Lenae M. Pederson

In her professional liability practice, Lenae defends architects and engineers in both private and public construction projects. Her experience spans a wide range of design-related claims, including highway, building, roofing, parking ramp, mechanical system, and specialized equipment design. She has successfully defended engineers at trial in cases involving millions of dollars at stake.

Lenae also represents manufacturers and distributors in products liability matters, including claims involving construction equipment, recreational vehicles, and small machinery. She has defended a major automotive manufacturer in multiple Lemon Law cases, including jury trials.
In addition, she defends international companies in food-related litigation as part of the firm’s Safety, Toxic Tort & Environmental practice group.

Clients work with Lenae for:

•Defense of design professionals in complex construction-related claims
•Representation in high-exposure products liability and catastrophic loss matters
•Trial advocacy in cases involving significant financial risk
•Strategic guidance from early case assessment through resolution

She advises clients throughout the litigation process, from initial case evaluation through discovery, motion practice, and trial, while also providing guidance on business practices to help reduce future risk.

Lenae takes a hands-on approach to every matter, working to quickly understand the technical issues unique to each client’s industry so she can build an effective, tailored defense strategy.

She regularly speaks on litigation topics for local and national organizations and serves as an affiliated professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

Outside the office, Lenae volunteers with legal mentoring programs and enjoys traveling to sunny destinations with her daughter.

Representative Commercial Litigation Cases

•Ammonia explosion with claims exceeding $100 million for property damage and business interruption
•Multi-million dollar claim involving pneumatic chemical conveying system
•Dispute involving packaging used in commercial food operation with business interruption and lost profits claim

Representative Food Borne Illness Cases

•Manufacturer of peanut butter in what was then the largest food recall case in U.S. history
•International producer of meat products in a Salmonella matter

Representative Catastrophic Injury Cases

•Wrongful death
•Loss of limb, hearing and sight
•Paraplegia and quadriplegia
•Brain injuries

Products defended

•International manufacturer of vehicles in Lemon Law claims
•Agricultural equipment including augers, corn pickers, hay balers, and silos
•Industrial equipment including ammonia systems, chemical conveying systems, and custom-built equipment
•Dock and warehouse equipment including forklifts, manlifts and reach trucks
•Construction equipment including bulldozers, excavators, cranes, skid steer loaders and wheeled vehicles

Representative matters involving construction and design professionals

•Defense of civil engineers in quadriplegia cases arising out of highway design
•Defense of catastrophic personal injury claims arising out of construction projects
•Delay claims involving commercial projects ranging from condominiums to auxiliary-use developments
•Structural failure cases involving commercial buildings and soil retention systems

Accolades

•Adjunct Professor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, 2018-present
•Recognized as a Rising Star, 2007, 2008, 2009

Speaking Engagements & Publications

•Co-presenter, Submittals and Delays, Kraus-Anderson Insurance 2023 Fall A&E Seminar (October 2023)
•Co-presenter, Contract Terms That Can Make or Break a Project, or Your Firm, Kraus-Anderson Insurance 2023 Fall A&E Seminar (October 2023)
•Co-presenter, Women in Hard Hats, The Harmonie Group Women of Harmonie webinar series (June 2022)
•CE Instructor and author of materials, Preventing and Defending Professional Liability Claims, HalfMoon Education webinar Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Issues for Minnesota Engineers (May 2022)
•Co-presenter, Tips and Tricks as to Presentation of Complicated Information, The Harmonie Group Women of Harmonie webinar series (March 2021)
•Lecturer, Technology in Jury Selection, The Harmonie Group Transportation & Construction Seminar 2019 (July 2019)
•Co-presenter, Design Professionals Do's and Don'ts When Claims Occur, Webinar, Cobb Strecker Dunphy & Zimmerman (May 2019)
•Lecturer, Generation Y Jurors, The Harmonie Group Construction & Cutting Edge Litigation Topics (August 2016)
•Co-presenter, Complex Communication: Multi-Party Litigation and Mediation, DRI Trial Tactics Seminar (March 2016)
•Lecturer, Generation Y Jurors, Harmonie Next Generation Conference (November 2015)
•Author of supplemental course materials, Generation Y Jurors, Attorney-Conducted Voir Dire for the Defense Lawyer DRI CLE Seminar (January 2015)
•Lecturer, Trying Your Case to the Generation Y Juror, Wisconsin Defense Counsel Annual Conference (August 2013)
•Lecturer, Generation Y as Jurors, South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association (SDDLA) Annual Seminar (November 2012)
•Lecturer, Generation Y as Jurors, DRI 2012 Annual Meeting (October 2012)
•Author, 'Generation Y as Jurors' The Voice, Vol. 11 Issue 39 (October 2012)
•CLE Instructor and author of materials, You're More Important than You Think: Serving as a Second Trial Chair, DRI webcast (October 2012)
•Lecturer, Professional Liability, ASME Minnesota Professional & Product Liability Symposium (March 2012)
•Lecturer, Generation Y as Jurors, Minnesota Claims Managers' Association (MCMA) (February 2012)
•Co-author, 'Can They Really Take It Apart Without Me?', For the Defense, a DRI publication (November 2011)
•Lecturer, Managing Complex Litigation, University of Minnesota Law School (December 2010)
•CLE Instructor and author of materials, Key Evidence Strategies in Personal Injury Litigation, National Business Institute (November 2010)
•CLE instructor and author of materials, Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case, National Business Institute (June 2010)
•CLE instructor and author of materials, Personal Injury Trials: Getting the Most out of your Evidence, National Business Institute (March 2009)
•CLE instructor and author of materials, Practicing Architecture in Minnesota, Current State of Professional Liability Law, Half Moon Seminars (August 2008)
•CLE instructor and author of materials, Evidence and Expert Testimony, Best Practices: Supporting your Case, National Business Institute (March 2008)

News

•May 5, 2026
Successful defense verdict for litigators Lenae Pederson and James Sweeney
•Oct 1, 2023
Meagher + Geer partners Liz Poeschl and Lenae Pederson speak at A&E seminar
•Feb 6, 2023
Meagher + Geer Partner Lenae Pederson elected to The Harmonie Group Board of Directors

Events

•Oct 26, 2023
Kraus-Anderson Insurance 2023 Fall A&E Seminar Presenters: Elizabeth Poeschl and Lenae Pederson Contract Terms That Can Make or Break a Project, or Your Firm Submittals and Delays
•May 19, 2022
Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Issues for Minnesota Engineers HalfMoon Education Lenae Pederson serves on faculty and presents, 'Preventing and Defending Professional Liability Claims'
•Mar 30, 2021
Webinar: March of Time, March of Women Heroes The Harmonie Group webinar series focusing on women in the legal industry

Articles

•Feb 5, 2015
Generation Y Jurors

Lenae Pederson

•Jan 1, 2015
Attorney-Conducted Voir Dire for the Defense Lawyer DRI CLE Seminar
•Oct 1, 2012
You're More Important than You Think: Serving as a Second Trial Chai