Minneapolis, MN 55402-3707
Phone: 612.333.3000
Fax: 612.333.8829
Bassford Remele is a full service litigation firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1882, the firm represents local, national and international clients in all areas of civil litigation and dispute resolution.
Press Releases
Hennepin County District Judge Orders Entry of Judgment for Nearly $40 Million and Attorneys Fees in Favor of Bassford Remele's Client
Date: Mar 29, 2007 — Minneapolis, MN
A Hennepin County district judge recently acknowledged the capable work of Bassford Remele Shareholder Lewis A. Remele, Jr. when ordering entry of a judgment of nearly $40 million and attorneys fees in favor of Bassford Remele’s client. In September, 2007, after a three-week trial, a Minneapolis jury reached a multi-million dollar verdict in favor of Ron Zebeck, the former CEO of Metris Companies, Inc., a credit card issuer and subsidiary of the world's largest bank. The jury found that Metris breached its contract with Zebeck for severance benefits after it terminated his employment in 2002. In a February 9, 2007 memorandum, Judge Kevin Burke upheld the jury’s verdict and awarded Zebeck almost $10 million in prejudgment interest and expenses.
In his decision, Judge Burke wrote that, “Mr. Lewis Remele Jr. and his firm obviously did an excellent job for Mr. Zebeck.” He noted that, “Mr. Remele’s fee is cheap by comparison to other lawyers Mr. Zebeck could have hired….”
Of course, as with any complex lawsuit, Mr. Remele was not alone in achieving a great result for his client. The case was built over a three-year period by a team of lawyers and paralegals led by Mr. Remele and Bassford lawyers Frederick E. Finch and Boyd Ratchye, who recently retired after over forty years of practice, and Paula M. Semrow. Other Bassford Remele team members include paralegal Lois Bartz and legal administrative assistant Ruthann Petrell. They examined literally hundreds of thousands of documents and deposed many adverse witnesses. The successful trial was the result of hundreds of hours of careful research, thorough analysis, thoughtful planning, witness preparation and skillful argument, both written and oral.
“We got a good result for Ron Zebeck,” Mr. Remele says, “But we get good results for clients every day. We never forget that every client’s case is important. We try to give every case the same analysis and preparation that we did in this one. Our effort for our client is the same every time we take a case. Only the numbers are different!”
Ronald N. Zebeck v. Thomas H. Lee, et al., Hennepin County District Court, No. EM04-722.
Link to 10/9/06 Release: Bassford Remele Client Wins $30 Verdict
Mr. Remele maintains a civil trial practice in both tort and commercial matters. He represents insurance companies in personal injury and coverage cases, and corporate clients in diverse commercial suits including employment, contracts, securities, and professional and fiduciary claims, including directors' and officers' liability, class actions, shareholder disputes, debtor/creditor, antitrust, products liability, and trusts and estate litigation. Mr. Remele also performs mediations and arbitrations and he is regularly selected by litigants and the courts to serve in all types of civil litigation. He is consistently named a "Super Lawyer" and was selected Best Lawyer in Minnesota by Minnesota Law & Politics in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Mr. Remele is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American Bar Foundation and was recently inducted as a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers.
Mr. Finch is an experienced trial lawyer who has practiced in the areas of employment and labor law, business torts, and related matters for more than 30 years. He is an active and enthusiastic leader of the organized bar. Among his many leadership positions, he has been President of the Hennepin County Bar Association, a member of the Board of Governors and Executive Committee of the Minnesota State Bar Association and has twice received the MSBA’s President’s Award for his exceptional contributions to the organization. He is the Minnesota State Delegate to the American Bar Association and has made substantial contributions to the profession as chair of the MSBA Rules of Professional Conduct Committee and the MSBA Task Force on the American Bar Association Model Rules.
Ms. Semrow is a magna cum laude graduate of the Hamline University School of Law. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics, and she is a member of the ABA Pretrial Practice and Discovery Committee, Subcommittee on Electronic Discovery. Ms. Semrow practices in all areas of civil litigation, including health care, professional liability and employment law.
Bassford Remele, A Professional Association, is a full service litigation firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1882, the firm represents local, national and international clients in all areas of civil litigation. The Bassford firm is a community of experienced and committed trial lawyers who embrace a professional approach to the practice of law, providing the highest level of legal expertise and advice.