Family Law

• Divorce
  The attorneys in Messerli Kramer’s Divorce & Family Law group have extensive experience in aggressively representing their clients interests in all phases of the divorce process. However, it is often in the best interest of the client to negotiate a settlement out of court. Mediation is a voluntary process involving a neutral, experienced third-party that attempts to resolve issues without litigation.
• Child Support
  Messerli Kramer’s family appellate team appreciates the complexities of appellate work and has successfully represented clients in dozens of appeals before Minnesota’s appellate courts. Our Family Law group has been involved in some of Minnesota’s landmark appellate decisions on issues from child support to third-party custody to property division. Our attorneys have also leant their experience as “friends of the court” on amicus briefs submitted by the Minnesota State Bar Association and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  What happens to the children? That is the single most important issue when parents are not together. The attorneys in Messerli Kramer’s Family Law group use our extensive child custody experience to guide clients as they work through this issue. We help parents who are divorced and those who are not married establish initial custody and parenting time arrangement, as well as assist them when circumstances change in the future. Parents put their trust in our Family Law attorneys from beginning to end.
• Adoption
  Represented adoptive parents, foster parents, birth parents, children, and adoption agencies involved in all kinds of adoptions—from simple step-parent, relative, and adult adoptions—to complex state ward adoptions involving foster children and governmental entities; interstate and direct placement adoptions; international adoptions; and litigated adoptions.
• Guardianship
• Spousal Support
  Every divorce is unique, but whether the case involves a large or small estate; custody and parenting time issues; spousal maintenance or non-marital claims; Messerli Kramer’s Family Law attorneys have the experience to ensure our clients’ interests are protected. Our attorneys understand which processes are best-suited for each particular case and are highly-skilled in utilizing the appropriate solution, be it mediation or litigation.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Representative cases have included children injured in daycare settings, shaken baby allegations, intra-family sexual abuse allegations, with many of these cases requiring working with criminal defense attorneys and forensic evidence and experts.
• Restraining Order
  Represented 135 plaintiffs in breach of contract and fraud claims arising out of currency arbitrage Ponzi scheme venued in Minnesota Federal District Court; obtaining temporary restraining order and preliminary injunctions, freezing assets of defendants and leading to the appointment of receiver and SEC/CFTC enforcement actions.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Messerli Kramer provides corporate legal services to companies of all sizes and industries—from individual entrepreneurs to established companies, both privately held and publicly traded—during all phases of their development and growth. The attorneys in our Corporate Law group regularly consult with boards, special board committees, independent directors and corporate executives of public, private, family-owned and non-profit corporations. Focused on providing clients long-term risk protection and stability, we provide companies the foundations necessary for success.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  The attorneys in Messerli Kramer’s International Business group combine an in-depth knowledge of legal systems around the world; our international network of affiliated law firms and accounting firms; and our experience doing business overseas to assist companies in a broad spectrum of foreign transactions. We assist international businesses with legal matters related to commercial and financial transactions including mergers and acquisitions; real estate; labor and employment; distribution of goods and services including web and cloud-based products; sales networks; franchising; strategic alliances; joint-ventures; partnerships; arbitration; intellectual property; and software and technology.
• Business Disputes
  Our litigators practice in a wide variety of areas including complex business torts and frauds; commercial contract disputes; fiduciary duty and shareholder claims; employment law; construction and real estate litigation; creditors remedies, secured transactions and equipment leasing; trust and estate; insurance coverage and ERISA; intellectual property; and appeals.
• Business Transactions
• Limited Liability Companies
  Represented numerous clients and their member entities in the structural reorganization of limited liability companies in order to effectuate various IRC Section 1031 exchanges for the sale of over $90 million in real estate by using various techniques coordinated with section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, adding additional flexibility in the acquisition of various replacement properties.
• Intellectual Property

Employment Law

• Employment Litigation
  Messerli Kramer’s Employment Litigation attorneys work with clients to find the best alternatives for cost-effective solutions and timely resolutions to employment disputes. When an employment matter rises to the level where litigation is unavoidable, our experienced litigators represent employers in state and federal courts as well as arbitrations and agency proceedings. We also represent clients in responding to inquiries from the EEOC, Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, State Departments of Human Rights and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
• Non-compete Agreement

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  We also handle complex real estate disputes, representing buyers, sellers, agents, brokers, lenders, landlords, tenants, investors, contractors, and other entities in a variety of matters.
• Construction Litigation
  Construction disputes frequently pose unique and complex issues, requiring the need for litigators with legal acumen and industry knowledge. The attorneys in Messerli Kramer’s Construction and Real Estate group have substantial experience representing developers, owners, and subcontractors in unique and complex construction and real estate litigation arising throughout the project lifecycle. Our litigators and corporate attorneys work together to create efficient solutions and build the best possible case in order to advance client goals, whether in mediation, arbitration, or litigation.
• Eminent Domain
• Land Use and Zoning

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Trust and estate disputes are often highly contentious, involving emotional family matters that require sophisticated and sensitive legal advocacy. Messerli Kramer’s Trust and Estate litigators focus on steering cases to resolutions that are aligned with our clients’ financial, business, and personal goals. We have a track record of successfully representing trustees, beneficiaries, personal representatives, and interested third parties in state and federal court, arbitration, mediation, and informal negotiations.
• Wills
• Trusts
• Power of Attorney
  Represented children of deceased parent in state court lawsuit in which sibling challenged the validity of power of attorney and designations of beneficiaries in life insurance policies.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  The attorneys in Messerli Kramer’s Banking and Finance group possess broad and extensive real-world experience in consumer and commercial loan enforcement, and they are capable of providing a wide range of services encompassing the full-breadth of loan enforcement activities. Our attorneys formulate effective and efficient strategies for resolving defaults and reaching the desired outcomes for clients. Oftentimes, through effective assessment of the case early in the default process, we can reach pre-enforcement settlements through negotiations and workouts. We also assist clients in navigating foreclosure, title, bankruptcy and possession issues. At any stage in the enforcement process, our Banking and Finance attorneys help our clients navigate the legal and business issues to achieve high-quality results.