Degrees:

• B.A., summa cum laude, Macalester College
• J.D., cum laude, University of Minnesota Law School.

Practice Focus:

• Diane's practice was almost exclusively civil appeals, primarily in Minnesota Court of Appeals, Minnesota Supreme Court, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, but also in the Fourth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits. Diane was also frequently consulted or admitted pro hac vice for appellate matters in North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. In addition, she advised on trial matters with regard to possible appellate issues. Substantive areas of law include: contract, tort, constitution, employment, insurance coverage, product liability, ERISA, trade secret, consumer fraud, construction, complex civil procedure including class action litigation.

Publications:

• Contributing author, 8th Circuit Appellate Practice Manual (6th edition. 2013)
• Co-author, Art of Advocacy: Appeals (Matthew Bender 2014)
• Contributing author, “Appellate Process,” Minnesota Practice: Methods of Practice (West 2014)
• Editor and contributing author, “Minnesota Courtroom Evidence Deskbook (2d ed. 2013).

Representative Cases:

• Wornson v. Chrysler, 436 N.W.2d 472 (Minn. App. 1989)
• Patton v. Yarrington, 472 N.W.2d 157 (Minn. App. 1991)
• General Star Nat. Ins. Co. v. Paley, 14 F.3d 47 (3d Cir. 1993)
• Mercer v. Pittway Corp., 616 N.W.2d 602 (Iowa 2000)
• Engler v. Wehmas, 633 N.W.2d 868 (Minn. App. 2001)
• Wistrom v. Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Ry. Co., 636 N.W.2d 611 (Minn. App. 2001)
• Dohney v. Allstate Ins. Co., 632 N.W.2d 598 (Minn. 2001)
• McCarty v. City of Minneapolis, 654 N.W.2d 353 (Minn. App. 2002)
• Rem v. U.S. Bureau of Prisons, 320 F.3d 791 (8th Cir. 2003) (pro bono)
• City Pages v. State, 655 N.W.2d 839 (Minn. App. 2003)
• Powell v. Anderson, 660 N.W.2d 107 (Minn. 2003)
• Bright Wood Corp. v. Bankers Standard Ins. Co., 665 N.W.2d 544 (Minn. App. 2003)
• Watkins Inc. v. Lewis, 346 F.3d 841 (8th Cir. 2003)
• Van Guilder v. National Freight, Inc., 686 N.W.2d 339 (Minn. App. 2004)
• Wyeth v. Natural Biologics, Inc., 395 F.3d 897 (8th Cir. 2005)
• Laska v. Anoka County, 696 N.W.2d 133 (Minn. App. 2005)
• Foust v. McFarland, 698 N.W.2d 24 (Minn. App. 2005)
• Miernicki v. Duluth Curling Club, 699 N.W. 2d 787 (Minn. App. 2005)
• Burck v. Pederson, 704 N.W.2d 532 (Minn. App. 2005)
• Kvidera v. Rotation Eng‚g & Mfg. Co., 705 N.W.2d 416 (Minn. App. 2005)
• Stringer v. Minnesota Vikings Football Club, LLC, 705 N.W.2d 746 (Minn. 2005)
• BCBSM, Inc. v. Minn. Comprehensive Health Ass'n, 713 N.W.2d 41 (Minn. App. 2006)
• Studemann v. Nose, 713 N.W.2d 79 (Minn. App. 2006)
• Granville v. Minneapolis Sch. Dist., 732 N.W.2d 201 (Minn. 2007)
• Enright v. Lehmann, 735 N.W.2d 326 (Minn. 2007)
• Harrison v. Harrison, 733 N.W.2d 451 (Minn. 2007)
• Larson v. Wassemiller, 738 N.W.2d 300 (Minn. 2007)
• St. Paul Fire & Marine Co. v. API, Inc., 738 N.W.2d 401 (Minn. App. 2007)
• MacRae v. Group Health Plan, Inc., 753 N.W.2d 711 (Minn. 2008)
• Look v. PACT Charter School, 763 N.W.2d 675 (Minn. App. 2009)
• Whitaker v. 3M Co., 764 N.W.2d 631 (Minn. App. 2009)
• Peterka v. Dennis, 764 N.W.2d 829 (Minn. 2009)
• Star Windshield Repair, Inc. v. Western Nat. Ins. Co., 768 N.W.2d 346 (Minn. 2009)
• In re Petition for Instructions to Construe Basic Resolution 876 of Port Authority of City of St. Paul, 772 N.W.2d 488 (Minn. 2009)
• In re Paul W. Abbott Co., Inc., 767 N.W.2d 14 (Minn. 2009)
• In re Hubbard, 778 N.W.2d 313 (Minn. 2010)
• Dykes v. Sukup Mfg. Co., 781 N.W.2d 578 (Minn. 2010)
• In re Gubernatorial Election, 793 N.W.2d 256 (Minn. 2010)
• Greer v. Professional Fiduciary, Inc., 792 N.W.2d 120 (Minn. App. 2011)
• Western Nat. Ins. Co. v. Thompson, 797 N.W.2d 201 (Minn. 2011)
• Glorvigen v. Cirrus Design Corp., 816 N.W.2d 572 (Minn. 2012)
• Motokazie! Inc. v. Rice County, 824 N.W.2d 341 (Minn. App. 2012)
• Rem v. US. Bureau of Prisons, 320 F.3d 791 (8th Cir. 2003)
• Watkins Inc. v. Lewis, 346 F.3d 841 (8th Cir. 2003)
• Wyeth v. Natural Biologics, Inc., 395 F.3d 897 (8th Cir. 2005)
• Pralutsky v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 435 F.3d 833 (8th Cir. 2006) (ERISA)
• Bushira v. Gonzales, 442 F.3d 626 (8th Cir. 2006)
• Janssen v. Minneapolis Auto Dealers Ben. Fund, 447 F.3d 1109 (8th Cir. 2006)
• Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians v. NGV Gaming, Ltd., 531 F.3d 767 (9th Cir. 2008)
• Alpine Glass, Inc. v. Illinois Farmers Ins. Co., 531 F.3d 679 (8th Cir. 2008)
• Alanwoko v. Mukasey, 538 F.3d 908 (8th Cir. 2008)
• Franke v. Poly-America Medical and Dental Benefits Plan, 555 F.3d 656 (8th Cir. 2009)
• Kramer v. Perez, 595 F.3d 825 (8th Cir. 2010)
• Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. v. City of St. Paul, 618 F.3d 851 (8th Cir. 2010)
• Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. Universal Crop Protection Alliance, LLC, 620 F.3d 926 (8th Cir. 2010)
• Alpine Glass, Inc. v. Illinois Farmers Ins. Co., 643 F.3d 659 (8th Cir. 2011)
• In re Zurn Pex Plumbing Products Liability Litigation, 644 F.3d 604 (8th Cir. 2011).

Honors and Awards:

• Named "Super Lawyer" and “Top Appellate Lawyer” by Minnesota Law & Politics, Best Lawyer, and other groups. Received "Lawyer of the Year" in 2010 by Minnesota Lawyer for reversing a $238 million judgment in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.