Top Best Estate Lawyers | 14203 Available

Blake’s clients don’t conduct business in a vacuum, nor does he take that approach to practicing law. “My job is to see the bigger picture – because there’s always a bigger picture,” he says. “My construction clients don’t need me to duplicate their expertise; they count on my guidance where their business intersects with banking, lending, real estate, collections, and a myriad of other issues they face.". “Seeing the larger landscape enables me to analyze my clients’ needs faster and more fully, and to address them more effectively and cost-efficiently.”. Blake works with a diversity of businesses, primarily in the construction, real estate, banking and finance sectors, where he focuses on:. Clients also retain Blake in a general counsel capacity, relying on his guidance in formulating creative strategies to maximize opportunity and minimize risk. As such, his services encompass a wide range of transactional matters including:. For his entire career, Blake has counseled and assisted creditors in recovering accounts receivable, having represented both businesses and collection agencies. He assists clients in every phase of creditor remedies, from reviewing and improving contracts and credit applications to obtaining and collecting judgments against debtors.. Outside of his successful law practice, Blake also serves in other areas of the community and has been honored numerous times over the years.

I'm an Estate Planning Attorney. I work for the law firm of Fafinski, Mark & Johnson (FMJ) located in Eden Prairie, MN. I meet with clients to design, draft, and execute estate planning documents (Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Health Care Directives). For many people, that means I take care of what matters most - their family.. I was admitted to the Minnesota State Bar in October 2017. I'm a graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law (2017) and the University of Minnesota (2014). Prior to college, I grew up and went to high school in Delano, Minnesota.. Outside of the law, I am a Delano Tiger hockey coach, a Minnesota Gopher and Minnesota Wild aficionado, a pond hockey enthusiast, a frequent visitor of local breweries and an amateur BWCA paddler.. If you are looking for an attorney that talks Minnesotan and walks you through the estate planning process in an understandable fashion, I hope I'm your guy!

Shaun Redford is an attorney and shareholder at Olson, Redford & Wahlberg P.A. with a primary focus on real estate and business litigation. His clients include national and local banks, title insurance companies, professional sports athletes, small businesses, and private landowners. Shaun is a frequent speaker on real estate law topics including boundary line disputes, access issues, and easements.  He was named a Rising Star by Minnesota Super Lawyers, a designation given to no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in Minnesota.. A California native, Shaun has fallen for the Twin Cities and lives in Eden Prairie with his wife and four young children.

Kelley (Colleen) Scrocca is a northern Minnesota native who has dedicated her entire 20+ year career to the practice of estate planning.. Kelley is an expert in estate planning, trusts, estate administration, and tax-related issues. She has extensive experience with estate and tax planning for individuals to address issues related to income, gift, generation-skipping, and estate tax matters. These services range from drafting simple wills, powers of attorney and living will documents to incorporation of more complex trusts, addressing special-needs situations, the formation of LLCs or other entities, as well as additional estate planning options. Each estate plan is specifically tailored to the individual client’s personal situation and their personal wants and requirements.. Kelley earned her undergraduate degree from St. Cloud State University, her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, and her LLM in estate planning from the University of Miami Law School's nationally renowned Heckerling Graduate Program in Estate Planning.. Before joining Hellmuth & Johnson, Kelley worked at a boutique trusts and estates law firm in Philadelphia where she practiced exclusively in trust, estate and probate matters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida. She also worked with a large law firm in Delaware where she worked with high net-worth individuals on estate planning and with corporate fiduciaries, assisting them to take advantage of state-specific trust laws. She then worked for Swier Law in South Dakota extended her expertise into the South Dakota trust area as well as the areas of ranching and farming. Kelley also frequently forms and provides ongoing consultation for non-profit groups. She is currently licensed to practice law in seven states.. Kelley and her husband Joe have three children, Cedar, Sutton, and Shea, two well-traveled cats and an authentic German Shepherd. Joe's military commitment has allowed Kelley and her family to move nine times in thirteen years, travel to 28 states, and 72 countries. She enjoys travel, reading, hiking, singing, and geocaching.  They have settled back in Minnesota now that her husband has retired from military service.. Kelley holds legal licenses in six states: Minnesota, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Delaware and South Dakota.

Hellmuth & Johnson, is a growing Top 20 Minnesota law firm. I am a Partner in the firm practicing in the areas of estate planning, probate and real estate law.. I deliver solutions for my clients to plan for their lifetimes and their wishes upon death. I accomplish this by getting to know my clients and then recommending the right plan for them through a variety of estate planning strategies and documents, including wills, trusts, health care directives, powers of attorney, and more.. In addition to estate planning, I guide my clients in residential and commercial real estate matters. This includes representation ranging from purchase agreements and contract for deeds to title insurance issues, quiet title actions and proceeding subsequents.. I am active in my community and have volunteered as a Judge for the Minnesota High School Mock Trial Program, offer legal services through my church, participate in the Wills for Heroes program and have been recognized as a North Star Lawyer.. I am licensed to practive law in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Joel assists individuals and families throughout Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding communities with estate planning, cabin planning, trust administration and probate, planning for loved ones with special needs, family business succession planning, and planning for children.. Joel enjoys teaching Minnesotans about the importance of having a good estate plan in place. Joel frequently presents free public educational seminars to explain the benefits of estate planning and to help clients decide what type of estate plan (i.e., Will, Living Trust, Cabin Trust, Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Directives) makes sense for their personal situations.. Joel is passionate about helping families prevent conflict through prudent estate planning. He is a frequent speaker on family conflict resolution and has committed himself exclusively to estate planning as a practice.. Joel is a graduate of Hamline University School of Law, a former board member of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Elder Law Council, and a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association.. Joel grew up in Excelsior and currently resides in the West Metro with his wife and two beautiful children. They spend their leisure time on Lake Minnetonka and in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Matt enjoys counseling Minnesotans on the importance of proper estate planning. A significant portion of Matt’s practice focuses on helping families after the passing of a loved one (Estate Administration/Probate), which often involves the commencement of a probate proceeding and/or a trust administration. Matt strives to provide the firm’s clients with compassionate and efficient representation. Matt seeks to become a trusted advisor for each of his clients. Matt believes in using a team approach to estate planning, often working directly with a client’s financial advisors, accountants and personal advisors to create a plan to achieve his client’s goals.. Matt earned his bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University, School of Management in Binghamton, New York and earned his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in New York, New York, where he also served as associate editor of the Fordham International Law Journal.. Matt resides in the suburbs of the western metro with his wife and three children. When he is not assisting clients, Matt can be found shuffling his children from activity to activity, watching his children’ soccer, basketball, lacrosse and baseball games, and enjoying time with family and friends. Matt is also a huge baseball fan who loves catching major league games in stadiums in throughout the U.S.

For Sophia, being an effective legal advocate is about educating, empowering and then confidently guiding her clients to family law and estate planning solutions in line with they and their family’s best interests. In both of her practices, Sophia brings a unique perspective and skillset attributable to her ongoing involvement in complex commercial negotiation and contracting, which has proved advantageous to her private family law and estate planning clients. In her family law practice, Sophia’s approach is straight forward and solution-focused, as she has found that often the best outcomes come from those negotiated between parties who are the experts of their own lives, and often not the Court. However, Sophia is mindful that a trial is necessary in some cases, and prepares for this possibility throughout her clients’ case. In her estate planning practice, Sophia enjoys helping her clients write and carry out their own legacy. She sees estate planning as an opportunity to dictate strategic outcomes after a life well-lived, and enjoys the long-term nature of the estate planning practice as it allows her to establish long-lasting and trusting relationships with her clients. No matter the task, Sophia will provide honest input and guidance, and will work tirelessly to obtain the best possible outcome for her clients and their families.. When not at work, Sophia enjoys hiking, eating delicious meals at local restaurants throughout the Twin Cities, and exploring the abundant State Parks and International destinations with her adventurous family and friends.. Education:. Admitted to practice law in Minnesota & Oregon (inactive). J.D., University of Minnesota Law School. B.A. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Communication Studies and Family Violence Studies. Magna Cum Laude. Professional Experience:. Current Commercial Negotiation Expert at Top Fortune 500 Company headquartered in the Twin Cities. Previous Family Law and Estate Planning Attorney at Highly Regarded Family Law and Estate Planning Law Firm located in Edina, MN. Previous Family Law Attorney at Top Family Law and Estate Planning Law Firm located in Portland, Oregon. Law Clerk at Hennepin County District Court. Law Clerk at Twin Cities Construction and Insurance Law Firm, and Estate Planning and Family Law Firm. Affiliations:. Minnesota State Bar Association

Julie Wilcox has been practicing estate planning and family law for nearly a decade. She deals in death and divorce because these areas deeply affect families and allow Julie to have meaningful conversations, and develop real relationships, with each of her clients.

Dedicated to providing clients with quality service, drawing on over three decades of experience in estate planning and related practice areas.. Ronald M. Otten practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, trust administration, business succession planning, charitable giving, medicaid planning and real estate. Since these practice areas have many sub-categories that cross over into other practice areas, he works closely with other firm attorneys to meet the legal needs of our clients.. Ron has a strong belief in client service. His experience, spanning more than three decades, ranges from the representation of individual clients in simple estate planning matters to the advising of family businesses with complex succession and tax issues. No matter the nature of the issue, Ron applies the same dedication, intelligence and good humor.. Ron can be reached at  or at. Education:Bachelor of Arts, Moorhead State University, Moorhead, MinnesotaJuris Doctorate, Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota. Bar Admission:Minnesota State Bar (1983)United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (1983)United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (1997)United States Supreme Court (1997). Professional Activities and Memberships:Minnesota State Bar Association, Trust and Estates SectionHennepin County Bar AssociationGuardianship/Conservatorship Attorney Panel. Fourth Judicial District.Completed Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution Training Minnesota State Bar (1997)Past member of American Arbitration Association (AAA)Past panel arbitrator with the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD)Completed coursework in advanced charitable giving at William Mitchell College of LawCompleted coursework toward an LL.M in International Taxation from Regent UniversityNational Planned Giving Alum (1986) Robert F. Sharpe & Company. Community Service Activities:Member of the Resource Development Committee of the Ridgeview Foundation, Waconia, MinnesotaMember of the Development Committee for Opportunity Partners, Minnetonka, MinnesotaMember of Rotary Club, Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Other Lifetime ExperienceAssistant Blue Earth County Attorney (1988-1990)Director of Development, Lakeview Foundation, Fairmont, Minnesota (1988-1990)Operated solo law practice (1990-1995)Six years as a Hennepin County paramedic.Four years military service in the U.S. Air Force as a medical corpsman. ReceivedOutstanding Service Commendation.

As a partner at Hellmuth & Johnson and a member of both the real estate and community association practice groups, Joel Hilgendorf helps a wide variety of clients make their mark. They include commercial and residential property owners, developers, banks, condominium and townhome associations, and businesses and individuals.. While he focuses his practice primarily in real estate law – commercial and residential; both as a litigator and transactional attorney – Joel also provides counsel and representation in community association law, foreclosure law and creditor’s remedies, and commercial and residential real estate transactions. Along with the skills he has honed in these areas, he marshals broad experience in:. One of Joel's particular areas of concentration is representing condominium and townhome associations. He is active in the Minnesota Chapter of the Community Associations Institute, for which he has served on the Board of Directors. Joel has extensive experience representing community associations in all of their legal needs, including: