Chatfield Lawyers

I love what I do! My entire professional career has focused on death, dying, and preplanning. It is not as macabre as you may think! I find peace in helping my clients and their family prepare for the "inevitable"? (death and taxes), and make life's transitions easier.

I help clients navigate estate planning, as they focus on asset growth, to long-term care planning, where the focus shifts to asset preservation and care. After a death occurs, I help resolve contested Will or Trust issues (litigation), counsel on Medical Assistance claims, and guide families through the probate process.

I love facing the challenges...

Jennifer L. Thompson is a Minnesota child protection attorney whose passion is to provide Family-Centered Advocacy for Every Season of Your Lifetime.SM Some seasons of life are full of joy – like adopting the children of your spouse or those who’ve been in foster care. Others are more stormy – especially when social services gets involved with your own children. Whether your children have been removed from your home, you or your facility are under investigation by social services, or you are seeking to intervene in the child protection case of someone you care about, JLT’s effective, empathetic experience will help...

Nate is known as one of the most fearless and skilled trial lawyers in the region. Nate’s peers have voted him a Top 100 Super Lawyer (top .5% of all attorneys) every year since 2014; The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers; Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (“ABOTA”); and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. About half of Nate’s work comes from other lawyers who ask him to either help try their client’s cases or to simply take the cases over for trial.

Nate has lectured and taught trial practice skills to lawyers all across the United States....

Lyndsey works for people injured in all types of personal injury claims including car and motorcycle crashes, dog bites, wrongful death, premises liability, and products liability. Lyndsey’s goal is that her clients can make recovery their number one priority while she and her team deal with the insurance companies. Lyndsey works to ensure that her clients understand their rights and the legal process so that they are equipped to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. As a compassionate listener, a critical thinker, and a fierce advocate, Lyndsey works hard to understand what her clients have endured and...

Rich is consistently named as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. Rich focuses his practice on cases involving car accidents, traumatic brain injury (TBI), food poisoning, premises liability, daycare liability, and product liability. He has represented hundreds of victims of various personal injury accidents. Rich has tried numerous cases to a jury with excellent results.

Minnesota Super Lawyers - 2003 – 2018
Rich was first selected as one of the 2011 Minnesota Lawyer Attorneys of the Year. This award is given to just a few attorneys across the State of Minnesota each year and is a great honor.

Rich then...

Erik became a partner at TSR Injury law since 2015. Over the last several years, he has proven himself to be a tireless advocate for his clients and a great asset to the firm. His clients regularly compliment his work and results by referring him their friends, family and co-workers who are in need of legal help following an injury. Erik’s experience includes auto accidents, slip and fall claims, railroad/train accidents, dog bites, premises liability claims, wrongful death actions, and traumatic brain injury claims.

He has been an active member of the Minnesota Association for Justice since 2003 and has served...

I work exclusively in litigation related mostly to conservatorships, guardianships, power-of-attorney proceedings, trust matters, will contests, exploitation of vulnerable adults, and other probate and elder law matters.

Lisa is an attorney who helps individuals and families apply for immigration benefits, defend themselves in immigration court, and protect their families. Lisa speaks both English and Spanish. Her background in immigration law allows her to understand the sensitivities and provide clients with competent representation. Lisa understands the complexities of immigration law.

Founder and Attorney John Meyer found his passion while deployed with the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2011. Working with unemployed soldiers before returning home, John worked hard to help those who wished to start their own businesses chart a path toward success. He carried that passion and focus from the sands of Kuwait and Iraq, through law school, into private practice.

We have more than 25 years of experience representing people who have been injured due to legal malpractice, medical malpractice or car accidents.

Jim Lindell (University of Minnesota, 1977) is a litigator focused on personal injury cases, including product liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, liquor liability and workers' compensation. He is a certified civil trial specialist and is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is past dean of the Academy of Certified Trial Lawyers of Minnesota. Lindell feels his broad work experience prior to law school, including construction, firefighting, teaching, and service in the U.S. Army, allows him to relate well to his clients of highly varied backgrounds. He practices in Wisconsin as well as Minnesota and is a qualified arbitrator and mediator.

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...

Jerri Adams Belcher is a fearless and tenacious advocate for employees’ rights. She represents individuals who have experienced discrimination, retaliation, and harassment in the workplace. Prior to joining Engelmeier & Umanah, P.A. Jerri litigated and tried employment, insurance, and construction-defect cases. During law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she developed her advocacy skills as a judicial intern for then Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Further, she completed externships at the Wisconsin Department of Justice in its Civil Litigation unit, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, D.C. Jerri also...

David Rochlin is a litigator with more than 20 year's experience helping hundreds of businesses and people get paid what they are owed. Cases include breach of contract, manufacturers agreements, sales rep agreements, returns issues between retailers and third parties, general collections, insurance disputes, car accident injuries, and more.

As an estate planning, elder law and estate administration (probate) attorney I understand that every family is unique with unique issues and goals. Retain me, and I will help you understand your choices and find the solutions that work best for you and your family. I help my estate planning clients of all ages protect their assets, establish legacies for their families and retain control of their health care decisions. I do this using a variety of powerful estate planning tools, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives (living wills) and beneficiary designations. For my estate administration and...

Kate is an associate attorney at Keegan Law Office. Kate discovered her passion for criminal defense through personal experiences and finds fulfillment in assisting clients navigate the criminal process. Prior to joining Keegan Law Office, Kate worked as an associate attorney at a Twin Cities law firm. There, she worked with clients facing a variety of state and federal criminal charges, including criminal sexual conduct, assault, murder, and drug offenses. Kate has prepared and helped conduct jury trials, which have resulted in an acquittal of Domestic Assault by Strangulation and a hung jury in a First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct...

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...

Charles Clas gained considerable experience in criminal law before he even graduated from law school. He participated in the Misdemeanor Prosecution Clinic at the University of Minnesota School of Law, and served as an instructor and member of the Civil Rights National Moot Court team. Charles also worked as a law clerk at Caplan & Tamburino Law Firm, P.A. before joining the firm as a full time attorney in 2014. Charles has successfully tried many criminal cases for the firm, such as marijuana possession, DWI, felony expungement, and 3rd degree assault. If you need experienced and knowledgeable criminal defense you...

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...

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...

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...

Matt is a knowledgeable attorney practicing in the area of family law. Matt blends empathy, practicality, diligence, and respect to advocate for outcomes that serve clients in the long term and defuse tension among families of all types. Matt favors a creative, collaborative, and results-focused practice style and is keenly aware that every case requires its own unique approach. Matt has worked as an attorney editor at Thomson Reuters, as an adjunct professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Richelle M. Wahi in Dakota County. In addition to judicial duties, Matt assisted...

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...

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...

Bankruptcy and Consumer Rights Attorney

Corwin R. Kruse, Esq.

EDUCATION

J.D., William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, magna cum laude
Editor: William Mitchell Law Review

M.A., Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
Major: Sociology

B.S., University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Honors: Dean's List
Major: Sociology

B.B.A., University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD.

Honors: Dean's List

Major: Business Administration


BAR ADMISSIONS

Minnesota, 2004

U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2005

PRIOR EMPLOYMENT

Katz & Manka, Ltd., Family Law Attorney, 2010-2019

William Mitchell College of Law, Adjunct Professor, 2005-2016

Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Associate, 2005-2009

Minnesota Court of Appeals, Judicial Law Clerk to...

I have 17 years of experience, and have been practicing in the area of family law since 2004. I have represented hundreds of clients (mothers, fathers, wives and husbands) in complex and simple divorce actions, custody/parenting time actions, child support proceedings, grandparent visitation actions, and a myriad of other family law actions. I am a zealous advocate for my clients, but I also provide my clients with knowledgeable legal advice about their options so that my client can make an informed decision about how he or she wants to proceed. I do my best to resolve my cases outside of...