Winthrop & Weinstine’s DuetsBlog Wins JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards

Attorneys Steve Baird and Tim Sitzmann were also ranked as Top Ten trademark authors

MINNEAPOLIS (March 19, 2018) – For the second year in a row, Minneapolis-based law firm Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A. has been recognized in JD Supra’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards, which acknowledges top authors and firms for their thought leadership in key topics.

The firm’s DuetsBlog again ranked number one in the “Trademarks” category on JD Supra because of the high level of visibility and engagement attained by its posts. The firm also had two authors, Steve Baird and Tim Sitzmann, recognized in the Top Ten for their trademark thought leadership (Steve Baird, the founder of DuetsBlog, was ranked as the number-one author in the trademark category). And finally, Tim Sitzmann’s article, titled Former Rutgers Player Sues Alma Mater Over Nickname, was listed as one of the top five most-read trademark articles for 2017.

The Readers’ Choice Awards from JD Supra recognize top authors and firms who were read by C-suite executives, in-house counsel, media, and other professionals across the JD Supra platform during 2017. Out of nearly 50,000 authors who publish their work on the platform, the awards recognized only 242 authors, including Baird and Sitzmann, for their excellence and achievement.

JD Supra delivers need-to-know legal and business content to professionals in all industries in daily email digests, via more than 100 proprietary social feeds, on mobile platforms, to partner websites and as news across the web.

About DuetsBlog

Duey, the DuetsBlog squirrel mascot

DuetsBlog is an award-winning and nationally recognized blog with the goal of bridging the gap between legal and marketing teams, and facilitating graceful collaboration between them.

Winthrop & Weinstine Plays Long-Term Role In Creation/Growth and Sale of Two Leading Community Banks

MINNEAPOLIS (March 1, 2018) – In February, Minneapolis-based law firm Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A., acted as legal counsel and successfully advised the parent companies of Venture Bank and Signature Bank, two long-time, community banking clients, through sale transactions. Both banks were chartered by the firm, in 2001 and 2002, respectively, and Winthrop & Weinstine has acted as legal counsel throughout the banks’ existence.

Venture Bank, the fast-growing and largest independent small business lender in the Twin Cities, announced on Feb. 19, 2018, that it would be acquired by Choice Financial Group of Fargo, N.D. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2018.

Winthrop & Weinstine also represented Signature Bancshares, the parent company of Signature Bank, in its merger with Heartland Financial USA Inc., originally announced in November 2017. The transaction closed and became final on Feb. 23, 2018, when Signature Bank officially merged into Heartland’s Minnesota Bank & Trust operation.

“We’re thrilled with the outcomes for both Venture and Signature. It has been our privilege to represent both of these community bank organizations for so many years, and we are proud to have guided them from initial charter, through their growth, and to sale,” said Edward J. Drenttel, shareholder at Winthrop & Weinstine.

“Our team places an extremely high value on our relationships with our clients, and being advocates for them and the communities they serve. We work diligently for our clients, and are by their side at every stage of their business,” said Anton J Moch, shareholder at Winthrop & Weinstine.