Biographies

Peter A. Koller is a shareholder and the chair of the appeals and motion practice area at Moss & Barnett.  He has been an integral member of the Moss & Barnett litigation department for more than 20 years.  Although his principal area of practice has always been civil litigation, Mr. Koller also frequently finds himself helping clients avoid litigation through timely planning and creative negotiations.

Capitalizing upon his considerable skills as a writer and speaker, the competitiveness he developed growing up in a large family, his innate problem solving abilities, and his penchant for staying calm in pressure-packed situations, Mr. Koller has devoted a significant part of his practice over the years to appeals, trial strategy and sophisticated motions (e.g., motions for injunctions, motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment and motions for post-trial relief).  He takes particular pride in having overturned a number of million dollar verdicts wrongly entered against clients of the firm, as well as in having obtained and preserved pre-trial dismissals of numerous professional malpractice actions against accountants and lawyers.

In addition to his substantial appellate and motion practice experience, Mr. Koller also has substantial experience in all other phases of the litigation process, including extensive experience with alternative dispute resolution.  He has litigated and negotiated on behalf of and against individuals, professionals, small businesses and Fortune 500 companies.  For example, Mr. Koller has successfully defended a prominent national accounting firm against multi-million dollar claims in various states, has helped a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company enforce contractual non-compete provisions against several different departing employees in a series of actions around the upper Midwest, and has defeated landowners who sought to interfere with the operations of public utility clients of Moss & Barnett.

Mr. Koller has also handled a large amount of insurance-related litigation.  As a result, he has considerable knowledge regarding insurance coverage and frequently consults with clients concerning insurance matters.

Mr. Koller is licensed to practice before all courts of the State of Minnesota, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.  In addition, he regularly assists clients in disputes venued outside of Minnesota and has participated in cases in at least a dozen other states.

A creative problem solver, a careful tactician, and an excellent communicator, Mr. Koller has been recognized by his peers as a Super Lawyer and has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory.

Mr. Koller is a member of the American Bar Association (Litigation Section and the Tort and Insurance Practice Section), the Minnesota State Bar Association, and the Hennepin County Bar Associations. He has taught Appellate Advocacy at the University of Minnesota Law School, has been a guest instructor of Trial Practice at that same institution, and has taught and provided written materials for continuing legal education seminars.

In his spare time, Mr. Koller has been a volunteer coach and judge in the Minnesota State Bar Association's High School Mock Trial Program and has taught Street Law to high school students as part of another state bar association program.  He regularly volunteers with charitable and community organizations and enjoys coaching youth athletics.  In addition, he is the president of the youth hockey association in his hometown of North Saint Paul.

Mr. Koller was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has lived in the Twin Cities area his entire life.  He is a graduate of the College of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota Law School.  Following law school, he served as a judicial clerk to the Hon. Roberta K. Levy in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) District Court.