Amy R. Freestone
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Born: June 17, 1973; Sioux Falls, S.D.
Education: George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1998; Drake University, B.A., 1995
Employment: Faegre & Benson, associate/partner, 1998-2006
Professional Associations: Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, The Sedona Conference
Community Activities: JUSTice FOR KIDS, Washburn Center for Children Board of Directors
Hobbies/Interests: Movies, reading
Faegre & Benson, L.L.P.
Education: George Washington University Law School, J.D., 1998; Drake University, B.A., 1995
Employment: Faegre & Benson, associate/partner, 1998-2006
Professional Associations: Hennepin County Bar Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, The Sedona Conference
Community Activities: JUSTice FOR KIDS, Washburn Center for Children Board of Directors
Hobbies/Interests: Movies, reading
Minneapolis attorney Amy R. Freestone has carved out a niche for herself at Faegre & Benson defending pharmaceutical companies in product liability cases. She has also become a go-to person in the burgeoning field of electronic discovery.
Freestone decided to become an attorney as a child growing up in South Dakota, and without a moment’s hesitation says the decision was the right one for her. “I am one of those people who loved law school and becoming a lawyer. And that feeling has only deepened every year that I have practiced,” she explains.
As national counsel for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Freestone successfully defended the company against class action suits over the use of the drug Ritalin as a treatment for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. She also represents Novartis in ongoing hormone therapy litigation brought by women with breast cancer.
But asked to identify the most interesting case she has worked on so far, Freestone picks a workers’ compensation case rather than a complex product liability matter. She was on the Faegre team that represented the Minnesota Vikings in the wrongful death action brought by the family of Korey Stringer, who died in 2001 of complications from heatstroke during training camp. In a case that went all the way to the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Faegre lawyers successfully argued that the workers’ compensation statute provided the exclusive remedy against the team.
“There is always a personal story behind every piece of litigation I work on,” Freestone notes. “[The Stringer case] was a human story both on the family’s side and on the side of the Vikings, who lost a wonderful friend and colleague.”
In her product liability defense practice, Freestone frequently faces the situation of dealing with injured plaintiffs who perceive that her client is liable for their injuries. “Obviously, you are always impacted by another human being’s personal pain, but I also very much believe in the job that I am doing and in the products that my client is putting on the market. The work my clients are doing is very important, and I am proud to represent them,” she says.
Freestone also believes that community service and pro bono work should be a part of every lawyer’s life. She is a board member of the Washburn Center for Children, which helps children with social, emotional and behavioral problems, and their families.
Freestone is also a volunteer for JUSTice FOR KIDS, a partnership between Faegre and the Hennepin County Juvenile Guardian ad Litem Program. Participating attorneys represent children in court proceedings, including cases involving neglect and termination of parental rights.
“I have a skill as a litigator, and it is my belief that I have an obligation to provide my services not just to the clients who come to me, but where there are opportunities in the community to offer my skill set to people who need it and who otherwise would not be able to get legal services,” Freestone says.
