History of the Firm


Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association originated with the consolidation of three prominent law firms, each of which dates back to the 1880s. These predecessor firms represented businesses that played significant roles in the economic development of the Twin Cities, Minnesota and Upper Midwest.

Briggs and Morgan was officially formed in 1960 after two well-established St. Paul firms merged: The first—Briggs, Gilbert, Morton, Kyle and Macartney—incorporated Weyerhaeuser Timber Company in 1900 and provided considerable representation to lumber companies across the Upper Midwest. Morgan, Raudenbush, Morgan, Oehler and Davis, on the other hand, represented iron ore industry clients and helped to organize the United States Steel Corporation in 1901. The firm’s presence and practice was enhanced substantially by a later merger, in 1983, with the well-known Levitt, Palmer, Bowen, Rotman and Share firm, which represented milling companies, international commodities dealers and real estate developers.

Briggs’ downtown Minneapolis office, located in the IDS Tower, opened in 1979. Today, the vast majority of the firm's practice operates out of this location. In 1989, Briggs became a founding member of Lex Mundi, The World’s Leading Association of Independent Law Firms, and today serves as the member representative in Minnesota.

Briggs underwent additional expansion in 1999 when eight former Doherty, Rumble and Butler attorneys joined the firm, followed by several intellectual property lawyers from Rider Bennett in 2002.

Our firm lineage is rich with judicial scholars and American politicians. Early members included:

  • Frank B. Kellogg, U.S. senator, ambassador to Great Britain, secretary of state, justice of the World Court, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and president of the American Bar Association
  • Cushman K. Davis, Minnesota governor, U.S. senator and chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Moses Clapp, U.S. senator
  • Cordenio A. Severance, president of the American Bar Association
  • Peter S. Popovich, chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
  • Eric J. Magnuson, chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
  • Sam Hanson, Minnesota Supreme Court justice
  • Richard Kyle, federal district court judge
  • John Van de North, Ramsey County District court judge
  • Elena Ostby, Ramsey County District court judge
  • Tim Marx, commissioner of the Minnesota State Housing Finance Agency

Today, Briggs and Morgan employs more than 175 attorneys and associates, along with hundreds of support personnel. Our firm ranks as No. 237 on The National Law Journal’s list of the nation’s largest firms and the fifth largest in Minnesota.