Robert Bennett, Marc Betinsky, Katie Bennett and Andrew Noel (L to R) Robert Bennett, Marc Betinsky, Katie Bennett and Andrew Noel, all of Robins Kaplan. (Courtesy photo)

Robins Kaplan on Thursday announced it was adding four federal civil rights and personal injury lawyers from Minneapolis boutique Gaskins Bennett, which is winding down as that firm's remaining managing partner enters semi-retirement.

The move marks the latest expansion for a national firm in the Minneapolis market, bringing Robins Kaplan a quartet with strong regional reputations and high-profile cases under their belts while highlighting the limits to longevity for boutiques as their founders exit the practice.

The hires also position Robins Kaplan—which was founded in Minneapolis—to take on more federal civil rights cases, a practice area that Robert Bennett believes is underappreciated by Big Law.

"I recognize that, most of the time, civil rights law is practiced by smaller shops. I think it's time that changed," said Bennett, a former managing partner at Gaskins Bennett.

Joining Bennett as partners at Robins Kaplan include his daughter Katie Bennett and Andrew Noel. Marc Betinsky, an associate at Gaskins Bennett, is joining the firm as counsel. By joining the national litigation firm, the team hopes to expand the reach of their federal civil rights work to the eight cities where Robins Kaplan has offices, Bennett said.

Steve Gaskins, the other name partner of the Gaskins Bennett, is entering semi-retirement at the age of 72, said Robert Bennett, who worked alongside him for more than 18 years.

"It's an issue for lawyers as they reach 70. A lot of litigation lawyers are done way before that. That isn't me," said the 67-year-old Bennett. He referenced his father, a former Target executive, who told him he should do something new every 10 years.

Bennett and his colleagues' decision to join Robins Kaplan comes as national law firms are clamoring to enter the Minneapolis legal market. It also comes seven months after their highest-profile victory yet: In May, they secured a record-breaking $20 million settlement from the city of Minneapolis for the family of Justine Ruszczyk, also known as Justine Damond.

Ruszczyk's shooting death by a Minneapolis police officer in July 2017 garnered international headlines. The officer was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to more than 12 years in prison in 2019. According to Robins Kaplan, it's the largest settlement of its kind.

Bennett said all of their clients are coming with them. Among the cases they're going to be working on at the firm is a fatal police shooting of a man who had allegedly surrendered and had his hands up when he was shot. The police said they saw a gun even though there wasn't one, Bennett said.

Bennett and his colleagues are a natural fit for both the kind of work Robins Kaplan does and the firm's core values, said Phil Sieff, a Robins Kaplan partner in Minneapolis.

"It's really a perfect fit for us, and fulfills our goals of expanding our trial practice in areas that fit with our values," Sieff said. Sieff said he's admired Bennett's work ever since they worked together in representing the victims of the 1-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse of 2007.

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