Minneapolis, MN Lawyers

Civil Litigation

123 North Third St, 888, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Andrew Parker is a Minneapolis litigation attorney and founding partner of Parker Daniels Kibort. He established the firm in 2017, after founding Smith Parker in 1995 and Parker Rosen in 2005. Earlier positions at Popham Haik included six years as an associate, followed by a shareholder role from 1994 to 1995. Parker has represented employers including the University of Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis and the Metropolitan Council, as well as senior executives and other plaintiffs. His civil rights cases have involved both claims against public institutions and their defense. In Hixon v. City of Golden Valley, he acted for the plaintiff in a federal lawsuit concerning excessive police force. In Thomas Maye v. University of Minnesota, he represented the defense against a race-discrimination claim arising from a denied promotion; that case went to a 20-day state-court trial. Contract and defamation disputes also appear in his trial record. He represented a portfolio manager in Bottum v. Jundt Associates, an oral-contract case tried over eight days in Minnesota state court. In North Dakota, he represented the plaintiff in Greterman v. Oxbow Country Club, a defamation and slander case heard by a jury over nine days. His work outside those trials includes hundreds of commercial property tax appeals as lead counsel. Parker also served on Minnesota’s Tax Court Rules Advisory Committee in 2022. His community roles have included a seat on the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s board from 2013 to 2022.

Labor Law

333 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Beth E. Bertelson is the founder of Bertelson Law Offices, P.A., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Focusing her practice on labor and employment law, she represents employees in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and throughout Minnesota in litigation and pre-litigation negotiations in matters involving severance, employment and noncompete agreements, and related issues. Certified as a specialist in labor and employment law by the Minnesota State Bar Association, Ms. Bertelson also mediates employment disputes and has been designated as a "qualified neutral" under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice for the District Courts. She also assists clients in a variety of employment law issues, including auditing company policies and procedures for legal compliance, discrimination and harassment training, and job coaching. We retained Beth for employment law litigation. She was responsive, professional, and patient as a teacher of someone wholly unfamiliar with the legal system. She is compassionate, organized, and very effective. Because of her legal skills, including deposing people, our litigation was successful in every way. Hire her and you will not be disappointed, you will be impressed.

Criminal Defense Law

701 Building Suite 300, 701 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415

Bruce Rivers appears regularly in both federal and state courts. He is acquainted with most of the federal judges and magistrates. Aside from work in Hennepin County and the metro area, he has had a significant number of cases and trials in outstate Minnesota. Bruce Rivers has handled over 2,000 criminal cases. His experience includes trials and plea negotiations at both the state and federal levels. Bruce Rivers has achieved acquittals on cases ranging from DWI to first, second and third degree murder. He has also handled white collar and high profile cases requiring unique judgment and experience. He has represented lawyers in tough situations. Lawyers from all different types of firms feel very comfortable referring clients to his firm.

Personal Injury Law

100 Washington Ave S, ste 2200, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Area of Practice: Personal Injury, Defective Drugs and Medical Devices Elizabeth practices primarily in the firm’s products liability group. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Peterson practiced as a litigator with a firm in Minneapolis, MN representing individuals who were injured as a result of defective drug or faulty medical devices. She has experience in mass tort litigation, complex litigation and trial work. Elizabeth’s hands-on approach to the law, backed by her personal attention to detail, have allowed her to excel in complex litigation.

Antitrust Law

100 S Washington Ave, 2200, Minneapolis, MN 55401

Heidi Silton is a partner in the firm’s antitrust department and practices primarily in complex business litigation. Heidi represents mainly small and mid-sized businesses in complex litigation involving other businesses and litigates in Minnesota and throughout the United States. She and the firm are regularly appointed lead and co-lead plaintiffs’ class counsel by courts in nationwide antitrust litigation. For the past several years, Heidi has been named one of Minnesota’s top 50 women lawyers, and top 100 lawyers, by a peer review list of leading Minnesota Lawyers. She currently serves as the President of The Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL) and as an Advisory Board member of the American Antitrust Institute (AAI) and is the current chair of AAI’s Private Enforcement Awards Judging Committee. She also serves as Vice-Chair to the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section Membership and Diversity Committee and as an advisor to the American Bar Association’s Global Private Litigation Committee. Heidi is a past chair and emeritus of the Minnesota State Bar Association Antitrust Law Section. In addition to her litigation practice, she is a member of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice’s Membership and Engagement Committee and a member of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Heidi believes in the value of mentorship and works to mentor other attorneys both inside and outside her firm. An active volunteer in her community, Heidi serves on the board of Arete Academy and on the board of Reader/Writer where she is also a writing coach for 8th graders. Heidi has also co-chaired galas to support the Sanneh Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, and Second Harvest.

Civil Litigation

90 South 7th Street, Suite 2200, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Jim Volling is a commercial litigator who puts decades of experience, Supreme Court clerkship experience and client commitment to work for businesses. He has represented corporate clients in complex commercial disputes valuing up to several billion dollars, as well as representing individuals and institutions in white collar criminal matters and investigations.

Constitutional Law

80 South 8th Street, Suite 900, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Area of Practice: Disability Rights

Civil Litigation

10 South Fifth Street, Suite 800, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Jeff Eckland focuses his practice on government contracts and general commercial litigation. He has litigated cases in state and federal courts across the country, including the state courts of California, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oregon, and Texas; the federal district courts of Alaska, Arizona, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee; the United States Court of Federal Claims (COFC); the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA); the National Appeals Division (NAD) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); the Courts of Appeals for the States of Minnesota and Texas; and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the Ninth Circuit, and the Federal Circuit. Jeff successfully argued before the United States Supreme Court in Franconia Associates v. United States, 536 U.S. 129 (2002), establishing that when the Government transacts business with its citizens it must do so by the same rules as everyone else and that therefore an Act of Congress can constitute a breach of contract. The Franconia Associates line of cases has resulted in aggregate settlements of over $700 Million on behalf of his government contractor clients. Jeff has tried a variety of traditional government contract cases at the federal and state level, including bid protests, performance disputes, compliance proceedings, terminations for default (T/D) and convenience (T/C), defective pricing, qui tam, and False Claims Act litigation. In addition, he has (i) negotiated at the Pentagon stays of suspension and debarment proceedings; (ii) represented government contractors in civil and criminal environmental proceedings; and (iii) recovered increased costs for the construction of a Naval Brig at Miramar Naval Air Station (Top Gun). Jeff also counsels government contractors and their subcontractors on many transactional and compliance issues, including all phases of contract negotiation and administration, termination settlement proposals (TSPs), cost allowance, intellectual property, and technical data rights. Jeff also pursues claims against the state and federal governments, and their various agencies, for redress of grievances relating to Government abuse of power and discretion under the U.S. and State Constitutions, the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Jeff represents businesses and individuals in many other kinds of commercial disputes. His practice includes jury and court trials, appeals, prejudgment injunctions and other remedies, arbitrations and mediations, and administrative hearings. He was a member of the trial teams for the In Re Glacier Bay and Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation cases in Alaska in which he was primarily responsible for developing the evidentiary foundation for the successful fisheries price drop claim in the Glacier Bay case and the supervision of the discovery proceedings involving the Kenai river salmon sonar counters in the Exxon Valdez case. He was also involved in the maritime law aspects of both oil spill cases. He has tried patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, Lanham Act, antitrust, securities, fraud, misrepresentation, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with contractual relations, RICO, employment discrimination, dealer termination, covenants not to compete, breach of contract, takings, environmental, and other types of cases. In addition to trying cases, Jeff enjoys obtaining quick court action on behalf of clients to protect their interests. He has successfully obtained emergency injunctive relief requested by his clients in over twenty civil actions. Prior to litigation, Jeff also counsels clients about the procedural, tactical, and strategic issues involved in commencing and defending civil actions. He counsels clients on ways to avoid litigation as well as to prevent or reduce liability should litigation occur, and advises clients about the risks, benefits, and costs of litigation. Jeff graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1979, suma cum laude, and the University of Chicago Law School in 1982. He is a member of the Public Contract Law and Science and Technology Sections of the American Bar Association (ABA). Jeff serves as a member of the State Law Database Committee, where he chairs the drafting of procurement law outlines published by the ABA for the States of Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. He is a member of the Ad Hoc Committee for the upcoming revision of the Model Procurement Code (MPC). He is also a Fellow of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), served on the NCMA’s Board of Advisors, and served as President of the NCMA Twin Cities Chapter from 1995-1996. He is a long-standing member of the Planning Committee for the Annual National Seminar on Government Contracts sponsored by the University of Minnesota. Jeff writes and lectures on a variety of government contract topics.

Criminal Defense Law

331 Second Avenue South, Suite 705, Minneapolis, MN 55401

John C. Conard is a Minneapolis trial lawyer whose work includes criminal defense and civil litigation. His firm biography identifies him as the founding partner of Conard Law, PLLC, while the firm’s homepage uses the name The Conard Firm. Sand Law also lists him as an of counsel attorney. Conard’s criminal practice focuses on federal and white-collar matters. His biography describes cases involving expert testimony, forensic evidence and complex federal charges, including tax fraud, money laundering, wire fraud and mail fraud. His criminal trial experience also includes murder cases. On the civil side, his reported case history encompasses traumatic brain injury, nursing-home injury, workplace and construction-site injury, surgical malpractice, insurance bad faith and automobile collisions. The firm’s account of his career describes a transition from criminal trials to civil trial work after other litigators began asking him to try their cases. Conard’s professional background also includes teaching and writing about trial practice. He graduated from the Trial Lawyers College, and his firm biography dates his appointment to its national faculty to 2015. He has spoken and trained lawyers on the use of forensic science at trial, and his biography identifies Thomson Reuters as a publisher of his work on that subject. His listed education includes a 1995 bachelor’s degree from Central College in political science, philosophy and economics. The same biography records his initial Minnesota admission in 2006.

Criminal Defense Law

310 S 4th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA

John is a founding partner at Conard Nelson Schaffer and has built a reputation as a trial lawyer that people rely upon in their most serious matters. Recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in the country, attorney John devotes his practice to defending the rights and liberties of those facing white collar crime accusations and other serious criminal charges. John Conard represents clients throughout the Twin Cities region and across the state who need solid, effective defense strategies in order to fight the charges against them and preserve their freedom. Certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a criminal law specialist, John has successfully handled more than 2,000 cases in state and federal courts throughout the country during the course of his 10-year career. From federal crimes and violent offenses to DUI/DWI charges and relatively minor misdemeanors, John has the experience and resources necessary to handle any criminal case regardless of how complex or challenging.

Corporate and Transactional Law

60 South Sixth Street, Suite 1500, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Corporate Governance

Real Estate Law

275 Market Street, Suite 566, Minneapolis, MN 55405

Area of Practice: Construction Law Kristine is a counselor, litigator, mediator in the arena of design and construction. At the core of Kristine’s practice is her value of relationship. She is attentive to the human side of conflict, committed to having her clients come through the dispute process better and stronger than when they started. Kristine is a seasoned construction attorney recognized for her skill in leadership, clear communication, and thinking outside the box. She has demonstrated strength in managing litigation, trying cases, negotiating settlements, handling appeals. Kristine represents architects, engineers, designers, building and road contractors, and their sureties. She defends professional liability and general liability claims. In addition, she secures client’s payment claims via mechanic’s liens and contract claims. A proactive counselor, Kristine assists her clients in managing and minimizing risk by preparing and negotiating contracts, navigating project management and payment issues during contract performance, and evaluating and implementing best practices during the life of the construction and design process. Kristine also mediates construction and design disputes, fueled by a passion for helping people feel heard and understood, breaking down barriers, and finding ways to resolve problems or claims more effectively. Kristine is an AV-rated attorney.

Labor Law

80 S 8th St, Suite 4600, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Michele R. Fisher has represented tens of thousands of employees seeking to recover overtime pay, minimum wages, and commission payments. She also represents employees in individual employment matters, such as employment discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment. Michele has represented consumers in cases involving negligent and fraudulent financial advice and has handled other consumer matters. She is the co-chair and a faculty member of the Practicing Law Institute’s Wage & Hour Litigation and Compliance conference, and the Co-Chair of the ABA Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee. Michele is admitted to the State Bar of Georgia as well as the Minnesota and New York Supreme Courts. She attended St. Cloud State University for her B.A. before earning her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law.

Bankruptcy Law

150 S 5th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Area of Practice: Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights & Remedies Nauni’s practice focuses in the areas of commercial litigation and complex bankruptcy matters. She has represented creditors in all types of settings including enforcing creditors’ rights and remedies in state court as well as in federal court. She has also been a Court-appointed receiver in a Securities Exchange Commission matter in U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota. In October 1998, Nauni was appointed by the United States Trustee, United States Department of Justice, to serve as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the District of Minnesota. She has also been appointed as a Chapter 11 operating trustee in several cases. As a Chapter 11 Trustee, she has operated a large farming operation in Southern Minnesota, a national restaurant franchise, a “gentlemen’s” club, a shopping mall, a large software company, an in-home care service provider, a vehicle repair servicing center and a warehouse distributor of hunting products, including clothing. All of the chapter 11 cases have successfully exited chapter 11 either through liquidation or reorganization. Nauni has other chapter 11 experience as well. She has represented secured and unsecured creditors. She has also served as unsecured creditors committee counsel. As Chapter 7 Trustee, Nauni has been appointed on over 15,000 cases. She has handled many large complex cases. In one particular case, she liquidated over 48 convenience stores dealing with the sale of the properties or the assumption and assignment of leases. Revenues generated in the case exceeded $16 million. She commenced a case against various insiders and related companies based on preference, fraudulent transfers and equitable subordination issues. Through those efforts, she paid all of the mortgagees and unsecured creditors in full, with interest. Through those efforts, I paid all of the secured and unsecured creditors in full, with interest, disbursing over $16 million to the creditors. In other capacities, I have handled complex fraud cases involving 1031 like kind exchanges and other investment-type issues. I have also been involved in a large equity skimming case. I am also a trustee a mining operation in Northern Minnesota. I have sold the plants and equipment realizing millions of dollars for the creditors. In another recent case, I have commenced 148 complaints against entities also bringing in millions of dollars for the estate. I am also a Chapter 11 Liquidating Trustee in a bankruptcy case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware. As the liquidating trustee of Pipeline Foods Liquidating Trust (21-11002), I am successfully liquidating assets and commencing litigation to pursue preferences and accounts receivable; reviewing over 700 claims; objecting to and negotiating settlement of claims.

Labor Law

80 S 8th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Employment Law, Wage and Hour Litigation

Civil Litigation

120 South 6th St suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55402, USA

Sonia Miller-Van Oort is a highly respected and accomplished litigation attorney. She has worked on a variety of litigation involving commercial disputes, product liability cases, non-competition and non-solicitation matters, breach-of-contract cases, invasion-of-privacy matters, franchise disputes, tortious interference claims, and misrepresentation and fraud claims. Having represented clients nationally, regionally, and locally, Sonia has a breadth of experience briefing and arguing dispositive and non-dispositive motions, negotiating settlements in complex matters, and trying cases both in state and federal court. Sonia’s clients most value her strong oral advocacy abilities, negotiation skills, and practical, yet innovative approach to addressing their needs. Not only is Sonia committed to her legal practice and meeting her clients’ needs, she is also committed to public service. Sonia was appointed by the ABA President to serve on the prestigious ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary as the 8th Circuit representative; in this capacity, Sonia and the 14-member committee volunteer significant time evaluating presidential nominees to the federal court and issuing ratings to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Department of Justice, and the White House. Over the years, Sonia has provided pro bono assistance to numerous clients, including representation of parents, guardians ad litem, and children caught in foster care and custody disputes. Her commitment to community is also reflected in the variety of non-profit boards of directors on which she has served: the Hennepin County Bar. Sonia’s skills both inside and outside of the courtroom have been recognized by her peers and adversaries alike. In 2002, Sonia was selected as one of only ten attorneys in Minnesota to be recognized as an “Up and Coming Attorney.” She was subsequently named a “Rising Star” by Minnesota Law and Politics in 2005, 2006, 2008, and a “Super Lawyer” in 2013, 2014, and 2015. And in 2007–2008, Sonia had the distinguished honor of being elected the 89th President of the Hennepin County Bar Association (one of the 15 largest county bar associations in the country), serving as the Association’s first Hispanic President and the second youngest President in its history. Sonia served as the first Latino President of the Minnesota State Bar Association and fifth female President in 2017–2018. In September 2020, Indiana University-Mauer School of Law presented Sonia with its Distinguished Service award in recognition of her extraordinary service to the legal community. Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers Network, University of Minnesota Legal Services, and the Notre Dame Club of Minnesota. Sonia also served for eight years on the School Board of the Hopkins-based Spanish-immersion public charter school, International Spanish Language Academy, serving as Chair for two years and an officer for several. Sonia feels a strong allegiance to her law school and was honored to be asked to serve on the Indiana University Alumni Board of Directors for several years, as well as the Latino Alumni Advisory Board. Those who know Sonia know she takes her fun seriously. In addition to playing many board games with her husband and two nearly-grown children, Sonia loves travel, playing competitive tennis, dancing the night away, and cheering on the Notre Dame football team.

Estate Planning Law

920 2nd Ave S suite 1000, Minneapolis, MN 55402, USA

Susan Bullard focuses on estate planning, probate, trust administration, business succession planning, and legal counsel for privately owned businesses, partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs). She provides comprehensive estate and business planning services to individuals and businesses, helping them navigate complex legal matters with confidence.

Family and Divorce Law

60 South Sixth Street, Suite 2800, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Travis C. Thompson is identified by Thompson Law, LLC as a Minneapolis attorney whose work includes housing disputes and election law. The firm dates the start of his legal practice to 2007. Its account of his election work includes support for candidates seeking local, state and federal office, along with campaign risk assessments. Advice on managing contributions and establishing political action committees is listed separately as a service of Thompson Law. On housing matters, the website names Thompson in connection with representation of tenants and homeowners; eviction and homeowner disputes are the examples it gives. A traffic-law page also names him as an attorney for felony traffic charges and requests to expunge or seal driving records. Thompson Law advertises family-law representation as well. Its descriptions discuss both contested and amicable divorces, child custody and child support. The firm also lists criminal defense, specifically mentioning DUI, assault and drug trafficking. On December 8, 2025, Minnesota’s Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility issued a release announcing a disciplinary petition against Thompson in the Minnesota Supreme Court. It identified him as a Minneapolis attorney and gave his registration number as 0387281. The announcement allowed 20 days for an answer to the allegations. It reported a petition, not a disciplinary outcome: the court would determine whether to dismiss the matter or impose discipline, with possible sanctions ranging from reprimand to disbarment.

Personal Injury Law

201 S 11TH St., Unit 1830, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Area of Practice: Mass Torts

Personal Injury Law

43 SE Main Street, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Benjamin Nicolet joined Nicolet Law Office, S.C., as an attorney in 2017. Prior to joining the firm, Ben spent summers during law school clerking at the office. Ben handles bankruptcy and personal injury cases across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ben is admitted to practice law in the state courts of Minnesota and Wisconsin; as well as the federal courts of the District of Minnesota and Western District of Wisconsin.

Insurance Law

4746 Elliot Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407

Focuses on appellate and significant motion practice, particularly in insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, and administrative law. She frequently teams with trial lawyers and general counsel, and has successfully represented parties in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Circuits, as well as state and federal courts in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. She has written or ghost-written appeals and significant motions in a variety of subject areas, including administrative law, insurance law, construction law, medical malpractice defense, dental malpractice defense, attorney malpractice defense, professional and other licensing matters, criminal law, corporate governance, municipal law, school law, commercial litigation and products liability litigation. She was an appellate law clerk, worked for the appeals branch of the Minnesota State Public Defender’s Office, and was a partner in an 80-attorney firm, where she spent eleven years in the appellate and insurance-coverage groups. She has been voted a Superlawyer by her peers more than a dozen times and has also been named one of the top 50 women lawyers and top 25 appellate lawyers in the state. She and partner Kris Palmer formed Jansen & Palmer, LLC in 2009.