Mendota Lawyers

Providing trusted legal services in the Twin Cities for over 20 years. Experience in Washington, Ramsey, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Anoka and Isanti Counties. Hasselbalch Law is a general practice covering real estate, bankruptcy, criminal defense, creditor/debtor, employment law, small business, probate, and various civil matters including animal/dog law. Civil and criminal litigation experience on the state level and federal level. Hasselbalch Law offers everything from unbundled single services to full representation and free consultations.

Graciela Bloch is an associate attorney, focusing on real estate litigation, estate planning, probate disputes, and civil litigation. Graciela has significant experience in addressing landlord-tenant disputes, including rent escrow matters, evictions, illegal activity provisions, and local and state ordinance violations. Graciela also has experience drafting wills, documents signing over power of attorney, and health care directives. Graciela is able to guide clients through the delicate process of placing loved ones or vulnerable minors or adults under either guardianship or conservatorship, or otherwise removing them from those constraints if circumstances warrant. Graciela also advocates on behalf of clients in high-conflict probate disputes...

B.S. University of Minnesota, 1984
J.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, 1992

My practice is focused on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy case for individuals and small business in Minnesota. I have over 20 years of experience representing my clients in a personal and professional manner.

As a dedicated family law attorney, and recent nominee as a Super Lawyer - Rising Star in 2024, I am committed to providing compassionate legal representation. I am a Minnesota native. I received my law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. In years prior, I lived in California, where I earned a Master's in Public Policy focusing on Economics from Pepperdine University. I strive to meet the unique needs of each client. Whether through settlement discussion, mediation, or trial, I am committed to advocating for my clients' rights and interests. With this goal in mind, I...

Shannon Cook is an attorney with the Minneapolis-based business law firm Bernick Lifson. Her areas of focus include tax law, collections, and creditors remedies. She received her Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law, along with a Law and Business certification. As a student, she was head of the school's Tax Law Society. Before attending William Mitchell College of Law, she earned her Bachelor of Science from University of Minnesota.

Brooke C. Nelson is an attorney at Minneapolis-based law firm Bernick Lifson. At the partnership, she specializes in legal issues related to commercial litigation, real estate, land use, and creditors’ remedies. She received her J.D. from University of St. Thomas in 2007, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is a member of Minnesota Women Lawyers, the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Hennepin County Bar Association, and the Volunteer Lawyers Network.

Boyd Johnson's practice focuses on probate and trust administration and related tax work. He is well-acquainted with Minnesota's probate and trust administration procedures and can help families navigate the difficult time when loved ones pass away. Additionally, Boyd assists individuals and families with estate planning, probate prevention, and estate tax management. Since every perso's situation is different, he tailors each estate plan with appropriate planning techniques to meet the client's unique objectives. Boyd enjoys spending time with his wife, a nurse at a local clinic. They live in Wayzata and can frequently be found visiting the area's lakes and parks. Boyd was...

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...

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...

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...

Licensed to practice since 1984. Admitted in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, as well as various federal courts. Our firm focuses on motorcycle injury cases. The lawyers in our firm are avid motorcyclists, ABATE members, and counsel for the Iowa and Minnesota Confederations of Clubs.