Norton Rose Fulbright grows Minneapolis office with acclaimed 11-lawyer litigation team

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright is expanding its Minneapolis office with 11 lawyers, including four partners, joining its Commercial Litigation and Products, Pharma, Medical and Mass Tort teams. These lawyers join from Blackwell Burke P.A., a boutique trial law firm recently honored as Benchmark Litigation's "Minnesota Firm of the Year" for the sixth consecutive year.

Joining Norton Rose Fulbright as partners are Jerry Alcazar, S. Jamal Faleel, Benjamin W. Hulse and Mary S. Young. Of counsel Corey L. Gordon, senior counsel Emily Ambrose, Andy Crowder and Charmaine K. Harris, senior associate Ted Hartman and associates Gene Hummel and Amarachi Ihejirika complete the group.

Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbright's US Managing Partner, said:

"We have been part of the Minneapolis business community since 1994. Bringing in Jerry, Jamal, Ben and Mary, as well as their team—who regularly represent many of the Fortune 500 and have a client base that is highly complementary to ours—is an ideal match, as our firm has a long history of trial success and litigation excellence."

Tim Kenny, Norton Rose Fulbright's Minneapolis Partner-in-Charge, said:

"This dynamic team comes from a firm known for its high-profile litigation achievements and outstanding client service. Having collaborated as co-counsel with some of these lawyers, I have seen firsthand the excellence and professionalism they bring to Norton Rose Fulbright."

Young, who was trained along with the other members of the 11-lawyer team by celebrated trial advocate Jerry Blackwell, said:

"We are pleased and excited to join Norton Rose Fulbright, where we will continue to provide unmatched service for our clients in the Twin Cities and on a national scale. The firm's rich history as a leading trial firm and proven commitment to diversity were extremely important to us. We are thrilled that our team is remaining together and can continue to build on the trial work that is the cornerstone of our practice. This is a natural fit for us."

Blackwell, who is leaving private practice to pursue a career in public service, said:

"This group has been family to me and I will miss them. They have distinguished themselves in the profession by punching above their weight, achieving outstanding results in the cases that matter most across the country as well as in community service, year after year. They excel in both litigation and in trial work, and have the experience to know the difference. I am proud of them and delighted to see them joining such a fine firm, simpatico in the pursuit of excellence in trial work and in the commitment to the community. I wish them and Norton Rose Fulbright all the best."

Norton Rose Fulbright, which won the "Innovations in Diversity and Inclusion" award at last month's Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards, is focused on attracting diverse lawyers who are practice and sector leaders. With Alcazar, Faleel and Young, seven of the 10 US lateral partners who have joined the firm in 2022 are diverse in race or gender. In both 2020 and 2021, more than 40 percent of the US lateral partners added were diverse.

About the new partners

Alcazar serves as national litigation and trial counsel for major corporations. His practice includes product liability and high-stakes disputes. His trial and arbitration experience includes representing product manufacturers, food producers, grocery retailers, transportation companies and homebuilders.

Faleel serves as lead trial counsel and a trusted advisor to his clients on their most challenging high-stakes trials, litigation and regulatory matters. He has two decades of experience representing public and private companies across a broad spectrum of industries, including consumer products, healthcare and life sciences. He also serves as corporate counsel for one of the world's largest consumer goods private label manufacturers, helping his client navigate its dynamic global regulatory and litigation landscape.

Hulse focuses on class action defense, mass tort defense and commercial litigation. He represents leading companies from several different sectors, including medical devices, food, health and fitness, oil and gas as well as banking and insurance. He is an experienced trial lawyer and frequently represents clients on appeal.

Young represents clients in complex matters across a broad range of substantive legal areas, including product liability, consumer fraud class actions, mass torts, and commercial litigation. She serves as national counsel and national coordinating counsel for Fortune 500 companies, defending claims in state and federal courts across the country, including in multidistrict litigation and consolidated proceedings.

Young and Gordon also served pro bono, with Blackwell, as members of the prosecution team that secured the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. They applied their decades of experience in trying large, civil cases to synthesize complex medical issues in a way that was clear and understandable for the jury.