Rodger Hagen is a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of first-chair trial experience. The focus of his practice is the defense of physicians, hospitals, clinics and other health care providers in professional liability matters. Rodger has tried scores of cases to juries throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota and takes great pride in representing clients who are devoted to attending to and promoting the health of others. As those clients serve others, Rodger is devoted to serving them and helping them through what can be a difficult and unsettling ordeal. His clients frequently describe him as calm, composed, and confidence-inspiring and he has an enviable record of successes in the courtroom as well as in resolving cases before trial, when warranted.
Rodger has attained the prestigious honor of induction as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has earned both Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers recognition in the area of medical malpractice defense. He heads the Health Care Professional Liability practice group at Meagher + Geer which is ranked in the top tier of medical malpractice defense firms by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers .
Rodger’s advocacy also extends to protecting the broader interests of health care professionals and their insurers and he has frequently been called upon to testify before various legislative committees and to provide behind-the-scenes consultation and assistance in lobbying efforts pertinent to medical malpractice litigation and tort reform.
As an invited speaker, Rodger has addressed groups of attorneys, health care providers and insurance professionals on a variety subjects ranging from risk management and legislative affairs to medical jurisprudence and trial advocacy.
Clerkships
•The Honorable Charles Cashman, Steele County District Court of Minnesota, 1985-1986
•The Honorable Lawrence T. Gallagher, Waseca County District Court, Third Judicial District, 1985-1986
Accolades
•Named Minneapolis Best Lawyers Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants Lawyer of the Year, 2013
•Inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, 2012
•Selected for inclusion in the Minnesota Super Lawyers list in the area of Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Defense, Thomson Reuters, (only five percent of the lawyers in the state were selected), 2003-2025
•Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America in the areas of Medical Malpractice Law-Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants, 2009-2026
•Selected for inclusion in 'Minnesota's Top Lawyers' list in the area of Medical Malpractice, Minnesota Monthly, 2023
•Chosen to serve on Minnesota District Judges Association Professional Malpractice Subcommittee for current Civil Jury Instruction Guide
•Awarded the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, AV Preeminent (AV is a registered certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies)
News
•Aug 21, 2025
Meagher + Geer congratulates its 23 attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers in 2026
•Jul 15, 2025
Meagher + Geer congratulates its 19 attorneys named to the 2025 Minnesota Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list
•Oct 1, 2024
Rodger Hagen and Kate Baker obtain defense verdict in medical malpractice case
American College of Trial Lawyers
•Minnesota State Bar Association
•Hennepin County Bar Association
•Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
•Wisconsin State Bar Association
•State Bar Association of North Dakota
•Defense Research Institute
•Physician Insurers Association of America Fellow: of the American College of Trial Lawyers, 2012
• Selected for inclusion in the Minnesota Super Lawyers® list, Thomson Reuters, (only five percent of the lawyers in the state were selected), 2003-2013
• Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America® (Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, S.C.)
• Chosen to serve on Minnesota District Judges Association Professional Malpractice Subcommittee for current Civil Jury Instruction Guide
• Awarded the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, AV® Preeminent ™ (AV is a registered certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies)
Clerkships
• The Honorable Charles Cashman, Steele County District Court of Minnesota, 1985-1986
• The Honorable Lawrence T. Gallagher, Waseca County District Court, Third Judicial District, 1985-1986
News
August 15, 2013, Eleven Meagher & Geer Lawyers Selected as "Best Lawyers in America® 2014"
July 8, 2013, Meagher & Geer Congratulates 19 of its Lawyers Named to the 2013 Minnesota Super Lawyers List
October 22, 2012, Rodger Hagen Inducted into American College of Trial Lawyers
September 13, 2012, Meagher & Geer Attorneys Hagen and Broman Among Lawyers of the Year 2013
Recognized by the National Publication, Best Lawyers®
August 23, 2012, Meagher & Geer Attorneys Selected by Peers for Inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2013
July 9, 2012, Meagher & Geer Congratulates 17 of its Lawyers Named to the 2012 Minnesota Super Lawyers List
June 1, 2012, Rodger Hagen authors chapter in new book, Defending Medical Malpractice Claims
February 27, 2012, Physician Insurer Magazine Features Article by Rodger Hagen: Distinguishing Negligent Treatment From Informed-Consent Claims
September 6, 2011, Meagher & Geer Attorneys Selected for Best Lawyers in America 2012
July 12, 2011, Meagher & Geer Congratulates 18 of its Lawyers Named 2011 Super Lawyers (Minnesota)
June 1, 2011, Best Lawyers in America Published in June 2011 Minnesota Monthly
August 16, 2010, 2011 Best Lawyers in America
July 16, 2010, Seventeen Meagher & Geer Attorneys Named 2010 Minnesota Super Lawyers
May 21, 2010, Best Lawyers Featured in June 2010 Issue of Minnesota Monthly Magazine
August 12, 2009, Best Lawyers In America 2010 Includes 12 from Meagher & Geer
August 3, 2009, Meagher & Geer Super Lawyers 2009
June 1, 2009, Minnesota Best Lawyers List 2009 Includes Nine from Meagher & Geer
October 17, 2008, Best Lawyers in America List Includes Nine from Meagher & Geer
July 28, 2008, Meagher & Geer's 2008 "Super Lawyers" Announced
July 26, 2007, Meagher & Geer's "Super Lawyers"
Publications
June 1, 2012, Rodger Hagen authors chapter in new book, Defending Medical Malpractice Claims
Rodger Hagen
February 27, 2012, Article Distinguishing Negligent Treatment From Informed-Consent Claims Published in Physician Insurer Journal
Rodger Hagen
Events
July 26, 2013, Meagher & Geer Sponsors Minnesota American Indian Bar Association Golf Tournament
The Meadows at Mystic Lake
2400 Mystic Lake Boulevard
Prior Lake, MN 55372
Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely
respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
