Jerry Blackwell of Minneapolis-based Blackwell Burke is the trial lawyer General Mills Inc. counts on for all types of products liability and business litigation facing the food giant.

“Sometimes I refer to it as 'smoke jumping,' ” Blackwell said, referring to firefighters who parachute in to perilous conditions. Blackwell is often tapped as cases near trial to craft a narrative and present it to the jury. “ General Mills believes, based on our track record, that we excel at trying cases and we excel at communicating to juries.”

Blackwell said the role of the firm, which has 15 lawyers, evolved as trial counsel from its work on a single case file at least a dozen years ago. That case involved quashing a third-party subpoena served by a Texas court against General Mills in Minnesota. “That's usually not a role you see for minority-owned law firms,” Blackwell said.