Michael Forde

Michael Forde is a shareholder and former President of Aafedt, Forde, Gray, Monson & Hager, P.A. He received his J.D. degree cum laude from the University of Minnesota in 1974. He received his Bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Luther College in 1971.

Michael was admitted to practice before the Minnesota Supreme Court and all lesser state courts in 1974. He joined a predecessor of the Aafedt, Forde, Gray, Monson & Hager, P.A. firm in 1974 as an associate and has practiced with the firm as a shareholder from 1981 to the present. He has over 45 years of experience in insurance defense claims, spanning a wide variety of matters and now focuses his practice on mediation of workers’ compensation and employment disputes. He is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America© and has been named to the 2020 Minnesota Super Lawyers list. Michael Forde was named the Best Lawyers® 2013 Workers' Compensation Law-Employers "Lawyer of the Year" in Minneapolis. He is also a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars and seminars for insurers and self-insured companies.

Michael has over 38 years of experience handling workers' compensation cases, and is currently a mediator/arbitrator appointed by the Union Construction Crafts Workers' Compensation Program. He also serves as a private mediator in workers' compensation and other civil cases.

Education

• University of Minnesota, J.D., cum laude, 1974
• Luther College, B.A., magna cum laude, 1971

Admissions

• Minnesota

Born

Starbuck, Minnesota

Awards and Recognitions

• Best Lawyers in America® for Workers' Compensation Law - Employers, Best Lawyers® (1999 - current)
• Minnesota Super Lawyers® list, Thomson Reuters Legal (1999 - current)
• 2013 Workers' Compensation Law - Employers "Lawyer of the Year" in Minneapolis, U.S. News and World Report/Best Lawyers (2013)
• Top 40 Workers' Compensation Super Lawyers®, Thomson Reuters Legal (2006 - 2009)
• Top 100 Super Lawyers® in Minnesota, Thomson Reuters Legal (2007)
• Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell
• Minnesota’s Top Rated Lawyers, Legal Leaders (2013)
• Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment, ALM (2016)

Speaking Engagements

• “Law & Order: Work Comp Division,” AFGMH WorkComp WorkShop, October 7, 2016
• “Who Wants to Be a Work Comp Millionaire,” AFGMH WorkComp WorkShop, October 2, 2015
• “Mediations,” AFGMH WorkComp WorkShop, October 5, 2012

Involvement

• Hennepin County Bar Association
• Minnesota Employers Workers Compensation Alliance
• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Twin Cities Claims Association