Forestal, Colin A.

With more than 30 years of experience as a trial lawyer, Jim Crassweller is comfortable in the courtroom. He has experience in a wide variety of areas, including complex commercial litigation, products liability, and insurance litigation. In addition, he has served as lead trial counsel in litigation which determined that hedge-to-arrive contracts were governed by the Uniform Commercial Code and not the Commodity Exchange Act, acted as coordinating defense counsel in a notorious insurance fraud case, and has handled wrongful death cases.

In addition to his trial skills, Jim has been involved in alternative dispute resolution since 1970. He has served as a sole arbitrator and as a panel arbitrator for cases with the American Arbitration Association. He is licensed to serve as Rule 114 qualified Neutral.

For 25 years, Jim practiced in the Litigation Department of Doherty, Rumble and Butler prior to that firm ceasing operations. During that time he was both an associate and shareholder and he served as the head of the litigation department for a two-year period. From 1999 to 2000, Jim served as Assistant Attorney General in both the Antitrust Division and the Commercial and Construction Division of the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General. From 2001 until its close in 2007, he was a member of the law firm of Rider Bennett.

Outside of law, Jim supports the community by serving as a volunteer cross-country and track and field coach at a local high school. He is a member of the Arden Hills Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee.