Lonergan, Lauren E.

Lauren is a shareholder in the firm of Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association. She recently served as board vice president. Lauren is the head of the Business Litigation Section and practices principally in the areas of:

• Insurance coverage and regulatory litigation
• Business litigation
• Employment litigation

Lauren has represented clients and tried cases in state and federal courts and argued appeals before the Minnesota appellate courts, as well as the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Lauren's practice in the insurance area includes coverage litigation regarding environmental, products liability claims, employment claims, fiduciary liability claims and first party loss claims. She arbitrated a coverage dispute under Bermuda law concerning a large ERISA class action settlement. Lauren has negotiated multi-insurer cost sharing agreements for mass tort claims. Her products liability coverage work includes representation of a manufacturer to obtain coverage under Canadian policies for EIFS claims.

Significant commercial litigation and employment cases handled by Lauren have involved:  an insurer obligated to cover the cost of an upgraded fire suppression system in an aircraft hangar destroyed by a tornado; a company not liable for broker's "selling away"; conclusory, a physician's statement insufficient proof of disability for purposes of ERISA claim; coverage for a landfill clean-up; a developer's rights to assert substantive due process rights based on politically motivated zoning decisions; continuing viability of the time price doctrine as a seller's defense to usury; the dismissal of fraud claims against a securities seller; the affirmation of suppliers' reclamation rights on purchaser's bankruptcy; the rights of lessees to assert claims against equipment lessor for product defect and rights of lessees to assert product defect as defense to lease payment obligations.

Lauren is a member of the Hennepin County Bar Association Insurance Committee and the American Bar Association Litigation Section Subcommittees on Insurance and Insurance Coverage. She has been listed in Minnesota Super Lawyers, as seen in Minnesota Law & Politics.

Born in New Milford, Connecticut, Lauren attended Carleton College and received her B.A. summa cum laude from Macalester College. She received her law degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota School of Law in 1982. Lauren joined Briggs in 1988.