Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Hailing from Minneapolis, Dorsey & Whitney LLP is an international law firm with over 575 lawyers working across 14 domestic and six international offices. Dorsey has more than 60 practice areas and serves clients in nearly all industries—six of which the firm focuses on in great depth: banking and financial institutions; development and infrastructure; energy and natural resources; food, beverage, and agribusiness; healthcare; and technology.

Reputable Ranks

Dorsey & Whitney was founded in 1912 when William Lancaster, a prominent Minneapolis lawyer, joined forces with David Simpson, a Minnesota Supreme Court justice. The name Dorsey became connected with the firm in 1913 when James Dorsey joined as an associate. He took the reins after Lancaster and Simpson passed away and drove the firm's growth through expanded corporate, banking, and financial services practices. 

Several partners have passed through the Dorsey doors (and across its letterhead), but the name Dorsey & Whitney was finalized in 1981. At the time, Arthur Whitney, who led the firm's public finance practice, was one of Dorsey's oldest surviving partners. The firm’s ranks have also included such notable attorneys as Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, Professor William Prosser, Vice President Walter Mondale, and Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Impressive Client List

Dorsey’s client list includes nearly one-third of the Fortune 100 companies. Key clients include UnitedHealth Group, U.S. Bank, Apple, Facebook, Delta Air Lines, Mayo Clinic, Canon, and Xcel Energy.

The firm is a prominent player in the mergers and acquisitions scene, advising on transactions large and small, from multinational acquisitions to small family business sales. In fact, the firm has been ranked among the Top 25 firms in U.S. M&A Deals Completed for more than two decades by Thomson Reuters. The firm’s Commercial Litigation Group has earned a reputation of excellence—U.S. News-Best Lawyers ranked Dorsey as a Tier 1 and has been named a Leading Litigation Practice by Chambers USA.

Dorsey’s full-service IP practice has been recognized internationally for its quality and capabilities. Besides IP litigation, Dorsey offers specialized IP services, like licensing, patent prosecution, and brand management. It also fields a dedicated team of clean tech IP attorneys who serve emerging companies (think carbon capture and sequestering technology, tidal technology, and fuel cells and next-gen batteries).

Landmark Decision

People around the world learned Dorsey's name in April 2009, when the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of Dorsey's plaintiffs in a landmark decision that overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage. The case, which Dorsey handled pro bono in partnership with Lambda Legal, was an unprecedented victory for marriage equality in the United States.