About Adam Wahlberg
For 14 years, Adam Wahlberg was executive editor of Minnesota Law & Politics before taking over as editor in chief of its spinoff publication Super Lawyers. He is a Minneapolis-based writer who never misses a Wilco concert and always roots for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Articles written by Adam Wahlberg
The Combiner
Andrew Humphrey is a mergers lawyer who last year pulled off one of his own–between Faegre & Benson and Baker & Daniels. We sat down with him in March to ask him how he did itQ: When did you start discussions with Baker & Daniels? A: Discussions started about four years ago, but we really didn’t start talking about it in earnest until two years ago. Baker & Daniels approached us because Indianapolis is a big life sciences hub and it has some significant life sciences clients. It had gone through a strategic planning process very similar to what we were going through. Both firms had identified that the way to achieve growth was to focus on key industries …
Mr. Nice Guy
Wyoming injury defense lawyer Jason Neville believes in the power of pleasant—to a pointJason Neville prides himself on being professionally pleasant. It’s something he learned from his father, defense lawyer Frank Neville, and Patrick Swayze. “You know that scene in Road House where Swayze is teaching the young guys how to be a bouncer?” Neville asks. “He says, ‘Be nice until it’s time not to be nice.’ That’s like my father. I learned from him that you can get so much more out of somebody, so much more out of a witness or an adversary, by being nice. Then, when …
Q&A: Ted Olson
The lawyer behind just about everythingFor a man with such an ordinary name, Ted Olson has had no ordinary career. Bush v. Gore, Proposition 8, Citizens United, ever heard of them? And the list goes on and on. It’s safe to say that no private lawyer of his generation has made more of a public impact. We asked Olson to walk us through the history of his career—which in a lot of ways mirrors the history of the country. Q: When was the moment that you knew you wanted to get involved in Proposition 8? A: I was contacted by …
Emmanuel E. Ubiñas Is Headed to the Airport
The Jones Day attorney has carved out a niche in representing international corporations that are dealing with fraud matters, which has him doing a lot of traveling to Mexico and Central America. We caught up with him in his Dallas office and found out why he’s discovered it’s sometimes best to stay near the hotelQ: You were born overseas, right? A: Yes, I was born in Puerto Rico and I lived there until I was around 6 years old, when we moved to New Orleans and later to Dallas. Q: How often are you called out of the country for work? A: For various portions of my time here, I’ve been in and out of the country several times in a month. When we’re kind of heavy in the middle of a litigation matter, there have been years where I took 10 to 15 trips down to Latin America. Q: Are you …
Seduced by Trial Law
Robin Gibbs on the opportunity that he saw 40 years ago for small firms in commercial litigationQ: How long have you lived in Texas? A: I lived in upstate New York in the Catskills for about eight years, moved to Fort Worth in 1957. Moved to Houston in ’71 and this has been our home for 40 years. Q: Did you always plan to do commercial litigation? A: I came to commercial litigation with malice aforethought. I started my career in 1971 at Vinson & Elkins as a trial lawyer in their insurance defense section trying personal injury, insurance defense cases, malpractice, products …
The Doyenne of Dorsey
Dorsey & Whitney’s Marianne Short on what it’s like to manage one of the state’s largest firms, her role as a leading female pioneer, and lessons learned from a certain vice presidentQ: You just started your second stint as managing partner. A: Yes, I’m half into it. Q: I imagine the hours you keep are difficult. Do you still find the law as enjoyable as ever? A: Oh, I love the law. You have to have a passion for it or you wouldn’t put up with some of the other things that go along with it. It’s just fascinating; it’s how we all live together in a crowded world. You have to love it, it has to energize, and then you have to really respect it because it takes …
The Lawyer's Lawyer
Q&A with Carter PhillipsHave you ever noticed that great lawyers tend to be baseball fans? Something about the analysis and the strategizing, and the keeping score. Carter Phillips loves baseball and he keeps score. He’s made more appearances before the U.S. Supreme Court than anyone currently in private practice—71 and counting—and, yes, he can tell you his record. He can tell you plenty of other things as well, from clerking for Chief Justice Burger to throwing darts with Justice Alito. We caught up with the …
Family Guy
Richard Orsinger of McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing talks about designing CLE presentations, the genius of Bruce Bowen and just how long it takes for a divorce to stop hurtingYou’re one of the top family law lawyers in Texas. What attracted you to the practice area and what do you love about it? Family law has become much more technical than it used to be. When you say you’re a family law specialist, you have to be prepared to learn and apply just about every kind of law there is. If you have a bunch of business partnerships and a dispute over whether distributions are community property or not, you have to understand partnership law, you have to understand tax …
The Man from Merced
Growing up, Gary Hernandez was anxious to leave, but he keeps coming backGary Hernandez was born to have calluses. “My family, my community, my people, everyone worked in the manual labor force,” says the amiable Hernandez of his upbringing in Merced in the central valley of California. His parents were both first-generation Mexican Americans. His father worked as a printer for a local newspaper, coming home covered in ink. His mother, when not taking care of him and his sister, worked as clerical assistant at a private school. He figured he’d do something …
Q&A With Daniel Ryan III
Daniel Ryan III of O’Brien & Ryan in Plymouth Meeting on working with surgeons, letting clients be teachers, and still not being over that Georgetown-Villanova gameWhen did you decide to become a lawyer? I had a tremendous influence and mentor in my life, a teacher named David Horn who when I was in 9th grade conscripted me into the debating club. It was freshman year of high school and he pulled me out of my home room and sent me off to the debating club, and I’ve been debating in one way or the other ever since. What was it about debate that you enjoyed? As I remember I didn’t enjoy it every week, but it was a very good exercise and wonderful …
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