Ms. Putney is a professional liability litigator who has helped clients navigate and prevent malpractice actions for more than 25 years. Also experienced in other types of proceedings including investigations, arbitrations and licensing matters, Ms. Putney is a true professionals’ lawyer, having represented and counseled hundreds of health care providers, lawyers, insurance agents and brokers, real estate agents, architects, and accountants. Most recently, Ms. Putney successfully defended a family practice physician in a birth injury trial, where plaintiff sought tens of millions of dollars in damages.

Ms. Putney was named the 2025 Minneapolis Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants Lawyer of the Year and the 2022 Minneapolis Legal Malpractice Law-Defendants Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America^©. She is also recognized for Personal Injury Litigation and Medical Malpractice Law. She has been selected as a Minnesota Super Lawyer and a Top 50 Female Minnesota Super Lawyer numerous times. Ms. Putney is also a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America and has served as a Hennepin County Conciliation Court Judge.

Ms. Putney recently served as the firm's Chief Operating Officer. She is Chair of the Bassford Remele Professional Liability Practice Group.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 1993
• Gustavus Adolphus College, B.S., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1990

Bar Admissions

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
• Minnesota
• Tribal Court of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community

Professional Achievements

• Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow

Bar Associations

• Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Civil Litigation Section
  • Health Law Section
• State Bar of Wisconsin
• Hennepin County Bar Association

Professional Associations

• Professional Liability Defense Federation
• Defense Research Institute
• Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
  • Board of Directors, 2008-2010
  • Editorial Committee, 2003-2013
• Minnesota Hospital Association

Civic Involvement

• Hennepin County Conciliation Court, Judge, 2003-2018
• People Serving People, volunteer

Honors & Awards

• Best Lawyers, Minneapolis Professional Malpractice Law-Defendants Lawyer of the Year, 2025 ed.
  
• Best Lawyers, Minneapolis Legal Malpractice Law-Defendants Lawyer of the Year, 2022
• The Best Lawyers in America, Professional Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation, 2010-present; Medical Malpractice Law, 2019-present; Legal Malpractice Law, 2020-present
• Top Lawyers list, Legal Malpractice Law, Medical Malpractice Law, and Professional Malpractice Law, Minnesota Monthly, 2022-2023
• Minnesota Super Lawyers Top 50 Female list, Super Lawyers, 2010-2014, 2017
• Minnesota Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers, 2004, 2005, 2009-present
• Minnesota Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers, 1999, 2001-2002
• Rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®

• Minnesota's Developing Law on the AIA Waiver of Subrogation Provision, author, Constructive Comment Newsletter, October 31, 2001
• Application of Waiver of Subrogation Provision in Minnesota, author, 1999

• Minnesota’s CANDOR Act, presenter, In-house Counsel Forum, University of Minnesota-Physicians, July 20, 2023
  
• Thapa v. St. Cloud Orthopedics Associates, Ltd., presenter, Lathrop GPM Health Law Seminar, September 22, 2022
  
• Mindful Moments: Engaging in the Present Through Practice, panelist, Bassford Remele Ethics Seminar, June 16, 2022
  
• What if You Get Hit By a Truck? aka Succession Planning is for Everyone, presenter, Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company Defense Panel Seminar, Chaska, MN, August 6, 2019
• Leading and Succeeding, presenter, Managing Partners’ Panel, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association Women in the Law Committee, Minneapolis, MN, September 18, 2018
  
• Legal Malpractice, presenter, Minnesota Legal Ethics Summit VIII, Minneapolis, MN, June 8, 2018
• You Are Hereby Commanded: How to Respond When a Subpoena Is Served on YOU, presenter, 2016 Legal Ethics Summit VI, Minneapolis, MN, June 1, 2016
• Bias: A Look at the Everyday Impacts, presenter, Bassford Remele Spring Seminar, May 5, 2016
• What I Learned from Trying My Biggest Case, presenter, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee Meeting, April 21, 2016