Andy is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers—an honor limited to the top 1% of lawyers in the State. He is the Chairperson of the Minnesota State Bar Association Criminal Law Certification Board and was the first lawyer in Minnesota to be certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist. He is a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a Member of the Million Dollar Advocate Forum. For the past two years, Benchmark Litigation has named Mr. Birrell a "Litigation Star." In addition to being selected a perennial Super Lawyer, he has three times been named one of Minnesota's Top 100 Super Lawyers. He is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Mr. Birrell is available to represent clients in all phases of criminal law and related matters from grand jury investigations through appeals in federal and state courts throughout the United States. He represents clients in matters implicating the most significant and difficult white collar criminal law matters, including those involving: RICO, money laundering, conspiracy, tax charges, mail and wire fraud, bank fraud and other related allegations.
Mr. Birrell is an accomplished and seasoned appellate lawyer. He has argued before the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the federal appeals court, and has won reversals of convictions and orders for new trials in the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
A former prosecutor, Mr. Birrell contributes to his profession by presenting seminars to lawyers on all aspects of federal and state criminal law and procedure and ethics.
In addition to being one of Minnesota's most prominent criminal defense attorneys, Mr. Birrell also represents businesses and people in complex business disputes, has obtained results for clients in excess of a million dollars in personal injury matters, and has won trials in tax court, family court, and in matters involving business disagreement and claimed professional malpractice.
Professional Recognition
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist - Minnesota State Bar Association
- Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- "AV-Rated" by Martindale-Hubbell®
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- Minnesota Supreme Court Appointee to the Advisory Committee on Rules of Criminal Procedure
Memberships
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Member of the Board of Directors)
- Innocence Project of Minnesota - Advisory Board Member
- Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Member of the Board of Directors)
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association
Court Admissions
- Minnesota
- United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Education
- J.D., Antioch School of Law
- B.S., University of Pittsburgh
