Benjamin Sorenson | Yost & Baill

Ben Sorenson joined the Yost & Baill law firm and is a current partner in the firm’s property subrogation practice group in its Minnesota office. Ben has litigated a wide variety of subrogation cases throughout the United States and has devoted his practice to handling large subrogation losses related to fire, product liability, construction defect, fire suppression system failure, and the like.

Ben has extensive experience related to fire origin and cause investigations, having served previously as a firefighter and fire investigator for a local fire department outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as having served as an investigator for the Hennepin County Fire Investigation Team (HCFIT).

He is an active member of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI), where he serves as a Board Member for the Minnesota Chapter. He is also a member and Co-Chair of the Minnesota Chapter’s Education & Training Committee and member of the Chapter’s Burn to Learn Committee. He has presented on topics related to legal considerations in conducting fire investigations, report writing, expert depositions and courtroom testimony.

Ben is also an active member of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP) and has been a regular speaker at NASP’s national conferences, presenting on topics related to subrogation litigation and recovery strategies. In addition to speaking, Ben has served as a Conference Track Leader and as a member of NASP’s Executive Advisory Committee, contributing to the development of educational programming and initiatives within the subrogation industry. He has also published in NASP’s Subrogator magazine.

Education

J.D., Hamline University School of Law
B.A., University of Minnesota, with Distinction

Admission to Practice

Minnesota and Iowa State Courts and United States District Court, District of Minnesota

Honors & Awards

2024 Minnesota Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators (MNIAAI) Attorney/Prosecutor of the Year.
Past Commissioner for the City of Brooklyn Park Charter Commission

Professional Associations & Memberships

National Association of Subrogation Professionals
Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
International Association of Arson Investigators, Minnesota Chapter

Presentations

2014

NASP Annual Conference – Orlando, FL. “Speak Softly and Carry a Black Pen: Settling with Pro Se Defendants,” co-presenter with Kelly Micheletti

2018

Instructor- IAAI Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony Course, Brainerd, MN

2019

Instructor- IAAI Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony Course, Mankato, MN

2022

Instructor- IAAI Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony Course, Alexandria, MN

Lecturer- Legal Considerations in Fire Investigations- MNIAAI Fire Investigation Technician (FIT) Course, Maple Grove, MN

2023

Yost & Baill Annual Iowa Symposium- “Spoliation of Evidence; Not Just for Fire Claims,” presented with David Yarosh

Lecturer- Legal Considerations in Fire Investigations- MNIAAI Fire Investigation Technician (FIT) Course, Bloomington, MN

NASP Annual Conference, “Multi-Disciplined Forensic Investigations,” presented with Brian Haag, Luke Choudek and JP Fonder

2024

State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, “Subrogation from the Field: What Adjusters Can Do to Set Up Recovery Success”

Instructor- IAAI Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony Course, Mankato, MN

MNIAAI Annual Conference, “Subrogation Essentials,” presented with Tim Poeschl and Becky Weisz

Speaker- NASP Pop-Up Event, “Subrogation Opportunities in Range Fires,” Appleton, WI

Whitemore Fire Consultants Seminar, “Huddle Up, It Takes a Team,” presented with Doug Noah, Prior Lake, MN

NASP Annual Conference, “Fires and Fortunes: A Blueprint for Subrogation Success,” presented with Tim Poeschl and Becky Weisz

NASP Annual Conference, “Blazing Trails: Unraveling the Mysteries of Commercial Kitchen Fires,” presented with Stacey Wise, Bruce Rottner and Jared Elster

2025

American Family Insurance Claims Services, Inc., “Subrogation Fundamentals,” presented with Tim Poeschl

State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, “Subrogation from the Field: What Adjusters Can Do to Set Up Recovery Success”

NASP Spring Conference, “The Jury Speaks: Insights from a Winning Subrogation Trial,” presented with Steven Theesfeld

MNIAAI Annual Conference, “Fires and Fortunes,” presented with Tim Poeschl

Instructor, IAAI Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony Course, Bemidji, MN

Yost & Baill Annual Iowa Symposium, “The Jury Speaks,” presented with Steven Theesfeld

NASP Annual Conference, “The Jerk Store Called, They’re Running out of You,” presented with Tim Poeschl, Patrick Jarosch, Lori McNicoll and Patti Rutzinski

2026

NASP Spring Conference, “Pre-Suit Strategy: When to Litigate and When to Wait,” presented with Adrienne Gross

Publications

“Tricks of the Trade: Tips for Settling Auto Claims with Pro-Se Defendants,” NASP Subrogator, Spring/Summer 2014