Stephen P. Laitinen

Professional Profile
Steve, a partner with Larson • King, works for clients in the areas of complex commercial, professional liability, construction defect, intellectual property, debtor/creditor and product liability disputes. He regularly tries cases to verdict in state, federal and administrative courts, and litigates in state and federal courts throughout the country.

Steve is Chair of the Commercial Litigation Committee and a Member of the Amicus Curie and Long Term Care Committees for the Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association. He is a frequent regional and national speaker on complex commercial litigation issues.

Steve is an approved early neutral evaluator for the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry's Homeowner Warranty Dispute Program, which went into effect on January 1, 2010. 

Law School
Drake University, J.D., 1993

College
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, B.S., 1985

Member
Minnesota State Bar Association
Ramsey County Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, Chair, Commercial Litigation Committee
Voting Member, Amicus Curie Committee
Defense Research Institute

Admitted
Minnesota; U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin

Publications & Seminars
Advanced Construction Defect Litigation, National Business Institute Webcast, May 2013

Swanson v. Brewster: Are the Minnesota Courts Reforming the Tort System? William Mitchell College of Law, Journal of Law and Practice (April 2011)

Social Media: A New "Must See" Tool in Litigation?, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Hilary J. Loynes, FOR THE DEFENSE, August 2010

Managing Expectations: Clients, Opposing Counsel, Neutrals, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association Trial Techniques Seminar, August 2009

Prevention: How Experts Can Best Insulate Themselves From Cross-Examination, SEAK 18th Annual National Expert Witness Conference, Hyannis, Massachusetts, June 2009

Succeeding at Trial/Tips for Assisting with Settlement Negotiations, National Business Institute Seminar, June 2009

Pre-Litigation Crisis Management: Development of Overall Strategies for Upper Level Management to Prepare for Wrongful Death Claims, Care Providers of Minnesota Annual Convention, November 2008

Protect Yourself! Effective Management of Nursing Home Wrongful Death Cases, Minnesota Health & Housing Alliance Annual Convention, February 2008

ADR Best Practice – Settlement & Preparation: A Case Study, Kramer v. Java World, Inc., Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association Mid-Winter Conference, January 2008

Case Study Perspective: Wrongful Death Cases, Care Providers of Minnesota Annual Convention, November 2007

Destroying the Opposing Expert’s Credibility, by Stephen P. Laitinen and David Classen, FOR THE DEFENSE, September 2007

Civil Juries and the Gordian Knot of Complex Litigation, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Jennifer Lurken, FOR THE DEFENSE, July 2005

Prior Bad Acts: Keeping Your Client’s Skeletons Where They Belong – In the Closet, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Jennifer G. Daugherty, MINNESOTA DEFENSE, Fall 2003 Edition

Defending the Fortress: Guarding Your Client’s Trade Secrets in Minnesota, by Stephen P. Laitinen and Carrie A. Daniel, MINNESOTA DEFENSE, Spring 2002 Edition