Crystal Lawyers

Barry O’Neil is a trial attorney, who is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Minnesota Bar Association. Mr. O’Neil’s practice involves the resolution of complex commercial disputes, professional liability claims, employment-related issues and insurance claims. A significant portion of Mr. O’Neil’s practice is in the area of professional liability defense with emphasis in legal malpractice. Mr. O’Neil is the practice group manager of the firm’s Trials and Litigation Practice Group, and he also heads Lommen Abdo’s entertainment litigation initiative. Mr. O’Neil has extensive experience in employment litigation including all types of employment discrimination claims, and he has additionally acted...

Christopher D. Jozwiak is a skilled litigator who has won striking victories on behalf of his clients in a diverse range of employment issues. He is a founding partner of Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP and has been recognized as a Rising Star since 2011 and a Super Lawyer since 2014 and was named to the Best Lawyers in America 2018 list for his work in employment law. Chris works tirelessly for his clients in cases involving whistleblower retaliation, sexual harassment, wage and hour violations, reprisal, discrimination, and wrongful termination. He also represents employees and consumers in national class...

David Tanabe is an attorney in the business litigation group with Messerli Kramer, where he focuses on all aspects of bankruptcy law, business restructuring, and insolvency. His clients include financial institutions, lenders, receivers, asset purchasers, trade creditors, and businesses. He also works closely with transactional attorneys on an array of matters, including sales of assets, financing, real-estate purchases and sales, commercial leasing, and workouts. As a ten-year veteran of the NHL, David understands the importance of teamwork and the power of operating efficiently and cohesively. Whether learning the game from Hall-of-Famers as a 19-year-old first-round draft pick or learning the law...

I'm a trial lawyer. I'm grateful for the opportunity to fight for justice on behalf of individuals going through hard times against some of the largest corporations in the country.

After law school, I joined the Marine Corps and served as a judge advocate. There's no better training ground for a trial lawyer - I tried over 100 felony and misdemeanor cases. I'm proud of the results I got, including one of the first successful defenses of a Marine discriminated against based on sexual orientation. I deployed to Iraq in a nation building capacity to work with...

Bart Torvik is a skilled personal injury and foodborne illness attorney, with years of experience in litigation. After graduating at the top of his class from the University of Minnesota Law School, he clerked for Judge James M. Rosenbaum, the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Following this position, Bart worked at a large Minnesota firm where he handled every aspect of litigation, from initial consultations to jury trials. In 2010, Bart moved to Evanston, Illinois after his wife Laura became a Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. In...

Legal Experience—Solving Complex Business Problems Ms. Lockner is a partner in the firm's business litigation department who works with business leaders facing legal disputes that cause financial exposure and other risks to their business. Using her extensive litigation and trial experience, Ms. Lockner offers strategic legal guidance on how to use litigation—either defensively or affirmatively—to meet their business objectives. As a trial attorney, she has the skills and expertise to wield the threat of trial as a sword, but understands and appreciates her clients’ need to use it only as weapon of last resort. Ultimately, Ms. Lockner’s goal is to further...

I practiced criminal law in California for 16 years and continue to practice criminal law in both the State and Federal Courts in Minnesota. I was honored as an attorney of the year from the San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association in 2002. I have handled and tried cases to juries in everything from petty theft, DWI, and minor drug cases to very serious robberies, burglaries and homicides. I have won numerous cases and most recently won a felony sexual assault appeal and then won the jury retrial in the case in Washington County Minnesota in 2010. I...

My education in the law happened at Yale, but before that I graduated from the University of Kansas and a high school in eastern North Dakota, in a class of twenty-five seniors. The variety of that experience has been replicated in my legal work, in which I have represented small- and medium-sized business owners, individuals, and corporate clients in the banking and pharmaceutical industries. Whether the client needs to show the fair valuation of a business, the meaning of a law or regulation, fraud, or the terms of a contract, I bring a careful, intentional approach that seeks to identify the...

Robert Kouba takes pride in working hard for his clients and delivering successful results. Prior to joining the firm, Robert worked as a criminal defense attorney in Minneapolis, developing his trial advocacy and litigation skills. While in law school, Robert was a member and coach of the Phi Alpha Delta Mock Trial Team, competing nationally, where he gained litigation skills that he continues to use today to serve his clients. Robert is able to put that knowledge and experience to work now for the firm's business, real estate, and consumer litigation clients. He approaches his client's situations with a down-to-earth...

Daniel S. Schleck’s varied career has involved many areas of transactional law including environmental law and policy; renewable energy projects; commercial real estate development; financing and corporate matters; municipal and land use law; and eminent domain proceedings. More specifically, Mr. Schleck has experience in structuring complex transactions and financing packages for all aspects of property development. He has successfully secured significant public grant funds including TIF, PACE and TBRA funds for clients that choose to redevelop contaminated property—using these funds in creative and successful financing structures. As a former city attorney for Mendota Heights, Minnesota, Dan’s unique...

Shannon Carey has a passion for the law that runs in the family; she's a fourth generation attorney. Prior to becoming a trial lawyer, Shannon worked in human resources for 10 years. She worked in several industries, including a large health care system and a nationally prominent insurance company. These experiences gave her a thorough understanding of the inner workings of large businesses, providing Shannon a unique perspective when representing her clients. During her legal career, Shannon and her team have successfully represented individuals and families in complex litigations, including, but not limited to, medical...

Mike is an experienced workers comp, injury, insurance, and disability attorney who believes his clients deserve a tireless advocate to secure the benefits they deserve. He has recovered millions of dollars in unpaid and denied benefits for his clients. Mike is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, where he specialized in injury law, insurance law, employment law, and employee benefits law. Since graduating, Mike has pursued his client’s disability benefits in hundreds of federal ERISA lawsuits against insurers like Cigna, MetLife, Lincoln, Aetna, Guardian, Standard, Reliance, and Hartford. In addition to fighting for long and short term disability benefits,...

Mike Davey is licensed to practice law in Minnesota. Mike is excited to bring his passion for supporting and helping people to the practice of law. Mike graduated from William Mitchell College of Law. He was a founding member of the William Mitchell Journal of Law & Practice. He participated in developing the Journal's Business Plan and served as a member of its editorial staff. Mike helped organize The Journal's first symposium: "No Strings Attached, Regulating Judicial Campaign Speech: Judicial Elections in the Aftermath of Republican Party of Minnesota v. White." Other facts about...

Zorislav Leyderman moved the U.S. from Ukraine (former Soviet Union) when he was 11 and grew up in St. Paul. He obtained his B.A. degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied politics and the American criminal justice system. After college, Zorislav continued his education at the William Mitchell College of Law, where he obtained his J.D. and graduated with honors. While in law school, Zorislav Leyderman worked for the Legal Assistance to Minnesota Prisoners (LAMP) Clinic and the William Mitchell Law Clinic, representing low-income people and Minnesota prisoners in both criminal and civil cases. Zorislav also worked for...

Jeffrey practices law in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, professional malpractice, civil rights law and police misconduct, auto and truck accidents, product liability, premises liability, property damage, and insurance litigation.

A graduate of the William Mitchell College of Law in 1998, Jeffrey was admitted to the Minnesota State Bar, and then joined SiebenCarey as an associate attorney. Jeffrey is now a shareholder in the firm, and is admitted to practice law in Minnesota Federal District Court, 8th Circuit Court of Appeals and the State of Wisconsin. He has tried numerous cases, in both State and Federal Court, in...

Ben has been an associate with Lindell & Lavoie, LLP, since 2004, and he law clerked at the office in the two summers prior to that. Since that time, he has become an integral piece in the firm’s ongoing success. He has a varied practice, primarily focusing on personal injury and workers’ compensation cases, but he loves appellant work and has a special interest in Section 1983 Civil Rights cases. He has recovered millions of dollars for his clients over that period and has been significantly involved in notable and important cases. In 2012, Ben partnered with...

I have been practicing intellectual property law for 25+ years. I have experience representing Fortune 500 clients as well as small businesses and independent inventors. My background is mechanical engineering.

Paul Downes is a respected trial attorney who combines a client-centered philosophy with recognized legal skill to successfully represent a wide range of personal injury clients. Before joining SiebenCarey, Paul successfully built the personal injury law firm of Meyer & Associates with Helen Meyer, another prominent personal injury attorney who served as a Justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. At Meyer & Associates, Paul developed a highly personalized level of client service while providing outstanding legal representation. In 2002, he joined SiebenCarey as a partner. Paul was appointed by the MN Supreme Court to serve on...

Mark Olive is an experienced and accomplished workers' compensation attorney. Martindale-Hubbell, the most respected directory in the legal community, gave Mark an AV Preeminent 5.0 Rating for both professional skills and ethics - the highest designation available in both categories. In addition, Mark has been selected for Super Lawyer honors consistently since 2000. Super Lawyer honorees are selected from an annual survey and the distinction is bestowed on less than five percent of Minnesota's practicing attorneys. Mark was also selected in Minnesota Law & Politics Top 40 Workers' Compensation Attorneys and was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in...

Harry Sieben has been with his law firm for 50 years. It has been built into one of Minnesota's largest and most successful personal injury law firms by fighting for the rights of injured people. Harry has conducted jury trials that have resulted in record verdicts. He has recognition from state and national organizations for his success. He has consistently been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer honoree and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America. Harry is certified as a Civil Trial Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association, a distinction awarded to...

John is the founder of the Minneapolis employment and civil rights litigation firm of John A. Klassen, P.A. He received law degrees from the University of British Columbia (1992) and Seattle University (1993). Since 1994, John has practiced exclusively in the areas of employment and civil rights law. He has represented employees and victims of civil rights violations throughout the United States, in the areas of harassment and discrimination law, False Claims Act/Qui Tam claims, whistleblower law, wage and hour disputes, class action claims, employment contract disputes, and sexual abuse. Employees consult with him on a regular...

Brendan has spent his entire career helping people seriously injured and their families. He began as part of a trial team working on behalf of a woman who lost fetal twins and the family of a man who died, both as a result of contaminated deli meat. Driven by that formative experience, he focused his practice on food poisoning cases and has represented people throughout the country. Over the past fifteen years, he has litigated countless product liability and food poisoning cases and achieved remarkable, ground-breaking results, including one of the largest E. coli verdicts in history. Most importantly, his...

Fred H. Pritzker is a nationally recognized lawyer with over thirty years of experience representing individuals and families in personal injury and wrongful death claims. Mr. Pritzker was named an "Attorney of the Year" by Minnesota Lawyer magazine in 2011, 2014 and 2015. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has also achieved status as a Certified Trial Specialist from the Minnesota State Bar Association. Mr. Pritzker has also been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America (2005-2016) and has been named a "Super Lawyer" by Minnesota...

Ryan has dedicated his entire legal career to representing people injured by foodborne illness. His passion is holding food producers accountable when they poison their customers. His unending goal is to make the food we eat safer. Ryan has a decade’s worth of experience in foodborne illness litigation. He has represented people in every major foodborne illness outbreak during that time. Ryan gravitated to the science-driven foodborne illness practice in part because he comes from a medical family. His sister is a neonatologist at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, his mother is a former nurse practitioner and his father is...

I have assisted in various matters including, but not limited to: - Receivership and Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Reorganizations - Out-of-Court Loan "Workout" Negotiations - Bankruptcy Preference Actions - Administrative Arbitrations and Federal Appellate matters - Real Estate Acquisitions, Sales, Development, and Leasing matters - Drafting and Negotiating Agreements: Supply Agreements, Service Agreements, Software Agreements, Recruiting Agreements, Printing Agreements, Confidentiality and Non-disclosure Agreements, and other business contracts - Merger and Acquisition matters ranging in size from $2MM to $150MM - Trial and Pre-trial Litigation matters - Creating Checklists for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Compliance - Organizational Documents, Amendments, and Agreements for Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Partnerships

Paul Godfread is a Minnesota attorney with a practice focusing on trademark, copyright, technology and business law.

Michelle Gibbons practices exclusively on behalf of employees who have been subjected to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other unlawful treatment in the workplace. While in law school, Michelle honed her legal skills as Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review. She also worked as a Judicial Law Clerk in Ramsey County district court and completed over 150 hours of volunteer work through the Minnesota Justice Foundation’s Law School Public Service Program.

Cory Whalen is a partner and shareholder at the law firm of SiebenCarey. He practices in all areas of personal injury litigation. He was selected as one of America's best lawyers in the area of product liability litigation by The Best Lawyers of America. Selection to The Best Lawyers of America is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey comprised of more than four million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country.

Cory is a Certified Civil Trial Law Specialist, a certification program administered by the Minnesota State Bar Association and approved by...

Jeff is an advocate for injured people, an attorney and partner at SiebenCarey. He practices in all areas of personal injury law. He is licensed to practice law in Minnesota Federal District Court, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the State of Wisconsin.

Before becoming an attorney, Jeff served as a volunteer teacher in Bucaramanga, Colombia, South America. He handled work assignments for the Dakota County Sheriff's Department in Hastings and worked with Central Minnesota Legal Services in St. Cloud. Jeff holds membership in the American Association for Justice, the Minnesota Association for Justice and the American, Minnesota, Wisconsin,...

Bob served as the Minneapolis City Attorney for nearly two decades, advising all elected and appointed officers, department heads, and employees. As City Attorney, he also litigated numerous cases and served as labor relations and licensing counsel. In addition, Bob has served as President of the International Municipal Lawyers Association and the Minnesota Municipal Lawyers Association as well as an Administrative Law Judge for the State of Minnesota. In private practice, Bob has focused on both public sector and private sector labor and employment matters.

Albert Usumanu is a 1989 graduate of the University of Minnesota and a 1994 graduate of the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He is admitted to practice in the following Courts: Minnesota Supreme Court. October 1994 Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Minnesota Federal District Court