Bryan C. Keane
PEOPLE

Bryan C. Keane

Partner
keane.bryan@dorsey.com

Overview

A PARTNER IN DORSEY’S TRIAL GROUP, BRYAN HELPS CLIENTS PROSECUTE AND DEFEND COMPLEX COMMERCIAL DISPUTES IN STATE COURT, FEDERAL COURT, AND MULTIPLE ARBITRATION FORUMS.

Bryan has extensive experience with, and regularly represents clients in, matters litigated in state and federal courts and various arbitration forums, including the AAA or FINRA.  He guides clients from case inception to conclusion, at all times focusing on the provision of strategic advice to his clients.

He represents owners and contractors in construction and design-related disputes, whether before the AAA or courts, or in pre-dispute resolution proceedings.  He is co-author of the Minnesota and South Dakota chapters of the State-by-State Guide to Design and Construction Contracts and Claims (Third Edition, 2023).  In addition to his construction-related advice and litigation practices, he represents clients in a wide variety of commercial litigation and related matters.  He represents clients against reinsurance broker-related claims and in connection with other reinsurance-related matters or disputes.  He has experience representing clients in the financial services industry in customer and industry disputes brought before FINRA arbitration panels.  Bryan also represents clients in other securities-related matters, including the representation of publicly-traded companies and their officers and/or directors in shareholder, class action lawsuits, at the district court and appellate levels. 

In addition to his focus on construction, reinsurance, and other commercial litigation matters, Bryan provides insurance coverage analysis and advice.  He has represented policyholders, insurers, retail insurance brokers, and reinsurance intermediaries-brokers.  His work for policyholder clients addresses numerous types of insurance lines, and ranges from assisting clients with assessing which policies may respond to a claim, tendering claims to insurers, reviewing and responding to insurer positions, negotiating with insurers over defense/reimbursement obligations and choice of counsel, coordinating coverage between different polices, and litigating coverage disputes. His work for insureds has included reviewing and evaluating coverage under a series of insurance lines (including general liability, property [and associated coverage for business income loss], builders’ risk, umbrella and excess liability, directors and officers liability, errors and omissions [and other professional liability], and employment practices liability policies).  He also has represented primary and excess insurers in coverage disputes with policyholders and other insurers.  He has represented clients in data breach-related litigation, and is an author of the Cyber Insurance chapter of the 2023 Minnesota Insurance Law Deskbook.

Education & Admissions

Marquette University Law School (J.D., 2003), summa cum laude

Marquette University (B.A. in history, political science, social philosophy, 2000), summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa; Alpha Sigma Nu

Admissions

  • Wisconsin
  • Minnesota
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota

Experience

Representative Litigation

  • Representation of construction contractor in multi-party arbitration proceeding involving claims in excess of $800 million; Bryan was a member of Dorsey’s trial team that represented the client in a seven-week arbitration hearing in 2015
  • Representation of owners and developers in construction-related contracts and claims against contractors, designers, and sureties, including relating to health care, commercial, residential, and other projects
  • Representation of general contractor in disputes with owners and subcontractors (and subcontractor sureties), including on federal government projects, residential apartment projects, and other commercial projects
  • Representation of contractor in dispute with designer arising under a teaming agreement; helped secure dismissal of the designer’s claims after one-week AAA arbitration proceeding in September 2022
  • Representation of subcontractor in multi-party dispute relating to claims for extra costs and delay damages
  • Representation of owners, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in construction-related insurance matters, including litigation, relating to property, builder’s risks, general liability (and umbrella and excess liability), and professional liability policies
  • Representation of clients in insurance coverage matters brought in a series of jurisdictions, relating to coverage for long-tail liability and other products claims
  • Representation of excess insurer in dispute with insured and underlying insurer regarding primary policy exhaustion, resulting in favorable Ninth Circuit opinion issued in Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 39771 (Dec. 18, 2020)
  • Defense of reinsurance intermediary or broker in professional negligence matters involving sufficiency of reinsurance procured and risk transfer issues, including representation of intermediary in Minnesota, California, Louisiana, and Nevada state court actions, and in an action brought in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • Representation of clients in “data breach” proceedings, including the successful defense of such claims at the motion to dismiss stage, affirmed upon appellate review (Reilly, et al. v. Ceridian Corp., 664 F.3d 38 (3d Cir. 2011))
  • Representation of publicly-traded companies and their officers and/or directors in shareholder, class action lawsuits, both before district and appellate courts
  • Representation of financial services industry clients in contract and other related disputes
  • Representation of broker dealers in securities, customer arbitrations brought before FINRA arbitration panels
  • Representation of claimants in a selling-away FINRA arbitration proceeding, resulting in $6 million award in favor of claimant clients

News & Resources

Articles

Author of the Cyber Insurance chapter (Chapter 23) the 2023 Minnesota Insurance Law Deskbook
Co-author of the Minnesota and South Dakota chapters of the State-by-State Guide to Design and Construction Contracts and Claims
Will New York Law Go the Way of Weedo: Tenth Circuit Predicts New York Court of Appeals Will Hold that Property Damage Caused by a Subcontractor’s Defective Workmanship Can Constitute an Occurrence Under a Contractor’s CGL Policy
What’s New with FINRA Rules
Minneapolis

News & Press Mentions

17 Dorsey Lawyers Recognized by Benchmark Litigation
18 Dorsey Lawyers Recognized by Benchmark Litigation
Insurer Can Challenge Deal In Dickstein Malpractice Row
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes 17 Dorsey Lawyers
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes 17 Dorsey Lawyers
Dorsey Partner Bryan Keane Comments on SCOTUS Ruling on No Class Arbitration
Dorsey Partner Bryan Keane Recognized by Client Choice for Litigation
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes 16 Dorsey Lawyers
Benchmark Litigation Names Four Dorsey Lawyers to Under 40 Hot List
Benchmark Litigation Recognizes 17 Dorsey Lawyers
Benchmark Litigation Names 7 Dorsey Lawyers to Under 40 Hot List
Dorsey & Whitney Represents Kværner ASA in $74 Million Arbitration Award
Dorsey Represents Kvaerner in Longview Chapter 11 Case

Industries & Practices

International Arbitration & Litigation
Securities & Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction & Design
  • Construction Litigation
  • Consumer Financial Services
  • Development & Infrastructure
  • Insurance Law
  • International Arbitration & Litigation
  • Public-Private Partnerships
  • Real Estate Litigation
  • Securities & Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement

Professional & Civic

Professional Achievements

  • Member, Federal Bar Association
  • Member, Minnesota State Bar Association, Construction Section
  • Member, Dorsey & Whitney Minneapolis Recruiting Committee
  • Former Board Member, House of Charity, Inc. 
  • Pro bono legal work includes representation of non-profit organizations in litigation matters, as well as provision of advice regarding transaction and governance issues; also represented clients in immigration court and housing court

Accolades

     Contributed 50+ Pro Bono Hours in 2021

  • Contributed more than 50 Challenge pro bono hours, 2021

      Benchmark Litigation Under 40 Hot List 2017

  • Recognized as a "Future Star" by Benchmark Litigation, 2021-2022
  • Recognized as one of Benchmark Litigation's Under 40 Hot List, 2016-2018
  • Recognized by Client Choice for Excellence in Client Service - Minnesota, Litigation, 2018

North Star Lawyer logo

  • MSBA North Star Lawyer, 2014 and 2016-2017


Bryan C. Keane