After more than 57 years practicing law, our founder, colleague and friend, Ron Meshbesher, has officially retired. With his guidance, we will carry on his tradition of excellence and his vision that every Minnesotan in need of representation deserves the very best.
Over the course of his career, Ron has always been passionate about standing up for the rights of individuals and their families in his relentless pursuit of justice. Under his expert guidance, Meshbesher & Spence became “The law firm Minnesotans know and trust”® and we are all so proud to be a part of the outstanding legal practice he founded.
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Beginnings
Ron began practicing law at the age of 24 in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor, where he tried 45 felony cases in his first three years with a 92% conviction rate. He then went on to establish this thriving Minneapolis-based legal practice, Meshbesher & Spence, in 1961.
With only a small, loyal staff dedicated to preserving and defending the welfare of Minnesotan families, Ron went on to become one of the most well-known and well-respected lawyers in Minnesota history, even being dubbed the “dean of the Minnesota criminal-defense bar for 45 years,” by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
A Distinguished Career
Earning his stellar national legal reputation in many highly publicized criminal defense cases in Minnesota criminal courts in the 1970s and 1980s, Ron provided counsel in such cases as:
Elizabeth Congdon murder case
Piper kidnapping case (remains the largest unsolved kidnapping case on FBI record)
Ming Sen Shiue murder and kidnapping case
Dave Forbes hockey assault trial
The Bicek bombing trial
The Dalkon Shield fraud prosecution
The Carlos Vignali drug trafficking trial
And, countless others
Ron’s accomplishments in the civil courtroom have been equally impressive. Trying a vast array of civil cases, including personal injury, contesting of wills, copyright infringement, medical and legal malpractice, and class action, he set multiple state records for the settlements and verdicts won for his clients over the course of his career.
In 1992, he wrote the Trial Handbook for Minnesota Lawyers and has either founded or served as president or vice president of numerous legal associations, including the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.
Recognition
Ron has been recognized as a top lawyer by his peers and by the press in nearly every legal publication in the country, earning Distinguished Service or Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association, and the American College of Trial Lawyers.
According to attorney, Daniel Guerrero, “One of Ron’s best traits is his humility. He was the best dressed, most prepared, smartest, wittiest man in the room but you only knew it because you saw it, not because he advertised it. He always had the utmost and earnest commitment to his client and the cordial admiration of his opponent.”
Attorney, Michael Snyder added, “When anyone discusses Ron Meshbesher legal accomplishments the Congdon murder trial, the Piper kidnapping, and the Ming Sen Shiue case always rise to the top. Only his law partners know about the multitude of other trials and cases, both civil and criminal, where he distinguished himself both in and out of the courtroom. No other star has shone brighter and for so long on the legal landscape in Minnesota than Ron Meshbesher. He established the paradigm of the tough competitor and gentleman lawyer for all those fortunate enough to work for and against him. And his clients all loved him madly.”
His reputation eventually even garnered the attention of Hollywood, when Joel and Ethan Coen came calling, shooting parts of their film A Serious Man at the Meshbesher & Spence Minneapolis law office and mentioning “Ron Meshbesher” as an attorney in the film.
But his most impressive accomplishments remain the countless lives Ron touched throughout his celebrated career and the foundation of hard work, integrity, and persistent dedication to excellence he laid so many years ago.
These principles still live on here at Meshbesher & Spence today and we pledge to continue Ron’s distinguished tradition of great lawyering.
Please join us in congratulating Ron on his retirement and in wishing him the best. You’ve earned it, Ron!