Dakota County Lawyers

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,...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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,...

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...

Scott Kruger has focused his legal career on assisting people injured by the negligence of others. He understands that the legal process is complicated, and that insurance companies are trying to take advantage of people during stressful times.

Mr. Kruger is dedicated to making the legal system easy to understand in a calm, straightforward manner. Whether you are recovering from your injuries, attending arbitration, or preparing for a court appearance, Mr. Kruger takes the time to explain what to expect to make you as comfortable as possible in stressful situations.

Mr. Kruger attended Carthage College in Kenosha, WI where he earned his...

Kirk's practice focuses on helping small and medium size business owners with their legal needs. He seeks to provide cost-effective representation for businesses that have not worked with a law firm in the past. His practice focuses specifically on corporate, contract and real estate matters. Kirk also represents home owner associations in various matters.

Voted Favorite Femal Family Law Attorney by the readers of Minnesota Women's Press 2008

Maria Trafton is an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota. Maria received her Juris Doctor degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota where she graduated Cum Laude. She received her undergraduate degree in Global Studies from the University of Minnesota. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Maria moved to the Twin Cities to attend college. In her free time, Maria enjoys spending time working on do-it-yourself projects, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Maria has held numerous legal positions in both immigration and family law. While attending law school, Maria participated...

Neve Webb, PLLC is an Edina-based law firm that frequently manages complex business litigation suits as well as difficult criminal defense cases. The law firm’s team of attorneys share more than 45 years of total experience and each have been recognized with various professional awards, such as Super Lawyers® and The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Clients can also come to Neve Webb, PLLC for assistance with professional licensing issues and civil litigation disputes that require a sharp attention to detail. For more information about the law firm and its Edina attorneys, inquiring parties can call (952) 746-2400...

I have practiced appellate law for 21 years. I have appeared before the Minnesota Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

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...

Matthew S. Greenstein is a practicing attorney at Greenstein Sellers PLLC focusing in areas such as homeowner association law, creditors’ remedies, real estate & land use, and commercial litigation. Matthew represents more than 400 homeowner associations throughout the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. He earned his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law and his B.S. from Metropolitan State University.

Paul F. Shoemaker has been litigating civil disputes and practicing contested Minnesota divorce and family law matters since his admission to practice law in 1986. In his Minnesota divorce and family law practice, Mr. Shoemaker has counseled and represented hundreds of individuals in disputed and undisputed divorce and paternity actions and in post-divorce issues and hearings involving modification and enforcement of child support, custody, parenting time, spousal maintenance, and other family law issues. He is experienced in Minnesota divorce law in district court trials and appeals. His Minnesota divorce trial experience has involved temporary restraining orders, disputed custody battles, grandparent...

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.

A Minnesota native, William Bongard grew up traveling the world as the son of a professional foreign service worker. His entire 37-year career in has been spent at the law firm of SiebenCarey representing Minnesotans when they experience accidental injury. William is a Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also state certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. Most recently, William was selected as a 2019 Super Lawyers honoree. In 2008, he was selected by Minnesota Lawyer as one of 15 Attorneys of...

Erin Conway Johnsen is a Minneapolis-based attorney with the firm Garner & Ginsburg, PA. She specializes in franchise law, helping franchisees and dealers resolve their disputes. Her work includes reviewing franchise agreements, negotiating agreement alterations, helping franchisees get out of agreements, drafting franchise agreement addenda, and more. Erin graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2012. During here time at the U of M, she served as an editor for the Minnesota Law Review. She received her B.A. from Duke University, where she made the Dean's List.

Ryan D. Peterson is a Senior Associate at Consumer Justice Law Firm. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and the William Mitchell College of Law (now the Mitchell Hamline School of Law). Prior to joining Consumer Justice Law Firm, Ryan ran his own practice for ten years, suing companies under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act in federal court, and defending consumers sued for unsecured debts in state court. He is particularly proud of the decisions he secured finding that the FDCPA applies to attorneys in Minnesota who evict tenants for...

With over 24 years of experience serving as counsel for banking institutions, real estate developers, and organizations with substantial employee bases, our Firm is committed to delivering outstanding results. We assist clients with a variety of needs including corporate, banking, real estate, and various commercial transactions and disputes. I am David A. Lutz, an attorney based in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Throughout my career, I have handled negotiations for projects as large as $100 million dollar real-estate transactions and have led the legal aspects of notable hotel projects such as the Water Park of America and the Grand Hotel Minneapolis. I understand...

Frances E. Baillon is a recognized advocate for those who have been treated unfairly by the illegal practices of employers. A founding partner of Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP, Frances litigates and tries employment cases in state and federal court involving sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation. She has also successfully argued cases before the Minnesota state and federal district courts, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Frances has consistently been named to the lists of Super Lawyers and Rising Stars by her peers and has made the lists...

Draeke Weseman is a trademark and business attorney in Minneapolis, MN. He started Weseman Law Office, PLLC in 2010 to serve entrepreneurs, start-ups, and businesses in Minnesota. Visit www.wesemanlaw.com or call 888-614-6864 for more information.

Robert Brabbit joined SiebenCarey in June 2017, and provides clients with more than 28 years of personal injury law expertise. Robert was a founding partner in the Minneapolis law firm of Brabbit & Salita, PA. As a trial lawyer, he practices in the area of civil litigation on behalf of plaintiffs and concentrates in workers' compensation, automobile negligence, product liability and wrongful death. His practice also includes asbestos related injuries such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Martindale-Hubbell awarded Robert an AV rating after an extensive and confidential peer review by members of the bench and bar. In 2005 he...

Dan is a lifelong resident of Minnesota. Born in St. Paul, Dan spent many of his formative years growing up there before moving to White Bear Lake. After graduating from White Bear Lake, Dan spent four glorious years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a degree in two majors. Dan worked as a Senior Investigator at the Minnesota Department of Commerce for several years after graduating from college. During his final years Dan attended William Mitchell College of Law while still working full-time. During this exhausting 3 ½ year period Dan honed his skills in becoming an efficient,...

Erik Hansen is the managing partner at Burns and Hansen, focusing on complex civil litigation, appeals, and business transactions. Erik has over twenty years of experience litigating multi-million dollar, high-stakes complex civil litigation cases in state and federal court in Minnesota and across the country. Erik has successfully argued cases at every level of state court in Minnesota, as well as in multiple federal jurisdictions, both at the district and appellate court levels. Erik has received national awards and recognition for his advocacy on behalf of clients. Erik is an established voice in the Minnesota appellate practice community. He brings a broad...

Martin Melang’s diverse background and experience provide him an advantage in understanding all aspects of civil litigation, including creditor/debtor law and Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcy. Since joining Burns & Hansen, Marty has handled and assisted hundreds of cases across the spectrum of law in state and federal Courts. These cases include real estate, employment, and business disputes. He also regularly assists clients with their financial needs and helps them overcome economic challenges.

Marty graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2003, after completing his Bachelors of Arts degree...

Jack E. Pierce is a Minnesota-based lawyer with the firm Bernick Lifson. His areas of focus include business and real estate litigation. In addition to trial experience, he has argued cases before federal courts of appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court. Trials he has participated in have covered issues related to employment and shareholder disputes, construction defects, and real estate disagreements. In his work, Jack places an emphasis on advising clients on how to avoid litigation, as a means to avoid going to trial in court. In his free time, Jack enjoys volunteering at a local high school as a...