May 18, 2010

Briggs and Morgan Elects New Officers and Board Members

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. (May 2010) – The shareholders of Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association, elected three new board members: Darlene Cobian, James Duffy and Frank Taylor.

Darlene M. Cobian, secretary, is a shareholder and is a member of the Estate Planning and Administration Section. Cobian assists multi-generational families with high and ultra-high net worths address complex estate and tax issues, and practices principally in the areas of: estate planning, trust and estate administration, charitable gifting and tax-exempt organizations. Cobian received her B.A. summa cum laude from Moorhead State University and her law degree magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law. Cobian was a probate registrar and clerk of court in North Dakota before joining Briggs in 1992.

James E. Duffy is a shareholder and is a member of the Business Law Section. He practices principally in the areas of: federal tax law, individual, partnership and corporate tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, tax-exempt organizations, and general commercial and corporate law. Duffy received his B.A. in economics from the University of Minnesota and his law degree magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law. He received his master's degree in taxation (L.L.M.) from New York University, School of Law. He joined Briggs in 1997.

Frank A. Taylor is a shareholder and is head of the Briggs and Morgan Financial Markets Group. He practices principally in the areas of: counseling and representation of firms in various financial markets, complex litigation and arbitration in the financial markets, alternative dispute resolution, class action defense, regulatory investigations, enforcement proceedings and market conduct examinations, antitrust, and complex business disputes. To date, Taylor has served as lead trial counsel in over 100 class actions and has tried over 350 matters to verdict, judgment or award in 42 states before federal, state and arbitration forums. He received his B.A. with distinction and with honors from the University of Iowa,  where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and his law degree with distinction from the University of Iowa Law School, where he served as the Notes and Comments Editor of the Iowa Law Review.

Briggs’ officers and members of the board are now: Elizabeth Brama (treasurer), Neal Buethe, Darlene Cobian (secretary), James Duffy, Michael Grimes (vice president), Sam Hanson, Alan Maclin (president), Jack Perry, Steven Ryan and Frank Taylor.

Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association, is a trusted name in business law and litigation services.With offices in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, the firm has more than 180 attorneys committed to providing superior client service and sound legal counsel to clients nationwide. Briggs and Morgan ranks among The NLJ 250 as one of the nation's largest firms and has received numerous accolades, including recognition by Corporate Counsel and top clients as a "Go-To Law Firm®" in the areas of litigation, corporate transactions, corporate governance, and labor and employment. The firm and its attorneys also have been selected for publication in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA. Briggs is a founding member of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms, and serves as the exclusive member firm for Minnesota. For more information, visit www.briggs.com.