Stacy Ertz approaches litigation matters with a collaborative team attitude believing the best defense is based on an accessible and interactive partnership with her clients.  Stacy has more than 15 years of legal experience in the areas of insurance coverage, commercial litigation, trucking law, personal injury defense and premises liability.  In recent years, she has devoted a significant portion of her practice to representing leading insurers in first- and third-party insurance coverage cases and extra-contractual matters, including insurance coverage defense, providing detailed coverage analysis, conducting examinations under oath, arbitrations and appraisals.  Thoughtful and determined in nature, Stacy has successfully argued cases on behalf of her clients before the Minnesota and Wisconsin circuit and appellate courts.

In her transportation litigation practice, Stacy represents intrastate and interstate trucking companies involved in motor vehicle accidents.  This trucking litigation typically involves complex issues of accident reconstruction, driver fatigue, driver qualifications, H.O.S. rules, safety training and data retention.  In this area, she is extremely knowledgeable about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations  (FMSCR) and Department of Transportation (DOT) rules and regulations.

Stacy is admitted to practice in Minnesota and Wisconsin; the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin. She is a member of DRI, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association (MDLA), Minnesota Women Lawyers Association (MWL), as well as the Ramsey County, Wisconsin and Minnesota State Bar associations. Within the firm, Stacy chairs the Associate Mentoring and Training Committee.

She received her J.D., cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from St. Cloud State University. She is a contributing author to the Minnesota State Bar Association’s (MSBA) Bench and Bar publication.

As a professional committed to giving her time and talents to others, Stacy has served on the Ramsey County Bench and Bar Benefit Committee and Minnesota State Bar Association's Lawyers for Literacy Campaign as a volunteer, visiting schools to read with children.

Outside of her day-to-day practice, Stacy enjoys spending time with her family.  She assists with coaching her children’s soccer and baseball teams and attending their swim practices.  She also enjoys boating, hiking and gardening.

KEY PRACTICE AREAS

Insurance coverage, transportation litigation, premises liability, personal injury defense, products liability and appellate practice.

BAR ADMISSIONS

• Minnesota
• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• Wisconsin
• U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• Great West Cas. Co. v. Northland Ins. Co., (Unpublished opinion, Minn. Ct. App. 2004).  Plaintiff claimed that defendant’s insured had authority over an independent truck driver which triggered coverage under the insurance policy as a result of a trucking accident.  The Minnesota Court of Appeals held that the defendant’s insured had no authority over truck driver, thus the accident did not trigger insurance coverage under the policy.
• Bohman v. Trimodal, Inc., 2001 WL 243224, (Minn. Ct. App. 2001).  Following an accident in which a semi-truck hit a railroad overpass due to the oversized cargo load, Plaintiff claimed that defendant had a duty to measure the height of the cargo before it was placed on the semi-truck.    Summary judgment was granted in favor of defendant manufacturer and affirmed on appeal based on regulations which placed the duty to measure the height of the cargo on truck driver and not the manufacturer.

HONORS

• Rising Star (Minnesota Law & Politics)

MEMBERSHIPS

• DRI
• Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
• Minnesota Women Lawyers Association
• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Wisconsin State Bar Association
• Ramsey County Bar Association