June 2009 - Murnane Brandt shareholder and senior litigator Andrew T. Shern argued before the Minnesota Supreme Court on June 10 as lead counsel to the Sierra Club, an environmental nonprofit, in In the Matter of the Denial of Certification of the Variance Granted to Robert W. Hubbard by the City of Lakeland. To view video of the oral argument, visit the Minnesota Judicial Branch online.

At issue during oral arguments was whether or not the Minnesota Court of Appeals wrongly applied Minnesota Statutes Section 15.99, the 60-day "Automatic Approval" rule to vacate the decision of the DNR commissioner and reinstate the variance to the bluffline setback ordinance granted by the City of Lakeland to Robert Hubbard. This is part of longstanding litigation over proposed residential land development along the St. Croix River, which is presently under review by the Supreme Court. Murnane Brandt, under Andy's direction and leadership, has represented the Sierra Club pro bono on this matter for the past two and a half years.

Andy is a seasoned litigator at Murnane Brandt practicing in civil litigation, construction and premises liability litigation, and commercial litigation.