Page 13 - Minnesota Vol 8 No 5
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both a rock band and a leading law  rm. He recalled, “A partner there was a great trial lawyer with his own practice within the  rm’s litigation group. All he did was  nancial mar- kets litigation. I didn’t know anything about  nancial markets, let alone  nancial markets litigation. His group tried cases, and securi- ties and arbitration work was their bread and butter. I got to do things most attorneys don’t early in their careers, like being second chair in a securities arbitration only six months out of law school. It was a fantastic learning expe- rience working alongside a partner who was very good at what he did. I was fortunate to have that as my  rst experience working in a large law  rm.”
With his trial skills sharply honed, Reed went on to become a partner at a litigation boutique in Chicago. Later, when he and his wife were expecting the birth of their son, the two decided to relocate to her hometown of Minneapolis. Reed soon found a position at a Minneapolis-based plainti s’ law  rm, where he co-chaired the employment practice group.
 roughout his career, Reed has distin- guished himself as a litigator and counselor in complex commercial matters, among them, employment discrimination and whistleblow- er matters;  nancial markets arbitrations; closely-held shareholder/member disputes; breach of contract actions; trade secret misap- propriation disputes; fraud actions; and statu- tory and common-law unfair competition disputes.
Reed eventually encountered attorney Christopher Madel, recommended by a col- league to consult on a case. “I reached out, and he came by, sat down and spent about 45 minutes with us. Looking back, I realize how valuable his time is, and the fact that he was willing to share his expertise with guys he didn’t know was extremely generous. It was clear within about 10 seconds that he knew what he was doing. He is an incredibly sharp attorney who is respected in the community and generous with his time and knowledge. It’s a rare blend of characteristics.  at was my  rst impression of Chris.”
Within months, Reed had the opportunity to work both against and with Madel, as he represented an adverse party in a case and, later, worked as co-counsel with Madel and Jenny Robbins in a separate matter. “We all had a similar perspective, and it felt very natu- ral working with them,” he said.
It is no surprise that Reed was invited to join the  rm in July 2018. “It’s been fantastic — just about every facet of it. With the quality of work we’re doing, I’ve been able to stretch
out and be challenged, and not only use the skills I’ve already developed, but continue to develop new ones.”
But as much as the skill of his colleagues, Reed admires their humanity. “ e qual- ity of people I’m working with here is unlike anything I’ve seen before — and I’ve worked with some high-caliber people. I don’t just mean that they’re good lawyers, even though they uniformly are.  ey’re good people, who understand intuitively that clients are para- mount. Refreshing is the best word for it.  ey are so committed to doing the right thing for clients at all times. A sense of integrity per- vades our culture, and it comes from the top, like in any organization.”
 at integrity provides MADEL attorneys with the freedom to act aggressively on their clients’ behalf. Reed explained, “Knowing the di erence between right and wrong is not the hard part. What’s right is usually obvious, but it o en means doing things that we might not perceive as being in our own best interests. Once you’re able to get over that, it simpli es everything. Putting clients’ best interests  rst operates like a safety net that makes taking risks easier, because if we’re satis ed within ourselves that we’re meeting the highest stan- dards and acting with as much integrity as we can,wedon’thavetostayupatnightworry- ing. When you tell the truth, you can go for- ward con dently. You never have to worry about having your blu  called if you’re never blu ng.”
When Reed and his wife made their move from Chicago to Minnesota, they did so with their 11-day-old son in tow. While Reed is both poised and e ective in the courtroom — and his clients count on him for it — convey- ing his infant across the Midwest challenged Reed more than any high-stakes legal matter. But it was yet another life experience that has made him a better lawyer. He said, “If some- one had told me I’d have a newborn and have to drive with this fragile alien life form in the back seat, I would have said there was no way I would do it. I was  ipping out the night be- fore. But when the time came, I did it. I’m a  rm believer in the idea that you never know what you’re capable of until you challenge yourself to do it. I feel now like there’s nothing life can throw at me that I can’t handle.”
MADEL PA
800 Pence Building 800 Hennepin Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 605-0630 madellaw.com
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