About Jan
Jan Conlin has a long record of leading high-stakes intellectual property and business-critical litigation. Known for her trial and examination skills, Jan uses her well-honed expertise in the areas of trial strategy and risk assessment to find unique business resolutions for litigation-based conflicts of all sizes. During the course of her career, Jan has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts, awards, and settlements on behalf of her clients.For the past six years, Jan was named one of the nation’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers by Benchmark Litigation. Jan was also inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers and named a Minnesota Top 10 Super Lawyer.At her former firm, Jan was an elected member of the Executive Board and Chair of the Business Litigation Department.Jan has multiple nine-figure patent infringement and business litigation representations including a $520.6 million verdict against Microsoft in 2004, a $400 million settlement for Pitney Bowes Inc. in a patent dispute against Hewlett-Packard in 2001, and the 2009 defeat of a $100 million breach of licensing claim, where she earned a unanimous defense verdict as well as an award of attorney’s fees for her client.In addition, Jan is extensively involved in the community and has provided many hours of service to the organizations she supports. Her volunteer activities include multiple board-leadership positions for a variety of organizations including The Minneapolis Foundation; Catholic Charities; Minnesota Orchestral Association; St. Thomas Law School; Minnesota State Bar Association, Civil Litigation Section; University of Minnesota Law School; and, Ascension Catholic Academy.
Jan Conlin has a long record of leading high-stakes intellectual property and business-critical litigation. Known for her trial and examination skills, Jan uses her well-honed expertise in the areas of trial strategy and risk assessment to find unique business resolutions for litigation-based conflicts of all sizes. During the course of her career, Jan has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts, awards, and settlements on behalf of her clients.
For the past six years, Jan was named one of the nation’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers by Benchmark Litigation. Jan was also inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers and named a Minnesota Top 10 Super Lawyer.
At her former firm, Jan was an elected member of the Executive Board and Chair of the Business Litigation Department.
Jan has multiple nine-figure patent infringement and business litigation representations including a $520.6 million verdict against Microsoft in 2004, a $400 million settlement for Pitney Bowes Inc. in a patent dispute against Hewlett-Packard in 2001, and the 2009 defeat of a $100 million breach of licensing claim, where she earned a unanimous defense verdict as well as an award of attorney’s fees for her client.
In addition, Jan is extensively involved in the community and has provided many hours of service to the organizations she supports. Her volunteer activities include multiple board-leadership positions for a variety of organizations including The Minneapolis Foundation; Catholic Charities; Minnesota Orchestral Association; St. Thomas Law School; Minnesota State Bar Association, Civil Litigation Section; University of Minnesota Law School; and, Ascension Catholic Academy.
Practice Areas
Case History
Professional Affiliations
Awards & Recognition
- Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Intellectual Property, Minneapolis (2026)
- Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Patent, Minneapolis (2026)
- Lawyer of the Year: Bet-the-Company Litigation, Minneapolis (2025)
- Recognized: Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Recognized: Commercial Litigation
- Recognized: Litigation - Environmental
- Recognized: Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Recognized: Litigation - Patent
- Recognized: Litigation - Trusts and Estates
- Practice Area: Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
- Special Focus: COVID-19
- Nationally named Top 100 Trial Lawyer (2015-2021) and Top 10 Women in Litigation, Benchmark Litigation (2015)
- Awarded “AV Preeminent Rating” by Martindale Hubbell – the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards based on opinions of members of the judiciary and bar (2018, 2019)
- Nationally named one of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” Benchmark Litigation (2013-2021)
- Nationally named one a “Litigation Star,” Benchmark Litigation (2011-2019 editions)
- Nationally named one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America,” (2007, 2014) and one of the “500 Plaintiff Financial Lawyers” (2019-2021), and one of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” (2020-2022), Lawdragon
- Consistently listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2007-2021 editions)
- "The BTI Client Service All-Star Team” (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
- National “IP Star,” Managing Intellectual Property (2013-2014, 2017-2019)
- Nationally named “Top 250 Women in IP,” Managing Intellectual Property (2014, 2018, 2019)
- Minnesota Lawyer’s “Attorney of the Year” (2008, 2020)
- “Top 10 Minnesota Super Lawyer” (2018-2021), “Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer” (2016-2021), “Minnesota Super Lawyer” (2003, 2005-2021), “Top 100 Women Super Lawyer” (2005-2009), “Top 50 Women Super Lawyer” (2011-2021)
- “Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property Law,” American Lawyer Media (2013)
- Recipient of the “Client Choice Award USA & Canada for Litigation in Minnesota,” Lexology (2013)
- Selected as one of the “Top Rated Lawyers in International Law & International Trade,” American Lawyer Media (2012)
- “Top 40 Intellectual Property Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers.