Minneapolis (31-July-2009) - The 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America includes the names of 96 Faegre & Benson LLP lawyers in Colorado, Iowa and Minnesota—an increase of five lawyers over last year.

A number of Faegre & Benson practice areas in each state were distinguished for having the greatest representation of lawyers included in the directory. The firm's Minneapolis office claimed the most Best Lawyers in America lawyers among all Minnesota law firms.

Best Lawyers® compiles lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting peer-review surveys in which thousands of lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.

Attorney and firm recognitions appearing in this year's The Best Lawyers in America are provided below.

Colorado

Attorney Recognitions

• J. David Arkell—Construction Law
• Jeffrey A. Brimer—Franchise Law
• J. William Callison—Corporate Law; Non-Profit/Charities Law; Tax Law
• Charles D. Calvin (10)—Real Estate Law
• James H. Carroll—Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Venture Capital Law
• Darrell M. Daley—Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
• Diane B. Davies—Real Estate Law
• Leslie A. Fields—Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; Real Estate Law
• Kevin P. Hein—Franchise Law
• Leslie P. Kramer—Intellectual Property Law
• James D. Leonard—Entertainment Law; Sports Law
• Michael S. McCarthy—Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law
• Linda L. Rockwood—Environmental Law
• John Shively—Antitrust Law
• James R. Spaanstra—Environmental Law
• John R. Sperber—Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
• David W. Stark—Commercial Litigation
• Douglas R. Wright—Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Securities Law

Practice Areas With Most Best Lawyer Recognitions

• Ranked #1 in Colorado in Antitrust Law with one attorney(*)
• Ranked #1 in Colorado in Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law with two attorneys(*)
• Ranked #1 in Colorado in Entertainment Law with one attorney(*)
• Ranked #1 in Colorado in Franchise Law with two attorneys(*)
• Ranked #1 in Colorado in Health Care Law with four attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Colorado in Mergers & Acquisitions Law with three attorneys (*)
• Ranked #1 in Colorado in Sports Law with one attorney(*)

Iowa

Attorney Recognitions

• Michael A. Giudicessi (10)—First Amendment Law
• Kim J Walker (10)—First Amendment Law

Practice Areas With Most Best Lawyer Recognitions

• Ranked #1 in Iowa in First Amendment Law with two attorneys

Minnesota

Attorney Recognitions

• Bruce A. Ackerman—Tax Law
• Scott A. Anderegg—Real Estate Law
• John P. Borger (10)—Appellate Law; First Amendment Law; Mass Tort Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation
• Felicia J. Boyd—Intellectual Property Law
• Kerry L. Bundy—Franchise Law
• William R. Busch (10)—Corporate Law
• Jay D. Christiansen (10)—Health Care Law
• Angela M. Christy—Real Estate Law
• Richard A. Duncan (10)—Antitrust Law; Environmental Law; Native American Law; Timber Law
• Delmar R. Ehrich—Environmental Law
• Bruce M. Engler—Corporate Law; Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Charles S. Ferrell (20)—Real Estate Law
• Richard Forschler—Government Relations Law
• Myron L. Frans (10)—Tax Law
• Jack M. Fribley—Mass Tort Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation; Product Liability Litigation
• Gary L. Gandrud—Land Use & Zoning Law
• Philip S. Garon (10)—Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Securities Law
• John B. Gordon—Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation
• J. Hazen Graves—Non-Profit/Charities Law
• David J. F. Gross—Intellectual Property Law
• Peter C. Halls—Construction Law
• Douglas J. Heffernan (10)—Employee Benefits Law
• John H. Herman— (20) Environmental Law; Land Use & Zoning Law
• John H. Hinderaker—Antitrust Law; Construction Law
• Andrew G. Humphrey—Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• Susan L. Jacobson—Corporate Law
• Randall E. Kahnke—Commercial Litigation
• Steven C. Kennedy—Corporate Law; Securities Law; Venture Capital Law
• Denise M. Kettelberger—Intellectual Property Law
• William L. Killion—Franchise Law
• Charles F. Knapp—Labor and Employment Law
• Kenneth Levinson—Tax Law
• Kenneth A. Liebman—Intellectual Property Law
• Calvin L. Litsey—Intellectual Property Law
• Thomas M. Mayerle (25)—Real Estate Law
• David B. Miller—Corporate Law; Securities Law
• Paul S. Moe—Real Estate Law
• Thomas G. Morgan (10)—Corporate Law  
• Timothy M. O'Brien—Construction Law
• Patrick John O'Connor, Jr.—Construction Law
• James A. O'Neal—Mass Tort Litigation; Product Liability Litigation
• Brian B. O'Neill (10)—Antitrust Law; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Environmental Law; Native American Law; Oil & Gas Law
• Charles T. Parks, Jr. (10)—Trusts and Estates
• James M. Pfau—Banking Law; Structured Finance Law
• Walter A. Pickhardt (10)—Tax Law
• Joseph M. Price—Mass Tort Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation; Product Liability Litigation
• Kent E. Richey—Gaming Law; Native American Law
• Walter H. Rockenstein II—Land Use & Zoning Law
• Winthrop A. Rockwell—Product Liability Litigation
• Rebecca L. Rom—Land Use & Zoning Law; Real Estate Law
• Stephen C. Rosholt—Public Finance Law
• Mark D. Savin—Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
• Elizabeth Hendricks Schmiesing—Environmental Law
• Brian B. Schnell—Franchise Law
• Robert L. Schnell, Jr.—Commercial Litigation
• Thomas S. Schroeder—Health Care Law
• David J. Shannon (10)—Trusts and Estates
• Kris Sharpe (10)—Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Securities Law
• Donald C. Shepard—Banking Law
• Jerry W. Snider—Commercial Litigation
• Michael A. Stanchfield—Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• John K. Steffen (20)—Tax Law
• James P. Stephenson (10)—Banking Law; Corporate Law
• Michael R. Stewart (10)—Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law
• Mary E. Stumo (10)—Labor and Employment Law
• David M. Vander Haar—Corporate Governance and Compliance Law; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law
• James Volling—Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation
• Edward T. Wahl—Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation
• Charles F. Webber—Appellate Law; Commercial Litigation
• John R. Wheaton (10)—Real Estate Law
• Daniel G. Wilczek (10)—Labor and Employment Law
• Wendy J. Wildung—Commercial Litigation
• Peter J. Withoff—Tax Law
• Scott W. Wright—Immigration Law

Practice Areas With Most Best Lawyer Recognitions

• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Antitrust Law with three attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Appellate Law with two attorneys (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law with one attorney (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Bet-the-Company Litigation with three attorneys (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Construction Law with four attorneys (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Corporate Law with 11 attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Environmental Law with five attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in First Amendment Law with one attorney (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Gaming Law with one attorney (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Health Care Law with two attorneys (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Intellectual Property Law with five attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Land Use & Zoning Law with four attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law with one attorney (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Mass Tort Litigation with four attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Mergers & Acquisitions Law with five attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Native American Law with three attorneys (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Oil & Gas Law with one attorney (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Product Liability Litigation with five attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Real Estate Law with seven attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Securities Law with four attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Structured Finance Law with one attorney (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Tax Law with six attorneys
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Timber Law with one attorney (*)
• Ranked #1 in Minnesota in Venture Capital Law with one attorney (*)

(*) Lawyers who are listed for the first time in Best Lawyers
(10) Lawyers who have been listed in Best Lawyers for at least 10 years
(20) Lawyers who have been listed in Best Lawyers for at least 20 years
(25) Lawyers who have been listed in Best Lawyers for at least 25 years