Marianne D. Short
Managing Partner
Marianne D. Short, Managing Partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP since January 2007, has more than 30 years of courtroom experience as a trial lawyer and an appellate judge. She has served as trial and appellate counsel for a number of major companies in their most important litigation, including antitrust, securities, healthcare, products liability, and class action lawsuits. Marianne is a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers, and is certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a Civil Trial Specialist. She also serves as co-Chair of the Firm's Appellate and Health Litigation practice groups.
Marianne joined Dorsey in 1977, after serving as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Minnesota following graduation from Boston College Law School. From 1988-2000, she served as a Minnesota state appellate judge, authoring more than 900 opinions in virtually every area of civil and criminal law. After a nearly twelve year judicial career, Marianne returned to Dorsey as a partner in 2000.
Representative Litigation
- Represented Medica HealthPlans and its Board of Directors in regulatory litigation involving issues of self-governance brought by the Minnesota Attorney General. After several years of legal maneuvers and a trial, Medica received a 50-page landmark decision dismissing the Attorney General's lawsuit and declaring the company and its board free from court supervision. Marianne currently advises the Board and management on issues involving executive compensation, retirement plans, protections for intellectual property and board procedures.
- Lead trial and appellate counsel for Qwest Corporation in several tax cases. Marianne argued that the purchase of telecommunications equipment is exempt from sales tax as capital equipment under applicable statutes. She also has represented Qwest in several Regulatory cases.
- Represented UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's Board of Directors on a question certified by the Minnesota federal district court to the Minnesota State Supreme Court concerning the deference owed to a special litigation committee's decision settling a shareholder derivative lawsuit on behalf of the company. Marianne argued on behalf of the UnitedHealth Board that a reviewing court should exercise minimal judicial review of a special litigation committee’s decision to settle a derivative lawsuit, just as it would in reviewing a special litigation committee's decision to pursue or not pursue litigation. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Board.
- Represented former Governor Jesse Ventura in the constitutional litigation to determine Minnesota's congressional and legislative boundaries following the United States Census. The decennial redistricting litigation was argued and tried to a specially appointed five- judge panel. Marianne used demographics, land use and population changes, as well as constitutional principles and case law, to argue for the novel concept of "politically competitive" districts.
- Lead counsel to Ceridian Corporation in a breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, noncompete and licensing lawsuit. Marianne obtained a permanent injunction against a former executive that prohibited his use of customer and product information, as well as marketing strategies.
- Appellate co-counsel to 3M in Minnesota breast implant insurance coverage case. As co- counsel, Marianne was successful in obtaining millions of dollars of insurance coverage for 3M's defense costs.
- Lead co-counsel for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota in a federal class action lawsuit brought by a group of chiropractors alleging antitrust, ERISA, RICO and state insurance violations. Marianne designed a defense strategy that resulted in the federal court dismissing several counts of the complaint, ruling for her client as a matter of law on significant antitrust claims, and sustaining Daubert challenges to exclude plaintiffs' expert testimony. The case eventually was resolved on favorable terms.
Admissions
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- United States District Courts for Minnesota, Colorado, and North Dakota
Honors
- Named one of "America's Leading Business Lawyers" by Chambers USA (Litigation: General Commercial)
- Fellow, American Academy of Appellate Lawyers
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Named one of forty "Minnesotans on the Move" by Finance & Commerce
- Received the 2009 Girl Scouts Women of Distinction award
- Named a "Person to Watch in 2008" by Twin Cities Business Magazine
- Selected for "Class of 2008" - ABA DirectWomen Board Institute
- Minnesota Lawyer's 15 Attorneys of the Year for 2005 Award
- "Women to Watch" Award in 2005 from The Business Journal
- Corporate Woman of Achievement Award 2004, given by the National Association of Women Business Owners
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Appellate, Commercial Litigation), 2008-2010
- Named a Top 40 Business Litigation SuperLawyers in 2003-present by Minnesota Law & Politics
- Named a Superlawyer in 2001-present by Minnesota Law & Politics
- Distinguished Alumna Award 2006 – Convent of the Visitation
- Founders Award 2007 - Boston College Law School
Education
- Newton College of the Sacred Heart
B.A., 1973
- Boston College Law School
J.D., 1976
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