Mark R. Bradford
Partner
Practice Groups
Appellate Advocacy, Commercial and Catastrophic Loss LitigationOverview
Mark is an accomplished appellate attorney and commercial litigator. He has argued nearly 100 appeals in state and federal courts in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and regularly consults clients at all stages of the appellate process.
Mark also tries cases. He has tried 14 cases to jury verdict, including high-stakes commercial matters—winning all of them.
Mark’s blend of trial and appellate expertise has earned him recognition in The Best Lawyers in America in both Commercial Litigation and Appellate Practice each year since 2019, and a place on the Minnesota Super Lawyers “Top 100” list since 2018. He was named a “Top Lawyer” by Minnesota Monthly in Commercial Litigation and Appellate Law in 2022.
Mark is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Appellate Attorneys and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Beginning in 2013, the Minnesota Supreme Court appointed Mark to serve on the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure. Mark is also a contributing author of the Eighth Circuit Appellate Practice Manual. For the past 10 years, he has taught appellate advocacy at the University of St. Thomas Law School.
Mark devotes a substantial amount of his time to pro bono matters. He has been involved with the Innocence Project for many years, and recently won post-conviction relief following a two-week evidentiary hearing for a client wrongly convicted of second-degree murder. In 2022, the Great Northern Innocence Project recognized Mark as its volunteer of the year.
Education & Admissions
Education
- DePaul University College of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 2003
- Beloit College, B.A., cum laude, 1999
Bar Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Dakota
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Minnesota
Professional & Civic
Professional Achievements
- American Academy of Appellate Attorneys
- American Bar Association, Fellow
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Member
- Douglas K. Amdahl Inn of Court
- International Society of Barristers
- Minnesota Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure, Appointed Member, 2013-present
Bar Associations
- Association of the Bar of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Appellate Practice Section, former Appellate Council Member
- Civil Litigation Section
- Hennepin County Bar Association
Professional Associations
- Defense Research Institute
- Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
- Insurance Law Committee, Co-Chair, 2011-2016
- Minnesota Supreme Court Historical Society
- Treasurer, 2019-present
Civic Involvement
- University of St. Thomas School of Law
- Adjunct Professor, Appellate Advocacy, 2012-present
- Mentor, 2010-present
- Prodeo Academy, tutor, 2015-present
Accolades
Honors & Awards
- Ranked Lawyer, Chambers and Partners, Appellate, 2020-present
- The Best Lawyers in America©, Appellate Practice, 2018-present; Commercial Litigation, 2019-present
- Top Lawyer, Minnesota Monthly, Appellate Law and Commercial Litigation, 2022
- Rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®
- North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2019-2021
- Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021
- Minnesota Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers, 2014-present
- Minnesota Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers, 2007-2013
- Up and Coming Attorney, Minnesota Lawyer, 2009
Publications
- Moving Toward Improved Legal Writing, author, Minnesota Defense, Vol. 1, Issue 1, Spring 2012
- Products Liability Defenses, A State-by-State Compendium (Minnesota Chapter), author, DRI (2007)
- The Interplay Between Contractual Indemnity Provisions and Liability Insurance, author, DRI Construction Defect Compendium (2007)
- Who’s on the Risk? Allocating Damages Among Insurers in Construction Defect Claims, author, Minnesota Defense (Summer 2006)
- An Introduction to Race as Proxy, author, 53 DePaul L. Rev. 929 (2004)
Seminars
- Reviewing Damages and Fee Awards on Appeal - Standards and Considerations, presenter, Remedies & Damages in Commercial Litigation, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, July 30, 2021
- Preserving Error: Are All Those Objections Really Necessary?, presenter, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, Duluth, MN, August 17, 2019
- Voir Dire, presenter, Jurors Live, Pulling the Curtain Back, 2018 Trial Advocacy Seminar, Robins Kaplan, Minneapolis, MN, October 9, 2018
- Preserving the Record for Appeal, panelist with the Honorable James A. Moore, Fourth Judicial District, the Honorable Peter M. Reyes, Jr., Minnesota Court of Appeals, and Kay Nord Hunt, Lommen, Abdo, Bench and Bar Committee, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN, April 17, 2018
- 10 Tips and Techniques for Winning on Appeal, presenter, Mid-Winter Conference, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, Walker, MN, February 10, 2017
- Protecting the Record: Appellate Considerations for District Court Litigation, panelist with the Honorable Heidi Schellhas and the Honorable Larry Stauber, Minnesota Court of Appeals, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN, September 20, 2016
- Clarity in Award Writing, presenter, American Arbitration Association webinar, Minneapolis, MN, August 23, 2016
- State of the Courts and Keys to Effective Advocacy, panelist with Justice Natalie E. Hudson and Judge Denise D. Reilly, Minnesota State Bar Association, Nine Days in June Annual Convention, Mankato, MN, June 21, 2016
- Nine Keys to a Successful Appellate Brief, presenter, Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, MN, December 9, 2015
- How to Succeed on Appeal: 10 Tips and Techniques, presenter, Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, MN, December 16, 2014
- Amicus Briefs: How to Find (and Be) “Friends of the Court,” panelist with Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea, Solicitor General Alan Gilbert and ACLU-MN Legal Director Teresa Nelson, Minnesota State Bar Association, Appellate Practice Institute, Minneapolis, MN, March 14, 2014
- Negotiating Claims with Insurance Companies, presenter, National Business Institute, Minneapolis, MN, January 21, 2014 and May 21, 2013
- Recent Appellate Cases, panelist with Justice G. Barry Anderson and Judge John R. Rodenberg, Minnesota State Bar Association, Nine Days in June Annual Convention, Mankato, MN, June 13, 2013
- What You Need to Know About Coverage Law, presenter, Mid-Winter Conference, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, Nisswa, MN, February 10, 2013
- Recent Appellate Cases Every Lawyer Should Know: A Review of Significant Minnesota Appellate Decisions That Will Affect Your Practice, panelist with Justice G. Barry Anderson and Judge Terri J. Stoneburner, Minnesota State Bar Association, Nine Days in June Annual Convention, June 13, 2012
- Appeals: Can I Appeal? Should I? How? presenter, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN, May 30, 2012
- Settlement Agreements, presenter, Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN, October 10, 2011
- Coverage Disputes, presenter, Construction Insurance and Disputes Seminar, National Business Institute, Minneapolis, MN, May 26, 2010
- First-Party Bad Faith, presenter, Minnesota Insurance Law Today Seminar, Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, MN, June 17, 2009
