As a result of client and peer interviews and recent case assessments, Best  Flanagan attorneys Timothy Sullivan and Mary Shearen have been assessed the highest possible rankings as individuals in the 2019 edition of Chambers USA and Chambers High Net ...

At its annual meeting on May 8, 2019, the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) appointed Katherine Barrett Wiik, Amy Conners, and Joel Schroeder to leadership positions. Katie Barrett Wiik will serve as Co-Vice President of Legal Educ...

On Monday, April 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota regarding alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Attorneys Ashleigh Leitch...

Today the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the City of Minneapoliss paid sick and safety leave ordinance against a challenge by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The ordinance requires employers located outside of Minneapolis to track and pay sick an...

One of the stated purposes of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)1 was to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.2 To carry out that purpose, the law prohibi...

As Justice Ginsburg proceeds with her silver anniversary on the high court, her impact has gone well beyond the gender discrimination focus of her pre-judicial career portrayed in cinema, as reflected in this eclectic collection of real Minnesota cases...

In recognition of Womens History Month and International Womens Day, we celebrate the women of Best  Flanagan, their achievements, and their leadership. Katherine Barrett Wiik Karolina Brekken-Hoerl Rebecca Chaffee Lauren Cle...

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a new proposal to raise the salary threshold to be exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires employers to pay minimum wage and overtime. Currently, to be exempt, an employee must make a s...

Best  Flanagans Katherine Barrett Wiik was appointed an At-Large Attorney Member of the Commission on Judicial Selection.Members of the 49-person commission are jointly selected by Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and the Minnesot...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that Katherine Barrett Wiik has joined the firm as a Partner in the firms Appellate and Litigation practice groups.An accomplished appellate and trial lawyer with more than a decade of practice experience, Katie fo...

Section 457(b) plans are an effective way for tax-exempt employers to increase the retirement savings of their key employees through employee and/or employer contributions and earnings on those contributions. A 457(b) plan must be maintained pursuant t...

Joel Schroeder, a partner in the Employment Law Practice Group and Litigation Section, will be moderating a panel at the Federal Bar Associations Labor  Employment Law Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on February 22. The panel, entitled Best Practic...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce the election of Karolina Brekken-Hoerland Jennifer Olson as Partners, effective January 1, 2019. On behalf of the partnership, Managing Partner Sarah Crippen said, We are proud of the work that Karolina and Jen hav...

One recent trend in labor and employment law is the rise of wages for workers in the public and private sectors. Wages Rise in the Public Sector Across the country, cities have voted to raise the minimum wage for workers. On November 14, 2018, the ...

In a first-of-its-kind publication, the Minnesota 500 celebrates the states most powerful business executives across more than 60 industries. The influential leaders were selected for the impacts they make on our business communities and their unparall...

The 2018 New Lawyers Leadership Conference on Thursday, November 15 will include a New Lawyers Leadership Panel. This panel will feature new lawyers in current or previously held leadership positions and will seek to describe the benefits of being invo...

Allen D. Barnard is a member of the firms Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice groups, as well as its Municipal Law  Land Development practice. He has over 40 years experience representing individuals, corporations and governments in land use law...

This year was Feed My Starving Childrens third annual Pack at the Park event, hosted by Fox Sports North and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. In just two days last week, we joinedover 2,500 volunteers to pack nearly 850,000 meals that will feed mor...

Matthew J. Gollinger joins Best  Flanagan as a partner with the Commercial Litigation and Construction Law practice groups.Matt has built his practice assisting clients in all aspects of litigation, in federal and state courts as well as alternative di...

Minnesota CLE is hosting a new series of half-day seminars focused on compliance issues, ethical insights, and the lawyers role in compliance.Amy Conners, along with Greene Espels Karl Procaccini, will host a session titled The Question of Self-Reporti...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that six attorneys have been selected for inclusion as Rising Stars by Super Lawyers and will be included in the Super Lawyers magazines annual list.Each year, Minnesota Super Lawyers are asked to nominate the best...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that nine attorneys from the firm have been named to the Minnesota Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyersrecognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their legal practice. These attorneys will be recognized...

Last week, local high school students participated in Court Camp, a week-long pilot program co-sponsored by the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota and the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Associations Community Outreach Comm...

Each year, Minnesota Lawyer seeks to recognize attorneys in their first 10 years of practice who have distinguished themselves by their professional accomplishments, leadership, and service to their community and profession.Jen Olson represents compani...

As approximately 12,000 people die each year in Minnesota without a will, it is apparent that a significant portion of the population believes estate planning is either unimportant or unnecessary. However, having an estate plan often times plays an ess...

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) has named Maher Mahmood as one of the recipients of the 2017 National Advocate of the Year Award for her exceptional work with the coalition of politicians, attorneys, students and advocates who helped a 4 y...

On May 9, 2018, the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (FBA) elected new officers, directors and executive committee leaders for the 2018-2019 FBAyear. Amy Conners was re-elected as a co-chair of the Community Outreach Committee. The Comm...

Both the Minnesota state legislature and U.S. Congress are considering employment-law bills that could impact Minnesota employers.On April 23, 2018, Minnesota House Majority Leader Joyce Peppin introduced a bill (H.F. 4459/S.F. 4031) amending the Minne...

Sarah Crippen has been honored by the Girl Scouts River Valleys​ as a 2018 Woman of Distinction.As our current Managing Partner, Sarah has put her leadership energies toward supporting and teaching young lawyers, building diversity initiatives, and cre...

Best  Flanagan is excited to announce the addition of two attorneys, Karolina M. Hoerl and Kyle R. Hardwick.Karolina Hoerl focuses herfamily law practice on prenuptial agreements; marital dissolutions; custody, support and parenting time issues; spousa...

Ashleigh Leitch was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Justice Foundation in February 2018. MJF boasts a diverse board of directors bearing a broad range of personal, professional, and cultural perspectives that reflect the c...

Best  Flanagans practice is founded on the belief that we provide the best advice when we understand our clients, their businesses, their goals and their people, and when the lines of communication with our clients and their other advisors are broad an...

On Tuesday, March 13, Boynton Beach city officials unanimously approved the $118 million Boynton Beach Town Square Redevelopment Project. The project re-envisions Boynton Beach Boulevard as a pedestrian-friendly town center to live, work and play. Impr...

On Thursday, March 1, Best  Flanagan willhostSparing Children from Mass Incarceration: Combating a Dangerous U.S. Model at Home and Abroad. Join a panel discussion of local experts who are part of an international movement to fight against U.S.-backed ...

Our offices were featured as a case study in theBench andBararticle, Rethinking the Law Office: Trends in legal office space.

President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law on December 22, 2017. Fortunately for many employers and employees, several of the major changes contained in the House bill were dropped from the final bill before enactment. However, there are...

Minneapoliss ordinance raising the minimum wage recently cleared a major court challenge. On Monday, December 11, 2017, the Hennepin County District Court denied a motion by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and other entities that sought to prevent th...

Employment lawyers know that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C.  12101 et seq., places an affirmative duty on employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with known disabilities, unless such an accommodation would be a...

The tax bill released by the House on November 2 contains a number of major changes affecting employee benefit plans and executive compensation, which will have a significant negative impact on employers and employees if enacted. Amendments to the bill...

On Wednesday, November 8, Best  Flanagan will hostBench and Bar: Things I wish I knew before I took the bench!This CLE is presented by the Hennepin County Bar Association, and is part of a series of civil conversations between the bench and the bar. A ...

Best  Flanagan attorneysvolunteered last week to package nutritious meals for Feed My Starving Children. The second annual Pack at the Park event, hosted by Fox Sports North and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, was a huge success!In just two days, ...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce the addition of Lauren Clements, Gene Hummel and Maher Mahmood as associate attorneys in the Litigation practice group. Lauren Clementsis a graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law where her divers...

On Wednesday, August 16, 2017, Ted Sheu and Ashleigh Leitch secured a win on behalf of their client before the Minnesota Supreme Court. The decision saved Best  Flanagans client $743,750 and established important precedent for future litigants.In Klapm...

On July 19, 2017, Ashleigh Leitch and Allen Barnard secured a win on behalf of the City of Golden Valley. The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed the Citys position regarding petitions for administrative search warrants to inspect rental housing for compl...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that nine attorneys from the firm have been named to the Minnesota Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their legal practice. These attorneys will be recognize...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that three attorneys have been selected for inclusion as Rising Stars by Super Lawyers and will be included in the Super Lawyers magazines annual list.Each year, Minnesota Super Lawyers are asked to nominate the be...

Bill Asp, a partner in the Private Wealth Planning practice group, participated on a probate panel at this years Probate  Trust Law Section Conference in St. Paul. The panel addresses not-so-common issues related to the administration of a decedents es...

On December 27, 2016, the Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed a borrowers waiver of the statutory right to redeem property foreclosed by advertisement is unenforceable. See U.S. Bank, Natl Assn, et al. v. RBP Realty, LLC, 888 N.W.2d 699 (Minn. Ct. App....

The Department of Labors new fiduciary rule significantly expands who will be considered a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan or IRA. The new rule was originally scheduled to become effective on April 10, 2017. Pursuant to the direction of President...

Joel Schroeder, a partner in the Employment Law Practice Group and Litigation Section, presented on Effectively Using Cutting-Edge Computer Forensics in Non-Compete and Trade Secrets Cases at the 2017 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute. The Employm...

Best  Flanagan proudly acknowledges its associates and law clerks for their volunteer participation with Feed My Starving Children this spring. Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing nutritious meals specifically ...

Maher Mahmood clerked for Best  Flanagan during her third year of law school. Following graduation, she was featured in the Woodbury Bulletin, a Forum Communications Company. See full article here.Ms. Mahmood will be re-joining the firm this fall after...

On May 2, 2017, Ashleigh Leitch, a labor and employment law attorney with Best  Flanagan, and Brian Walsh, Compliance Supervisor with the City of Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, presented to the HR special interest group of ALAMn, the Minnesota...

In May, Best  Flanagan participated in the sixth annual Dress for Success clothing drive hosted by Versique. The firm contributed 8 bags of womens professional clothing to Dress for Success, an organization that seeks to empower women to achieve econom...

Best  Flanagan proudly acknowledges its associates and law clerks for their volunteer participation with Feed My Starving Children. Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing nutritious meals specifically formulated f...

On Friday, April 21, 2017, Ashleigh Leitch presented at a conference for tribal casino human resources professionals. HR representatives from tribal casinos across Minnesota convened at the Lower Sioux Indian Community near Morton, MN. The subject of A...

On March 16, 2017, intellectual property attorney David Schelzel participated in a panel discussion at this years South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference in Austin, Texas. Preceded by an open letter to Congress signed by more than 200 recording artists an...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that Gregory Perleberg and Norman Taple have joined the firm as partners, and John Sullivan has joined as an associate attorney.Greg Perleberg practices in business law and has over 25 years of legal and private se...

Late yesterday afternoon, a federal district court in Texas issued a nationwide injunction order preventing the United States Department of Labor from enforcing new wage and hour regulations that were set to go into effect on December 1, 2016. Those re...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce the addition of John A. Richter as an associate in the firms Business Law practice group. John is a recent graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law and prior to law school earned a degree in accounting fro...

Thomas B. Heffelfinger was named co-chair of the judicial selection committee assisting U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken in making recommendations to the President for vacancies on Minnesotas federal district court.

Managing Partner, Sarah E. Crippen, was quoted in the October 31, 2016, Star Tribune Business Section article Law Firms Rethink Corner Offices.

Best  Flanagan will host MN Innovates Mentor Morning program during Twin Cities Start-Up Week with a networking meeting on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM at the firms office.For directions to Best  Flanagan, click here.MN Innova...

Selected by her peers, Mary E. Shearen has been included in the 23rd edition of Best Lawyers in America for her work in Tax Law and Trusts and Estates.

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that ten attorneys from the firm have been named to the Minnesota Super Lawyers list. Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their legal practice. These attorneys will be recognized...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that five attorneys have been selected for inclusion as Rising Stars by Super Lawyers and will be included in the Super Lawyers magazines annual list. Each year, Minnesota Super Lawyers are asked to nominate the be...

Best  Flanagans Cathy Gorlin, has been published in the current issue of MinnPost. Cathy authored an article that discusses the unintended results of Minnesotas new living-together law. Click here to read the full article.

Best  Flanagans new office space was featured June 14, 2016 in The Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal Cool Offices column. Best  Flanagan moved to new space in July 2015 and designed an efficient work space that reflects the culture of the firm. Read here ...

On May 27, 2016, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved an ordinance granting paid sick leave to most workers in the city. Employers with six or more employees who work at least 80 hours in a year must provide paid sick leave. Newly-establis...

Tom Heffelfinger will appear on the 6:00 KARE-11 news discussing todays announcement by the Minnesota U.S. Attorney that federal officials have declined to prosecute police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark. Toms background as a tw...

Today the U.S. Department of Labor announced its changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to expand eligibility for overtime pay to approximately 4 million workers. The new rules will significantly affect employers with exempt, salaried employees...

On May 11, 2016 President Obama signed the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), a bill that expands a federal law designed to protect intellectual property.The DTSA creates a federal private right of action for trade secret claims that will allow private c...

In the April 14 issue of Minnesota Lawyer, employment  labor attorney Ashleigh Leitch discusses the recent lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claiming employers have violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by...

On Tuesday, March 1, 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed two federal lawsuits against Pallet Companies and Scott Medical Health Center for violating Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The lawsuits allege that the compani...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that the partnership has electedSarah E. Crippenas its Managing Partner. Crippen has previously served on the firms Executive Committee, chaired the litigation section and labor and employment law practice, headed ...

With heavy hearts, Best  Flanagan grieves the loss of our friend and partner, Bob Maher.A fierce competitor and loyal friend, Bob lived a life of integrity, grace, and unwavering commitment to fairness and decency  always laced with an irrepressible an...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce the addition of two new associates to the firms Minneapolis office. The firm welcomes Allison Brandenburg, Business and Real Estate Law and Jennifer Olson, Litigation and Employment  Labor Law.Allison Brandenburgis...

Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce William (Bill) Asp has been elected to the firms Partnership, effective January 1, 2016. The election recognizes Bills contributions to the firm, his commitment to client service and the professionalism he brings t...

On August 11, 2015for the second time in just over a yearthe U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a strong defense of the attorney-client privilege that exists in internal investigations overseen by in-house counsel. The co...

Companies conducting internal investigations should not requireor requestthat employees enter into confidentiality agreements that might discourage whistleblowers. So says the Securities and Exchange Commission, which on April 1, 2015, announced an enf...

Family law attorney,Cathy Gorlinhas been selected a Member of the Nations Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel (NADC). NADC is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. Its mission...

Minnesota employers should take immediate steps to review and revise sick time, family leave, and other workplace policies to ensure that they comply with the newly enacted Womens Economic Security Act (WESA). Beginning July 1, 2014, Minnesota employer...

(Updated June 4, 2014, to reflect July 1, 2014, effective date of some provisions.)Minnesota employers should review and update workplace policies to ensure compliance with a range of new mandates and protections set out in the Womens Economic Security...

Designers, advertisers, and other creatives, as well as their clients need to think about potential trademark infringement liability each time a new tagline or logo is created and used to market goods or services. Potential liability is generally addre...

Minnesota employers will soon need to review hiring practices to ensure that they comply with a new state law that limits when job applicants may be asked about criminal records.The new Minnesota law takes effect as the federal agency that enforces ant...

MINNEAPOLIS (August 15, 2013)  Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that eight of its lawyers have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2014 rankings.The attorneys selected this year and their practice areas of ran...

Minneapolis, MN. July 8, 2013  Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that four attorneys have been selected for inclusion as Rising Stars by Super Lawyers and will be included in the Super Lawyers magazines annual list. Each year, Minnesota Super Lawye...

Minneapolis, MN. July 8, 2013  Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that eight attorneys from the firm have been named to the Minnesota Super Lawyers list. These attorneys will be recognized in the August issues of Minnesota Super Lawyers magazine, Tw...

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken announced on May 17, 2013 the formation of an advisory committee to assist them in recommending Minnesotas next U.S. Attorney to the President. The current U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones has been nominated to ser...

Best  Flanagan has represented key investors that lost significant funds in an elaborate real estate shell game involving DBSI, a privately held real estate firm based in Idaho that catered to mom and pop investors. On Wednesday, April 10th, Douglas Sw...

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) soon will require employers to use a newly revised Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 when confirming that employees are eligible to work in the United States.USCIS released the revised Fo...

The insurance laws of several states, including Minnesota, provide for the creation of mutual insurance holding companies. A mutual insurance company can convert to a mutual insurance holding company structure by electing to do so under the applicable ...

Minneapolis, MN  Best  Flanagan is pleased to announce that five attorneys were recently selected as Minnesota Rising Stars. Each year, Minnesota Super Lawyers are asked to nominate the best up-and-coming lawyers theyve observed in action, as opposing ...

Minneapolis, MN  Eleven Best  Flanagan attorneys were recently selected for the inclusion in Super Lawyers and were named on the annual list. No more than five percent of the states lawyers are selected for inclusion, based on a statewide nomination pr...

Best  Flanagan LLP is pleased to announce that Sarah E. Crippen has been named a Certified Labor and Employment Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association.The certification recognizes Sarahs significant experience representing clients in lab...

Best  Flanagan shareholder Thomas B. Heffelfinger has been recognized by Minnesota Lawyer as a 2011 Attorney of the Year. This award is reserved for a select group of attorneys from throughout the state who have distinguished themselves through exempla...

Mary E. Shearen, partner at Best  Flanagan LLP, is honored to have been selected by Finance  Commerce as one of their 2011 Top Women in Finance. This award recognizes and celebrates Minnesotas women who have made significant contributions to the financ...

Best  Flanagan LLP Recognized As Best Lawyers in America and as a First Tier Firm in Trust  Estate Law Five Attorneys from the Firm Also Recognized as Best Lawyers in America Best  Flanagan LLP has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2012 ...

Best  Flanagan congratulates the following attorneys, selected for inclusion in 2010 Minnesota Super Lawyers:John A. Burton  Private Wealth Planning James M. Christenson  Real Estate James C. Diracles  Business Law Cathy E. Gorlin  Family Law Thoma...

You are the manager of Company ABLE. You sign an agreement with Company XENON that requires it to provide coverage under its Commercial General Liability Policy (CGL) to Company ABLE as an additional insured. The insurance agent for Company XENON sends...