About Me

Attorney Brian Kidwell

I have over thirty-five years experience handling all types of bankruptcy and litigation matters. My bankruptcy experience includes ten years on the Panel of Chapter 7 Trustees, during which time I handled roughly 6,000 Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases, and five years as adjunct faculty of William Mitchell College of Law teaching bankruptcy and debtor/creditor law. As a trial attorney, I have tried over 100 cases to verdict, including jury trials in both state (Minnesota) and federal courts.

I spent much of my legal career as a partner in a 20+ lawyer firm. Almost ten years ago I started my current solo practice and I believe that I have found my calling. I started Kidwell Law Office with one objective – to provide the highest quality bankruptcy and civil litigation representation to individuals and businesses in the Twin Cities.

At Kidwell Law Office your legal concerns will be handled personally by me, and each and every client I represent receives from me the highest caliber legal services possible. Always. That is my commitment.

My fee arrangements vary based upon the type of case, but they are always confirmed in advance in writing and are always reasonable.

When I am not in the office, I enjoy travel, biking, theater, and music.

Attorney Brian Kidwell

I have over thirty-five years experience handling all types of bankruptcy and litigation matters. My bankruptcy experience includes ten years on the Panel of Chapter 7 Trustees, during which time I handled roughly 6,000 Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases, and five years as adjunct faculty of William Mitchell College of Law teaching bankruptcy and debtor/creditor law. As a trial attorney, I have tried over 100 cases to verdict, including jury trials in both state (Minnesota) and federal courts.

I spent much of my legal career as a partner in a 20+ lawyer firm. Almost ten years ago I started my current solo practice and I believe that I have found my calling. I started Kidwell Law Office with one objective – to provide the highest quality bankruptcy and civil litigation representation to individuals and businesses.

At Kidwell Law Office your legal concerns will be handled personally by me, and each and every client I represent receives from me the highest caliber legal services possible. Always. That is my commitment.

My fee arrangements vary based upon the type of case, but they are always confirmed in advance in writing and are always reasonable.

When I am not in the office, I enjoy travel, biking, theater, and music.

Brian Kidwell has been conferred Martindale-Hubbell's highest AV Preeminent* peer review rating. Fewer than 8% of attorneys are conferred Martindale-Hubbell's highest AV Preeminent* peer review rating.

*AV Preeminent is a certification mark of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards. 

My Background

Education

  • University of St. Thomas,
    B.A.. (summa cum laude)
  • William Mitchell College of Law, J.D. (cum laude)

Admissions

  • State of Minnesota, 1983
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 1984

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section
  • National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys

Representative Cases

Advance-United Expressways, Inc. v. Wines, 112 B.R. 44 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. 1990) (successfully represented creditor in having its claim deemed nondischargeable in the debtor’s Florida Ch. 7 bankruptcy case)

Opatz v. John G. Kinnard and Co., Inc., 454 N.W.2d 471 (Minn. App. 1990) (prevailed on claim for investor client that brokerage firm whose employee was found liable for common law fraud committed within scope of his apparent authority was jointly liable with its employee for that fraud and for statutory interest, costs and attorneys’ fees recoverable under the state securities fraud statute)

Resolution Trust Corporation v. Johnson, 139 B.R. 208 (Bankr. D. Minn. 1992) (succeeded in establishing the validity of a secured creditor’s claim against property of a Ch. 11 debtor)

Hedback v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company (In re Mathews), 207 B.R. 631 (Bankr. D. Minn. 1997) (obtained grant of summary judgment in favor of Ch. 7 trustee client on state law fraudulent transfer claims against insurance company of the debtor)

Graff v. Qwest Communications Corporation, 33 F. Supp. 2d 1117 (D. Minn. 1999) (Federal District Court case resolving motion to remand case from federal court back to state court and motion to transfer venue of federal case from Minnesota to Colorado)

Halverson v. U.S. Dept. of Education et al., 401 B.R. 378 (Bankr. D. Minn. 2009) (successfully represented Ch. 7 debtor in securing determination that student loan debts totaling more than $280,000 were dischargeable in bankruptcy pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(8) of the Bankruptcy Code)

Teaching and Seminars

2021 Bankruptcy Institute – Faculty Member, Sponsored by Minnesota Continuing Legal Education and the Bankruptcy Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, October 11-12, 2021

You’ve Gotten Your Judgment, Now What? And When Judgment Debtors File Bankruptcy – Panel Member, Sponsored by Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, January 11, 2018

2017 Bankruptcy Institute – Faculty Member, Sponsored by Minnesota Continuing Legal Education and the Bankruptcy Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, October 23-24, 2017

2017 Business Law Institute – Faculty Member, Sponsored by Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, May 1-2, 2017

Collecting Business Accounts Receivable through Litigation – Panel Member, Sponsored by Minnesota Chapter, Commercial Finance Association, March 23, 2016

Debtor-Creditor Issues Potpourri – Panel Member, Sponsored by Hennepin County Bar Association Debtor/Creditor Section, February 17, 2016.

Lessons from Special Litigation Cases – Panel Member, Sponsored by Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, September 30, 2015.

Contact Me

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