ABOUT US

One of the primary differentiators between many other lawyers and our team is that we truly love what we do.  Our clients frequently comment about our high energy and unwavering commitment to their cause.  They rest in the knowledge that we care about their matter every bit as much as they do (and oftentimes more).  We are not the traditional corporate law firm that over promises and under delivers, phones it in, or holds endless meetings to bill (and waste) time.  We are genuine advocates.

 

Our love for our work translates to results. In a Court Order filed in August 2015, a prominent Minnesota state-court judge noted our "...stellar reputation both within the commercial litigation and white-collar defense bar."  And in February 2017, a highly respected federal judge filed a Court Order that singled out our "exemplary legal representation."

 

Too many lawyers hold themselves out as "trial lawyers." It's just not enough anymore. This now-overused phrase is insufficient to provide value without the unquestionable experience and success to back it up. With our undeniable reputation, our clients know that they convey a credible threat that they will proceed to trial rather than settle for an unacceptable resolution. Our trial prowess, creative abilities, and commitment to our clients facilitate better resolutions — both in and out of the courtroom.  

 

We have laid our reputations on the line time and time again when it is in our client's best interests because we live the tenet that we are advocates for our clients, not for ourselves, our law firm, or our standing in the community. The primacy of our work as advocates over our own interests is rooted in our sincere belief in the constitutional right to counsel.  To support the right to counsel only for certain people, or only when it is convenient or acceptable according to public opinion, is meaningless. Much like the First Amendment’s double-edged sword requiring all who value freedom of speech to stand against censorship of speech that is abhorrent to them, the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel demands that we — as a country — and that we — as lawyers — stand up for every civil and criminal defendant’s right to representation regardless of the allegations, and regardless of the political climate. (Feel free to ask for our opinions about whether the right to counsel should extend into contexts beyond criminal cases and whether public defenders should receive the same resources as prosecutors.  You can probably guess our answers.) 

 

We represent people regardless of what side of the political, religious, or other societal divide they stand on.  At times our representation of certain clients has been unpopular such as cases involving charges of acts of terrorism and supporting ISIS, bombing a mosque, assault, domestic strangulation, white-collar crimes, as well as others.  But those questioning such representation forget that it is our duty to fight for the principles of justice and the “protection of innocence” that predate the Constitution and became the hallmark of John Adams’s decision to represent the British soldiers in the Boston Massacre regardless of the damage to his reputation.

​

We are known not only for our ability to take cases to trial, but also to effectively resolve matters out of the public eye.  As Chris Madel often notes, some of our greatest accomplishments — including multi-million-dollar settlements, confidential "walkaways," declination of criminal prosecutions, and immunity from federal criminal prosecution — have been achieved without a hint of publicity.

​

MADEL PA is also proud of its contributions to our community.  In addition to the wide variety of pro bono work that each of us do every year, we've been regular sponsors Minnesota Women's Lawyers, the Illusion Theatre, the Innocence Project of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.