Sam Nelson
Sam Nelson is attorney and owner of Nelson Law. Sam advises churches, schools, non-profits, businesses, and individuals through the many legal issues they face. Sam is a regular presenter at school and employment law conferences. He advises clients drafting and negotiating legal documents, charting a path through difficult legal circumstances, and meeting with families to plan for the future. When the need arises, Sam represents clients in litigation, mediation, and arbitration.
Raised in southern Minnesota, Sam studied history and opera in college and graduated from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities with honors, before attending law school at the University of St. Thomas. Prior to founding Nelson Law, PLLC, Sam was a partner at a downtown St. Paul law firm.
Sam lives in Stillwater, MN with his wife and six kids. He is a parishioner at St. Michael's Church, and he enjoys reading, playing board games, boating on the St. Croix River with the family, listening to opera, poker night with friends, and taking saunas and cold plunges in the sauna he built in their garage.
Email: sam@nelsonlawmn.com
Phone: 651-300-1412
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Private Schools: Sam advises private schools throughout Minnesota (K-12 grades), addressing legal needs specific to the school setting. Sam enjoys partnering with school leadership to proactively plan for their legal needs (especially policy, recordkeeping, and contract review), and provides steady, reliable counsel through tough student and employee issues (accommodations, student misconduct, investigations, discipline, legal demands from families, and suspension/expulsion) and defending against local, Minnesota state, and federal human rights complaints and lawsuits.
Employers: Sam helps employers navigate the increasingly complicated web of employment laws, reviewing and drafting legal documents (handbooks, offer letters, job descriptions, etc.), guiding through workplace issues (harassment, discrimination, discipline, investigations), advising on management action (layoffs, reductions in force, terminations), and defending employers against employment law claims.
Churches & Non-Profits: Sam provides general counsel to non-profits. Sam advises on entity formation, governance, contract and leases, and the wide range of legal issues faced by small and mid-size organizations.
Estate Planning: Sam also has the pleasure of working with families to craft estate plans, taking the time to learn about the unique relationships, assets, and needs of each client and crafting a plan to meet those needs in an effective and straightforward manner. -
Minnesota
Wisconsin
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University of St. Thomas School of Law
J.D., cum laude
Journal of Law & Public Policy, Editor in Chief
Federalist Society, President
Presidential Scholarship
The University of Minnesota
B.A. in History, with honors
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St. Thomas More Lawyer's Guild, Minnesota - Board Member, 2020-Present
St. Croix Catholic School - Board Member & Chair, 2018-2024
Human Adventure Corporation - Board Member, 2021-2024
City of Stillwater, Minnesota - Parks & Recreation Commissioner, 2017-2022
Teach for Christ - Board Member, 2017-2022
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Minnesota State Bar Association
Washington County Bar Association
Society for Human Resource Management
St. Joseph Business Guild
Christian Legal Society
Benjamin Lanari
Ben is a dedicated attorney serving individuals, families, and organizations with a focus on estate planning, nonprofit counsel, and litigation. Ben brings dedication, strong attention to detail, and a practical approach to solving legal challenges. He assists clients in creating personalized estate plans that protect their legacies, provides general counsel services to nonprofits navigating governance and compliance issues, and represents clients in litigation with professionalism and care. Ben is committed to client success.
In his free time, Ben enjoys the outdoors and travels to the lakes and forests of the great state of Minnesota.
Email: ben@nelsonlawmn.com
Phone: 651-300-1412
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Estate Planning: Ben guides clients through the process of crafting a legacy for individuals and families. Through an exploration of a client's situation and wishes, he can work to build the correct documents for a client's individual situation. His no-nonsense approach allows clients to cut through complex documents and law, and understand the broad range of possibilities at their disposal.
Litigation: Ben helps clients navigate the court systems in litigation. He helps clients feel comfortable in the unfamiliar, sometimes stressful setting of a lawsuit. He fights every step of the way from complaints, through discovery and depositions, and into mediation and trial. Ben strategizes and plans cases with clients, and guides clients throughout the process from a complaint through potential appeals. He advises clients of all their options, including out-of-court remedies. Ben has served as counsel in contract disputes, real estate matters, and employment disputes, and has worked on appeals to the 8th Circuit and Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Churches & Non-Profits: Ben provides general counsel to non-profits, advising on entity formation, governance, contract and leases, and the wide range of legal issues faced by small and mid-size organizations.
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Minnesota
South Dakota
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
U.S. District Court District of Minnesota
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University of St. Thomas School of Law
J.D., cum laude
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
University of St. Thomas
B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology, cum laude
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Minnesota State Bar Association
State Bar of South Dakota