June 4, 2017 by Philip Lewenstein

Marshall H. Tanick: Brilliance at Age 70 In Law and Writing

To ensure a happy life, it is important to have a few good friends—and a good lawyer. I have been fortunate to have both in Marshall H. Tanick for about 50 years. In May, Tanick turned 70, an elite age he shares with President Trump and Governor Dayton.

Tanick is one of Minnesota’s most prominent, visible attorneys, specializing in several fields of law. Since 2012, he has practiced law for Hellmuth and Johnson. Tanick is one of the most brilliant people I have met and, is thus, deserving this blog.

Tanick has for many years been a top-rated employment and labor attorney. But my admiration for Tanick extends far beyond his legal practice to include his writing. He is a prolific, superb writer, commenting often on a variety of important, timely topics in certain publications.

Besides employment law, Tanick’s other primary legal practice areas are constitutional law, including defamation, privacy, and other communications; business disputes; animal law; pet law; land law; entertainment law; intellectual property; and health professional licensing. He has been certified as a civil trial specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association for more than 20 years since the certified program was started.

Tanick has gained visibility in three ways. First, many of his cases generate extensive media coverage. Second, he is an expert source for many media stories. And, third, he regularly contributes articles and letters to a variety of publications.

Every few weeks, I open my Star Tribune and find a contribution from Tanick—usually an Op Ed or a letter to the editor. On Wednesday, May 17, the paper’s Opinion Exchange included a lengthy Tanick column on applying the 25^th Amendment to the Trump presidency. Tanick discussed the process that could end the Trump presidency due to disability. The next day, in the Star Tribune Sports section, Michael Rand quoted a recent Tanick MinnPost piece on finances and naming rights at the University of Minnesota. Then, on Monday, May 22, the Business Forum in the Star Tribune Business section contained Tanick’s lengthy piece on inequities in severance arrangements.

I met Tanick in the late 1960s at the University of Minnesota when we worked on the sports staff of the Minnesota Daily. In 1967-68, he was the assistant sports editor; in 1968-69, he was the sports editor, and I was the assistant sports editor. Tanick was the best writer on a Daily staff that employed many talented reporters and writers.

Fifty years ago, I became familiar with many of the skills that have contributed to Tanick’s success. He exhibited a clear writing style as he produced many long articles and columns in which sentences and paragraphs flowed seamlessly, and his diction was as impressive as was his coherence. Tanick’s writing reflected his incisive analysis of topics and creative, critical thinking. A hallmark of his style was the use of humor, a welcome complement to his more erudite tone. As the sports editor, he modeled an unparalleled work ethic and strong desire for perfection. If I overlooked a word or comma in proofreading his column, it was duly noted.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the university in 1969, Tanick headed for law school at Cornell University but was sidetracked by illness. After recovering, he went on to earn his juris doctorate from Stanford University in 1973. He was admitted to the Minnesota Bar in l974. Tanick served as a law clerk for federal district court Judge Carl R. Swanson and was an attorney with the Robbins law firm in the Twin Cities. For more than 30 years, he was senior partner in the law firm of Mansfield, Tanick & Cohen, P.A. and its predecessor before joining Hellmuth and Johnson.

Tanick has consistently been named a Super Lawyer in the annual survey of Minnesota attorneys and often cited as one of the Top 100 attorneys in Minnesota in those surveys. I was pleased with his work for me and my family in employment and real-estate disputes. On other occasions, he has generously provided informal feedback on legal questions.

What distinguishes Tanick is his ability to combine his extensive legal knowledge with his superb writing skills. A good lawyer must be a master in the art of persuasion; success in law requires exemplary communication skills. Tanick’s writing exemplifies the main purposes of composition: inform, persuade, and entertain. His writing provides a valuable and welcome voice on a variety of issues.

As Tanick established excellence in his law practice, he continued to write prolifically. He is a contributing columnist for Minnesota Lawyer magazine, Bench and Bar, and the Star Tribune. He has published many articles in newspapers, magazines, and books on business, financial, and legal topics. He is an active blogger. Tanick was named Author of the Year by the Minnesota bar publication as well as recipient of the First Amendment Award by the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Minnesota.

Tanick can write on any topic. His articles and columns range from noncompete agreements in sports to the teacher tenure act to the closing of the J.C. Penney store in downtown Minneapolis to a 2008 visit to Cuba. His writing and legal practice go hand in hand, and his ability to excel in both law and writing are a testament to his brilliance and hard work. And he still finds time to participate in a variety of civic and community activities.

At the elite age of 70, Tanick continues to produce and serve at an enviable pace; he is an elite lawyer, and elite writer, and an elite friend.