Thomas F. Nelson

Tom "best exemplifies the pursuit of the practice of law as a profession, including a spirit of public service and promotion of the highest possible level of competence, integrity and ethical conduct," Hennepin County Bar Association Attorney Professionalism Award.

Tom's commitment to service and excellence is long-standing and well-recognized. He was honored by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit as the Minnesota recipient of the Richard S. Arnold Award for Distinguished Service and Lifetime Achievement. In addition to the Hennepin County Bar Association Professional Award, he was recognized as an Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer in 2015, and was recently recognized again as a 2020 Attorney of the Year for his Outstanding Service to the Profession. He served as the president of the Minnesota State Bar Association during its 2019-2020 term, and served earlier as the president of the Hennepin County Bar Association.

Tom served as chair of the HCBA Bar Memorial Committee for several years and still serves as a committee member, and was recognized by our firm as the recipient of its annual Pro Bono Award for Outstanding Legal Service in the Public Interest, arising out of his work with the University of Minnesota Law School Guantanamo Defense Project. He was invited to participate in the MSBA delegation to Cuba, visiting the National Union of Cuban Jurists. He served on the Board of Directors of Minnesota CLE, and founded the "Vintage Lawyers Group," introducing new and young lawyers to "vintage lawyers" in social as well as substantive settings. He has served for several years on the Minnesota Federal Court History Committee including as chair. Along the way, he co-chaired the panel for the Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference on "Baseball and the Law" at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.

Tom's dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion also runs deep. He was named as our firm's Champion of Diversity and Inclusion for 2019, and was selected by Minnesota Lawyer as a 2018 Diversity and Inclusion Honoree, in the "Legacy" category. He was recently re-appointed to the MSBA Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council, after having served on the council prior to his MSBA presidency. He also served on the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force of the Federal Bar Association's Minnesota Chapter, as well as on the board of directors of the Givens Foundation for African American Literature, Global Rights for Women, and Twin Cities Diversity in Practice. He is the co-founder of the Collaborative Legal Community Coalition, a profession-wide group dedicated to remembering, honoring and learning from the 1920 Duluth lynchings of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Isaac McGhie.

His community service has included serving on the board of trustees of the Landmark Center in St. Paul, which served for many years as the location of Minnesota's U.S. District Court; and also on the board of trustees of the American Swedish Institute, including serving as chair. He was honored as the recipient of the St. Olaf College Outstanding Service Award, and is currently serving as a member of the Bloomington Charter Commission. 

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Tom was a teacher and administrator in the innovative and alternative public high school in New Haven, Connecticut, called High School in the Community. After law school, he clerked for two terms (1977 and 1978) for Judge Thomas J. Meskill of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Minnesota Lawyer Outstanding Service to the Profession award, 2020

Recognized as a "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in America^® in Insurance Law in Minneapolis

Named among The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of commercial litigation, insurance law, banking and finance litigation, construction litigation and real estate litigation

Ranked as Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2015 - 2018, 2022, 2023

Selected every year for inclusion in Super Lawyers^®

Included in the national Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers as one of Minnesota’s top attorneys in business litigation

American Bar Foundation, Fellow

Hennepin County Bar Association Attorney Professionalism Award recipient

Leonard, Street and Deinard Pro Bono Award

Litigation Counsel of America, Inductee

U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, History Committee

Norway House, Past Board Member

Federal Bar Association, Past Board Member

Civil Justice Reform Act Advisory Committee, upon the appointment of then Chief Judge Paul Magnuson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, Past Committee Member

St. Olaf College Alumni Association, Past Board Member

The Playwrights’ Center, Past Board Member

The Izaak Walton League (Bush Lake), Past Board Member

St. Olaf College "Liberal Arts and the Law" Conferences, Past Co-Chair; and Past Co-Chair, "Ole Law," "Ole Biz," and "Ole Med" Conferences

Minnesota State Bar Association, Arts Law Committee, Past (and Founding) Chair

Arts Midwest Task Force on Freedom of Expression, Past Member

Minneapolis Arts Commission, Past Member

Bloomington Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission, Past Member

Bloomington City Council’s Bush Lake Advisory Committee; and also the Bloomington City Council’s Task Force on Public Facilities, past member (leading to the approval, design, construction and completion of Bloomington’s new city hall, police station and public works facility)

Bloomington Charter Commission

Minneapolis Club

West Immanuel Lutheran Church, Star Prairie, Wisconsin; and Mindekirken, the Norwegian Lutheran Church of Minneapolis