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Michael D. Tewksbury

  • (612) 334-3399
  • mtewksbury@tkz.com

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Michael D. Tewksbury

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES

Michael D. Tewksbury was born and grew up in Chicago.  After completing two years of college at Knox College, he transferred to the University of Northern Colorado and graduated with honors in 1975.  Mike then attended law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.  He graduated cum laude in 1978 and was then hired to teach at the law school.  He taught legal writing and advanced legal writing classes for two years.

In 1980, Mike joined the law firm of Rider, Bennett, Egan & Arundel, an insurance defense firm in Minneapolis.  He was made a partner of that firm and focused his work on insurance coverage issues, defense of personal injury cases, and also was instrumental in handling the firm’s plaintiffs’ work.  In 1988, Mr. Tewksbury joined Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben to work exclusively on claims for injured people.

In 1994, Mr. Tewksbury joined with his friend Keith Kerfeld to create Tewksbury & Kerfeld, P.A.  The goal this firm set out to achieve was to provide individual service for its clients in an aggressive, efficient, and fair manner.  The firm adopted the practices and procedures that were beneficial to the clients from their previous firms and focused on individual attention for each client.

In addition to representing injured people, Mike Tewksbury is often hired to be an arbitrator or mediator to help resolve other lawyers’ cases.  He was appointed by the Supreme Court to the Minnesota No-Fault Standing Committee and served on the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors.  He is often asked to teach, lecture, or write on various areas of the law and trial practice techniques.

Mr. Tewksbury has been repeatedly named as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Law & Politics and recognized for that achievement in Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Minnesota Law & Politics, and Business Monthly.  He has been named as one of the top arbitrators and mediators, one of the top appellate lawyers, and one of the top personal injury trial lawyers.  In 2001, he was named as one of the top 100 lawyers in the state of Minnesota.

Mike’s approach to handling injury claims is to provide an efficient problem-solving technique in an effort to maximize his clients’ recoveries in a prompt and fair manner.  He utilizes a highly-trained and well-qualified staff to assist his clients in obtaining the benefits to which they are entitled so they can focus their energies on recovering from their injuries and losses.

MICHAEL D. TEWKSBURY

88 South Tenth Street, Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Mtewksbury@TKZ.COM
612-334-3399 (Phone)
612-334-5787 (Fax)

TEWKSBURY & KERFELD

September 1994 – Present

Formed in September 1994 as TewksburyKerfeld0 Zimmer, the firm’s practice consists of plaintiffs’ personal injury litigation, insurance defense work for a limited number of insurance carriers, insurance coverage litigation and providing alternative dispute resolution services.

SCHWEBEL GOETZ & SIEBEN

November 1988 – September 1994

Practice focused on plaintiffs’ personal injury litigation, handling all aspects of trial work from initial pleadings through trial.

RIDER BENNETT EGAN & ARUNDEL

August 1980 – October 1988

Litigation Partner practicing insurance defense litigation and insurance coverage matters. Also worked on most of the firm’s major plaintiff files.

WILLIAM MITCHELL COLLEGE OF LAW

1982 – 1985

Adjunct Faculty. William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota Legal Writing and Appellate Advocacy.

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

1978 – 1980

Instructor of law – Legal Writing Programs. Responsibilities included teaching first year writing class “Introduction to Law” and “Advanced Legal Writing” to second year students.

EDUCATION

1975 – 1978 Juris Doctor, Cum Laude – Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, WA

1973 – 1975 Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude – University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO

1971 – 1973

Knox College, Galesburg, IL

BAR ADMISSIONS

Colorado 1978

Minnesota 1979

State and Federal District Courts – Minnesota

APPOINTMENTS

Special Master: 1-35 Bridge Collapse Panel to Distribute Victim Fund, 2008 — 2009

Special Master: Tristar Pressure Cooker Distribution Hearings 2021

Special Master Vaping/battery Explosion Hearings 2020-present

Special Master Nutri-Bullet Distribution Hearings 2019-present

Special Master Cedar Apartment Explosion Distribution Hearings 2019

Special Master Pressure Cooker Distribution Hearings 2018-present

Special Master Risperdal Drug Distribution Hearings 2017-Present

Special Master Yaz/Yasmine Drug Distribution Hearings 2012 – Present

Special Master Cottonwood Bus Crash 2010

Supreme Court No-Fault Standing Committee 2001 – 2008

Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors 2005 — 2007

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Top 100 super Lawyers in Minnesota, August 2001, 2003, 2019, 2020, 2021

Lawyer of the Year: Best Lawyers 2022 Mediator of the Year Minneapolis

Lawyer of the Year: Best Lawyers in America – 2017 Arbitrator of the Year – Minneapolis

Minnesota’s Best Lawyers: Lawyer of Year 2013 – Alternative Dispute Resolution and Personal Injury

International Order of Barristers 2014 – Present

American Board of Trial Lawyers (ABOTA) 2013 – Present

U.S. News and World Reports First Tier Rating of Law Firms 2010 — Present- Personal Injury and ADR

Best Lawyers in America-Personal Injury Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution 2008 – Present

Leading American Attorneys, Minnesota, 1997 – Present

National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers, 2009 – Present

Super Lawyer, Law & Politics, Twin Cities Business Monthly, Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, 1996 – Present

Top 40 Personal Injury Attorneys in Minnesota, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

Law and Politics

Top 50 Appellate Lawyers in Minnesota, November 2000, Law & Politics

Top 25 Mediators in Minnesota, January 2001, 2002, 2004 Law & Politics

Top 25 Personal Injury Attorneys in Minnesota, April 2001 , 2002, Law & Politics

PUBLICATIONS AND SEMINARS TAUGHT

Arbitrating No-Fault Cases, July 26, 1985

Fundamentals of Trying a Persona/ Injury Case, October, 1985

Soft Tissue Injury: Special Diagnostic Tests, December 5, 1985

A Potpourri: Guide to Recent Developments in Minnesota Insurance Law, May 14, 1986

Soft Tissue Injury, Defending Against Soft Tissue Claims-Use of the Chiropractor as an Independent Medical Examiner, Course Chair, February 5, 1987

Minnesota Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage Issues Subrogation Right and the Use of Special Releases in UM and I-JIM Claims, April 29, 1987

Utilizing Legal Assistants: Billing and Profitability, November 6, 1987

Chiropractic Costs Management for the Insurance Professional, Legal Consideration for Usual Routine and Customary Standards of Care, December 1, 1987

Liquor Liability – Minnesota 1988

Successful Trial Tactics in a Dram Shop Case, January 16, 1988

UM/UIM Seminar, April 28, 1988

Orthopedics for Lawyers: The Spine, May 13, 1988

Understanding Soft Tissue Injuries – A Medical Perspective, Course Chair, December 9, 1988

Defense Lawyer’s Perspective of Plaintiff’s Practice, January 1 1, 1989

Settlement Strategies: No-Fault, Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Claims, February 9, 1989

Innovative Settlement Strategies, February 17, 1989

Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases, No-Fault Issues, June 13, 1989

Reflections of an Ex-Defense Lawyer: Avoiding Pitfalls-Measuring Damages in Wrongful Death Cases, June 23, 1989

Insurance Law – A Re-Examination, July 12, 1989

Minnesota State Bar Association State Fair Mock Trial Demonstration, September 3, 1989

Persona/ Injury Institute, Voir Dire – The Plaintiff’s Perspective, October 12-13, 1989

Drafting Settlement and Release Documents, Preserving Claims Against Other Parties and Insurers, December 1, 1989

The Chiropractic Physician in the Courtroom, December 2, 1989

Personal Injury Institute 5th Annual, December 12, 1989

Minnesota Motor Vehicle Accident Seminar, Damages – Plaintiff’s Perspective, May 25, 1990

Personal Injury Institute, 6th Annual – Before and After the Lawsuit Doing the Paperwork and Avoiding the Traps, October 11-12, 1990

Soft Tissue Injury Seminar, Direct and Cross-Examination of the Independent Medical Examiner and Direct and Cross-Examination of the Treating Physician, Course Chair, November 9, 1990

MTLA Mock Trial Seminar, Demonstration of personal injury trial assumed defense counsel role, December 5-6, 1991

Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases IV – Damages: Plaintiff’s Perspective on Evaluating and Proving Damage Claims, June 5, 1992

Pain and Injury Seminar, September 18, 1992

Pain and Injury Seminar, The Medical Seminar for Attorneys-Chronic Pain, 1993

Minnesota Civil Trial Practice: Jury Trial or Court Trial? April 14, 1994

Minnesota Motor Vehicle Accident Desk Book, Chapter 10, “Accidents involving motorcycles, buses, rental cars, bicycles, and other specialized vehicles, ” June 1994, updated with each republication

Personal Injury Litigation; Expert Testimony by an Economist, January 6, 1995

Human Anatomy, Handling Brain Injury Claims, January 31, 1995

Claims Handling and Resolution of Claims Seminar for USF&G Claim Representatives, April 20, 1995

The Nuts and Bolts of ADR, A Practical Seminar for Mediators and Arbitrators, Course Co-Chair, June 15, 1995

Settlement Agreements, Motor vehicle accidents in Minnesota, Normandale Community College, Fall 1995

Certified ADR Training, How to Manage The Arbitration Process, October 1995

Soft Tissue Injuries, Presentation the Plaintiff’s Case Through the Treating Doctor and Independent Medical Examiner, February 1 1, 1996

Advanced UM and I-JIM, Uninsured Motorist Subrogation and Settlement’ Underinsured Motorist Subrogation and Settlement, August 8, 1996

Efficient and Productive Handling of Automobile Accident Cases, Handling Settlement Agreements, November 15, 1996

Handling the Auto Accident Case, Handling UM with Multiple Parties and Substitution of Checks in I-JIM, December 13, 1996

Minnesota No Fault, Arbitration Primer, February 20, 1997

Anatomy of a Persona/ Injury Trial, Final Argument Presenter, written materials by Richard Hunegs and David Fitzgerald, March 7, 1997

UW Insurance, April 23, 1997

Mediation as ADR Evolves, August 20, 1997

Effective and Efficient Litigation Techniques, ADR Use and Misuse, October 8, 1997

Alternative Dispute Resolution Real Life Answers to Real Life Circumstances-Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Subrogation and Settlement Techniques, June 17, 1998

Alternative Dispute Resolution, June 1998

Settling Persona/ Injury Cases – Complicated Personal Injury Cases, June 23, 1998

Alternative Dispute Resolution   Recent Case Law- Avoiding The Pitfalls, November 5, 1999

Chronic Pain- ADR Techniques in Chronic Pain Cases, September 26, 2001

Alternative Dispute Resolution Maximizing Your Return: Settling The Liability/UM Claim With The Best Results, June 14, 2002

Mediations and Arbitrations Brown Bag Seminar, February 1 1, 2004

No-Fault/UlM/UM Update Seminar, May 14, 2004

2004 Medical Malpractice Seminar- Use of New Jury Instruction in Aggravation of Injury Cases, June 16, 2004

ADR: The Law, the Process, the Practice. What Every Mediator Wants You To Know, May 19, 2006

No-Fault/Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Update MTLA, October 12, 2006

Successful Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Personal Injury Matters, MN Assoc. of Justice, February 22, 2008 and Mid-Winter Convention, February 29, 2008

Ethical Witness Preparation and Coaching, Ethics and Elimination of Bias Seminar, Minnesota Association of Justice, May 19, 2008

American Arbitration Association New Arbitrator Training, 2009

Insights from the Bridge Collapse Hearings, MNAJ Annual Convention, August 14, 2009

Increasing the Likelihood of a Successful Outcome at Mediation, Minnesota Trial Spring

2010, Minnesota Association of Justice magazine, reprinted in Colorado Trial Lawyer Magazine, 2011

Ethical Witness Preparation, MNAJ Mid-Winter Conference, February 2012

2015 ADR Institute Current Issues in Mediation – Panel Discussion, October 2015

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