Tara Sutton Obituary, Minneapolis Minnesota, Death: Robins Kaplan Attorney Dies After Brief Illness

Tara Sutton, a longtime Minneapolis attorney and partner at Robins Kaplan LLP, has died after a brief illness. The firm announced that Sutton passed away on September 20, 2026, mourning her as a longtime colleague, mentor, leader and friend.

Sutton spent her entire legal career at Robins Kaplan, joining the firm as a summer associate and eventually becoming one of its most prominent trial lawyers. She led the firm’s National Mass Tort Group and served for a decade on its Executive Board. She also held leadership roles focused on diversity and professional development.

Her career included work on several major cases. As a young lawyer, Sutton was part of the Robins Kaplan team representing the State of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in landmark litigation against tobacco companies that resulted in a $6.6 billion settlement in 1998. She later became deeply involved in mass-tort and product-liability litigation, including national opioid cases and litigation involving JUUL and Altria.

In 2026, Sutton had been reappointed to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in litigation involving allegations concerning Depo-Provera. Robins Kaplan said she remained active in major litigation shortly before her death.

Sutton was also recognized beyond her firm. The University of Iowa College of Law honored her with its Alumni Achievement Award in 2025, while Super Lawyers named her among the Top 10 Minnesota Super Lawyers in both 2025 and 2026.

Robins Kaplan said Sutton leaves behind her husband, Gary, and their children, along with colleagues, clients and friends who knew her throughout her career. The firm described her legacy through the people she represented, the lawyers she mentored and the difficult cases she chose to undertake.

The firm did not provide further medical details beyond stating that she died following a brief illness.