Pete Kestner

Peter Kestner has extensive experience with truck accident cases, both as a private attorney and representative for trucking insurers. He is a co-founder of the law firm McEwen & Kestner and recently a founder of a national trucking practice with Penn, Kestner & McEwen.

Peter earned his B.S. from Skidmore College in 1989, and his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 2001.

Peter is the current chair of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA), past chair American Association of Justice’s (AAJ) Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, he is a member of the Amicus Committee for AAJ’s Interstate Trucking Litigation Group and he also holds a Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation in insurance. He has litigated truck accident cases in 24 different states in both State and federal Court. He is also Board Certified in Truck Accident Litigation in Minnesota by the National Board of Trial Advocates (NBTA).

LEGAL BACKGROUND

Admitted to Bar, 2001, Minnesota and US District Court of Minnesota; North Dakota 2021; Iowa 2021; Wisconsin 2021

Appeared Pro-Hac Vice in Trucking Cases in the following jurisdictions: District of Colorado, Western District of Kentucky, Wyoming State Court, New York State Court, Iowa State Court, Illinois State Court, Wisconsin State Court, Kentucky State Court, South Carolina State Courts, District of North Carolina, Nevada State Court, North Dakota State Court, District of Utah, Texas State Courts, North Dakota State Courts, South Dakota State Courts, District of Mississippi, Iowa State and Federal Court; Nebraska; Missouri; Louisiana; Florida; and Ohio.

Education:

Skidmore College (B.S. 1989)

William Mitchel College of Law (J.D. 2001)

PUBLICATIONS AND LECTURES

  • Speaker- ATAA, 2023 New Trucking Lawyers Division Bootcamp, Spring 2023
  • Speaker- AIEG Seminar, Hidden Motor Carrier: Developing the Record and Negligent Selection of an Independent Contractor, Spring 2023
  • Speaker- Stafford Publications, Inc., Trucking Accident Cases and Insurance Coverage Complexities:  Guidance for Personal Injury Counsel, June 2022
  • Speaker- AAJ Trial Advocacy College 2022, Litigating Truck Collision Cases, Using the Leasing Regulations to Trigger Additional Coverage, November 2022
  • Michigan Association for Justice, Trial Advocacy Seminar, Black Belt Settlement Tips and Positioning Your Case for Trial, 2022
  • Speaker/Coauthor- ATAA, 2022 New Trucking Lawyers Division Bootcamp, Don’t Leave Money on the Table: Learn How to Get the Best Settlement in Your Truck Case, Spring 2022
  • Co-author/Speaker- 2021 NBI Seminar, “Attorney Investigation of CMV Crashes:  Strategies for Identifying Key Issues, Recognizing Pivotal Evidence” Strafford Publications, CLE Webinar:  December 8, 2021
  • Speaker- 2021 AIEG Truck Seminar, Leveraging the Insurers in Your Trucking Case and Identifying the Hidden Motor Carrier Case
  • Speaker- 2021 MN Law Update, Broker-Shipper Liability Case Update, 2021
  • Speaker- AAJ Convention, Summer 2021
  • Speaker- AAJ Jazz Fest, Maximizing Recovery in the Catastrophic Truck Case, Winter 2020
  • Speaker- 2020 NBI Vegas, Rules and Regulations in Trucking Cases
  • Speaker- Minnesota Associations for Justice, Understanding the Transportation Cycle, Summer 2020
  • Speaker- 2020 Arkansas Seminar, Identifying the Hidden Motor Carrier Case:  The Players; the Documents; and, the Causes of Action
  • Speaker- 2020 California Seminar, Understanding the Transportation Cycle
  • Speaker- Olander Seminar, Transportation Update, 2020
  • Speaker- AAJ Jazz Fest, The Inside Scoop:  Working with Insurance Adjusters, Spring 2019
  • Speaker- AAJ Summer Convention, Understanding the Transport Cycle, Summer 2019
  • Speaker- AAJ Jazz Fest, Negotiation Matters, Winter 2019
  • Speaker- New Jersey Association for Justice, The Defense Perspective, Spring 2019
  • Speaker- Stratford Webinar- Finding the Hidden Motor Carrier, Fall 2018
  • Speaker- Kentucky Association for Justice- The Broker Defense, Summer 2018
  • Speaker- AAJ Members Only Truck Group- Trial of a Punitive Damage Truck Case
  • Speaker- New Jersey Association for Justice: Maximizing the Recovery in Truck Cases, Spring 2018 Speaker: 2018 Winter Convention AAJ, Negotiations Matter
  • Speaker- National Board of Trial Advocacy, Summer 2018) (Understanding Broker Cases
  • Speaker- Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, Summer 2018- (Understanding the Transportation Cycle
  • Course Chair and Lecturer- AAJ Trucking College, Spring 2018
  • Course Chair/Moderator- AAJ Annual Convention, Summer 2017, Trucking Litigation Group. Speaker- Ohio Association for Justice, Spring 2017- Trucking Insurance
  • Speaker- Florida Justice Association Winter 2016: Hell on the Highways, Maximizing the Recovery in Trucking Cases
  • Speaker- ATAA Fall 2016 “Truck Insurance 101” Speaker/Course Chair: 2016 AAJ Trucking College
  • Speaker- “Rules in Trucking Cases” (AAJ Summer Convention 2016)
  • Speaker- “Mediating the Trucking Case” (Minnesota Association for Justice May 2016 Speaker: “Maximizing Settlement in Auto Cases” (360 Advocacy Seminar Spring 2016).
  • Speaker- “Understanding the Transportation Cycle” (New Jersey Association for Justice-Boardwalk Seminar 2016)
  • Speaker- “Mediating Trucking Cases” (Minnesota Association for Justice- Spring 2016)
  • Co-author- “Potential Source of Recovery in Commercial Trucking Case” The Advocate, Vol. 41 #5 (Kentucky Justice Association Sept./Oct 2013)
  • Author- “Broker Liability for Negligent Selection of an Independent Contractor”, Minnesota Trial, Volume 37, No. 4 (Minnesota Association for Justice Fall 2012).
  • Author- “Broker Liability for Negligent Selection of an Independent Contractor”, Interstate Trucking Litigation Group Newsletter (Fall 2012)
  • Author- “The MCS-90 Endorsement: No Coverage? No Problem, Minnesota Trial (Minnesota Association for Justice Summer 2008)
  • Author- “Trucking Insurance Chapter” Truck Accident Litigation, 3rd Edition, (American Bar Association 2012)
  • Speaker- “Debunking the Broker Defense” Interstate Trucking Litigation Group Broker Shipper Liability Seminar, October 2013
  • Speaker- “Debunking the Broker Defense” Interstate Trucking Litigation Group Broker Shipper Liability Seminar, June 2013
  • Speaker- “Finding all Defendants in Wrongful Death Trucking Cases” Minnesota Association for Justice Wrongful Death Seminar, May 2013
  • Speaker- “Technology in Trucking Cases” New Jersey Boardwalk Seminar, April 2013
  • Speaker- “Insurance Company Rules” 360 Advocacy Group, Trucking Litigation Seminar, May 2012
  • Speaker- “Insurance Company Rules” Kentucky Justice Association, Trucking Litigation Seminar, June 2012
  • Speaker- “Insurance Company Rules” Tennessee Justice Association, Trucking Litigation Seminar, March 2012
  • Speaker- “Maximizing Your Recovery: Finding Insurance Coverage, Minnesota Association for Justice Successfully Litigating the Commercial Truck Case, November 2010
  • Speaker- “Insurance Company Rules: Strategies for Maximizing Recovery- IPITLA Seminar, September 2009
  • Speaker- “Defense of Trucking Cases, Why Commercial Motor Vehicle Cases are Different, May 2007