Richard B. Allyn

Particular experience litigating large catastrophic property losses, significant environmental sites, and complex trust disputes.

Examples of losses include the Northeast Power Outage of 2003, World Trade Center 7 building collapse, numerous power plant losses, water damaged structures, a food processing plant, warehouses, a telephone switching station, major office buildings, an airplane hangar, a grain elevator, chemical spill, paper mills, a commercial horse barn, mining facility, and a world famous painting. These losses involved fires, explosions, floods, construction defects, pollution and environmental damage, mold, electrical malfunctions, chemical spills, arson and terroristic acts.

Counsels and represents private corporations, insurance companies, and individuals involved in coverage disputes, including property, liability, E&O, environmental, directors and officers, life insurance, crime and fidelity, employment practices, construction and builders-risk, as well as antitrust, fraud, and wrongful market conduct cases in court and arbitration. Represented special insurance risk programs for cities, schools and nonprofits.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. (1969)
• University of Minnesota, B.A.

Representative Matters

Represents the White Bear Lake Restoration Association pro bono in a lawsuit concerning declining water levels in White Bear Lake. The Court found that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources failed to protect the popular lake by mismanaging groundwater pumping permits in the area. The DNR was ordered to take several actions to maintain sustainable water levels in the lake. Contested case litigation continues brought by cities opposed to court-ordered relief.

Represented mineral rights owners in a putative class action against the State of North Dakota and others for the alleged unlawful taking of mineral interests along navigable waters in the State and wrongful lease of those interests for the extraction and production of oil and gas.

Substantial work for a significant family trust that overcame contentious opposition to liquidating $1,000,000,000 assets to fund a non-profit foundation.

Recovery v. United States for PCB contamination under the Clean Water Act.

Silver Lake Dam Collapse: Multi-million-dollar recovery for damage to powerhouse from catastrophic upstream dam collapse.

Rouge Powerhouse explosion: Multi-million-dollar arbitration award for boiler explosion.

Chicago Flooded Tunnel Cases: Multi-million-dollar recoveries for several large buildings damaged by a sudden break in the freight tunnel system under the Chicago loop.

Illinois Bell Hinsdale Central Office Fire: Recovery from a telephone switching station fire caused by runaway electrical arcing.

Co-lead counsel in a trial defense of a multi-million dollar claim against insurance company. The six-month trial resulted in a jury verdict for insurer.

Resolution of a number of claims for pollution coverage, professional errors and omissions, and other liability issues.

Falk Industries Factory Explosion in Milwaukee:  Defense of negligent engineering and inspection claims in fatal LP gas explosion.

Mount Du Lac Snow Sports v. Bruckelmeyer Bros, et al: Defense of an engineering firm against design defect allegations by a ski lodge.

• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2023-2025 editions)
• Recipient of “Private Practice Pro Bono Award,” Minnesota Justice Foundation (2020)
• Named "Attorney of the Year," Minnesota Lawyer (2017)
• Named a "North Star Lawyer" by the Minnesota State Bar Association for providing at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services (2015-2016, 2022-2023)
• Named a "Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law," American Lawyer Media (2013)
• "Professional Excellence Award," from the Minnesota State Bar Association, awarded to a group of lawyers who represented survivors of the 35W Bridge Collapse on a pro bono basis (2009)

Civic

• Member, Board of Advisors, University of Minnesota Law School
• Trustee and Officer, Gunflint Trail Historical Society
• Board of Commissioners, Bass Lake Rehabilitation District, St. Croix, Wisconsin – water and land use issues
• (Retired) Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, St. Paul, Minnesota

Professional

• American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice Section)
• Minnesota State Bar Association

Speeches

• What Could Possibly Go Wrong? The Story of an Iconic Minneapolis Block: The Northwestern Bank Building, Its Catastrophic 1982 Destruction, and Post-Covid Level Setting. Lessons in Insurance, Recoveries, and Uninsured Risks
  Minnesota CLE Real Estate Institute, Saint Paul, Minnesota, (October 24, 2024) 
• Drafting Insurance Clauses for Real Estate Documents
  2014 Real Estate Institute, Minnesota CLE and Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN (November 18, 2014)
• Advanced Theories of Recovery and Subrogation 201
  Fall Leadership Meeting, ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Minneapolis, MN (October 11, 2013)
• What Do I Need to Know About School Law? Ask a Panel of Lawyers
  Minnesota School Boards Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota (January 17, 2013)
• September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks: Duties of Corporate Directors and Officers in Preparation and Execution of Disaster Avoidance and Recovery
  ABA TIPS, Teleconference (September 16, 2011)
• Insurance Coverage for Intellectual Property
  Insurance Law 2005, St. Paul, Minnesota (August 23, 2005)
• Service Interruption Claims After Disaster
  The Loss Executives Association (June 17, 2004)
• Getting Something Back Subrogating After the Catastrophe
  ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section, New York, New York (November 5, 2001) and The Loss Executives Association, Portland, Maine (February 24, 2002)