn. 2003)Gunderson v. Alliance of Computer Professionals, Inc., 628 N.W.2d 173 (Minn. Ct. App. 2001)Foy v. Klapmeier, 992 F. 2d 774 (8th Cir. 1999)Kelley v. Rudd, 1992 WL 3651 (Minn. Ct. App. 1992)Dolphin v. Johnson, 1990 WL 194991 (Minn. Ct. App. 1990)Bolander v. Bolander, 703 N.W. 2d 529 (Minn. Ct. App. 2005)  
  • $73 Million Recovery in San Francisco Construction/Joint Venture ArbitrationIn a private arbitration over the alleged fraud of a property developer, Rich obtained a $73 million recovery of funds and property for the project’s financial investor.
  • $10 Million Defense Order in Shareholder Breach of Fiduciary Duty CaseIn Bolander v. Bolander, Rich successfully defended company client against a $10 million claim for stock buy-out.
  • Minority Shareholder Buy-OutsIn the past several years alone, Rich has recovered $63 million, $21 million, $8 million, $15 million, $14 million, $9 million, $4.5 million and $3 million – all for minority shareholders in private companies whose rights had been abused.  Rich often handles such cases on a contingent fee bases in order to permit these clients to vindicate their rights despite their adversaries use of company funds to defend themselves.
  • Many Bank Officers and Directors retain Mr. OstlundFollowing the banking crisis in 2007-2008, many private banks across America and their directors and officers have been sued or threatened with suit by bank regulatory authorities.  Rich, who has represented banks and their boards/officers across the Midwest for 30 years, is currently defending many directors, officers and their banks.  In 2013, Rich successfully resolved the FDIC’s $77 million claim against 23 officers and directors of a major regional failed bank, with no personal payment to the FDIC by any director.
  • $24 Million Decision in Minnesota Shareholder ActionBadzin v. Badzin.  Rich, after a multi-week court trial, obtained a $24 million buy-out decision plus financial sanctions for his family-owned company shareholder/employee client, who had been forced out of the company.
  • $8 Million Loan Guarantor Defense VerdictIn Alerus v. Sanford, Rich obtained a $8 million defense verdict on behalf of three personal guarantors, when Alerus attempted to collect on a guarantee issued by Rich's client, T. Denny Sanford.
  • Insurance Coverage Recoveries of $15 Million and $7.5 Million in Texas and ArizonaRepresenting a company in recovering on key person insurance coverage after the death of a CFO, Rich led litigation in Texas against American General and AIG Insurance Group, recovering $15 million upon breach of coverage and bad faith claims against the insurance carriers.  A year later, Rich recovered $7.5 million from Colonial and Traveler’s insurance upon breach of insurance coverage claims for another client in Phoenix, Arizona Federal Court.

Educational Background:

  • J.D., cum laude, University of Minnesota
  • B.A., cum laude, Saint John’s University  
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Office Location for Richard T. Ostlund

3600 Wells Fargo Center
90 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Richard T. Ostlund:

Last Updated: 1/15/2020

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