Dodge Center Lawyers

Universidad Catolica Andres Bello: Abogada 1999. Hamline University Law School: Master of Laws 2001. William Mitchell College of Law: Juris Doctor 2003. Licensed to practice in Venezuela, and before the Minnesota Supreme Court and the United States District Court. Fluent in Spanish and English Faculty at National American University: Paralegal Program Currently serving as a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association Diversity Committee.

I have always had a strong desire to help others. Both of my parents are philanthropic minded and growing up, they taught me & my 8 siblings to remember that not everyone was as fortunate as our family. My family was very rich in compassion and kindness. As I got older, it became clear to me that whatever occupation I chose, I felt a need to help others in the same way that was modeled by my parents. Watching my father run his own small-town law practice, counseling others, taking the time to understand...

I joined the Government Law department at Barna, Guzy & Steffen in June 2023. With a solid background in criminal law and trial advocacy, I have developed a comprehensive understanding of the legal field through various roles. Prior to my current position, I served as an Assistant Public Defender and a Judge Advocate with the Minnesota Army National Guard for several years. My professional journey also includes several years in private practice, where I represented clients in criminal, civil, and business law matters. In addition to practicing law, I have been an adjunct faculty member at St. Cloud State University, teaching...

Matthew Schaap is a shareholder at Dougherty Molenda and serves on the firm's board of directors. He focuses on personal and business litigation, offering clients seasoned guidance in and out of the courtroom. Starting his career as a Judicial Law Clerk to Judge Elizabeth Hayden in Minnesota, Matthew supported judicial decision-making with crucial research and writing. He gained valuable experience assisting in jury trials across criminal and civil contexts, observing winning trial techniques firsthand. Joining Dougherty Molenda in 2004 post-clerkship, Matthew dedicated his practice to litigation and trial advocacy. He aims to be a zealous advocate, ensuring thorough research on all pertinent...

Ms. Molinaro has several years experience practicing tax law, probate/estate administration, estate planning, guardianship/ conservatorship, and HRO/OFP law. Ms. Molinaro strives to provide sensible legal representation to her clients. With litigation experience but also a common sense approach to the law, Ms. Molinaro is an effective advocate both in and out of the courtroom. Ms. Molinaro is licensed to practice in Minnesota, Colorado and North Dakota.

Susan H. Stephan focuses her practice on legal challenges involving workers' compensation, Social Security Disability, personal injury, intellectual property, e-commerce and the Internet, as well as on general corporate legal matters. Susan has worked as a transactional attorney and a litigator on behalf of individual and corporate clients in a variety of industries, including software development, computer technology, health care, human resources consulting, engineering, and the entertainment community. She also has served as adjunct faculty since 2001 and has taught Intellectual Property Law, Music Copyright Law, Antitrust, Law and Economics, Workers' Compensation, Deposition Skills, and Pretrial Skills. Susan has been...