Best & Flanagan is pleased to announce the elevations of Michael Hatting, Kim Ruckdaschel-Haley, and Michael Stephani as Partners, effective January 1, 2024.
On behalf of the partnership, Board Chair Dan Grimsrud said, "We're thrilled to welcome these three experienced lawyers to the Best & Flanagan partnership, not only because the depth and breadth of their expertise will help to expand and enhance our client service offerings, but because they are precisely the kind of thoughtful teammates and engaged community members that have helped us thrive."
In his practice, Mike Hatting helps real estate developers, owners, investors and lenders buy, sell, develop, finance and lease all types of commercial and residential real estate projects. He provides business law advice related to entity formation, structure and governance for corporate clients, and he regularly advises on commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, project development, joint venture financing, formation of real estate investment funds, property management and leasing. Recently, Mike was included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for his Real Estate Law practice.
Kim Ruckdaschel-Haley is an experienced litigator who regularly represents institutions and individuals in complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters, including trust and probate, securities, contract, fiduciary duty, corporate governance, and other disputes. She also provides advice in an effort to find efficient solutions short of the courtroom where doing so meets clients' goals. Kim is regularly recognized by Best Lawyers for her Trusts and Estates Litigation practice, and she is consistently named a North Star Lawyer by the Minnesota State Bar Association for her pro bono work.
As a former business owner, Michael Stephani understands the importance of the bottom line, and uses his creativity and pragmatism in his approach to each client’s needs. Michael represents a wide array of clients facing various types of creditor-side bankruptcy issues including adversary litigation, reliefs from stay, preference litigation, challenges to discharge, and claim objections. He has assisted creditors in obtaining payment through chapter 11 restructuring plans and has recovered millions of dollars for his clients through collection actions.