Susan T. Peterson-Lerdahl - Maple Grove, MN

Overview

Susan T. Peterson is a shareholder in the firm of Henningson & Snoxell, Ltd., located in Maple Grove, Minnesota. She is a Chair of the firm's Estate Planning Department which boasts more than 35 years of experience counseling individuals and families. Susan practices principally in the areas of:

• Estate planning
• Probate, estate and trust administration
• Elder law

Susan works closely with individuals and families of all sizes and asset levels to identify and prioritize their goals and implement techniques to carry them out. She builds strong relationships with clients, and in turn, clients have great confidence in her and feel comfortable sharing their most personal information and concerns.

Her practice is heavily concentrated in the following areas:

• Drafting wills and trusts, as well as other estate planning documents
• Incapacity planning
• Family business succession planning
• Contested probate administrations
• Guardianships and conservatorships
• Charitable gifting
• Medical assistance planning

Susan also assists multi-generation families with high net worth address complex estate and tax issues. She has helped numerous families and their advisors structure estate plans that accomplish the multiple goals affecting these families. Some of the issues she routinely assists with include:

• Minimizing taxes related to the transition of wealth from one generation to the next.
• Assuring the effective transition of management of family wealth from one generation to the next.
• Addressing the unique needs of a family, such as special needs beneficiaries, divorces, premature deaths, and educational goals.
• Addressing philanthropic interests and strategizing to address these interests.

She has been selected for inclusion in Minnesota Super Lawyers® - Rising Star Edition, 2008-2010 and 2012. Susan is admitted to practice in all Minnesota state and federal courts. She is a member of the Hennepin County Bar Association and the Probate and Trust Law and Real Property Law sections of the Minnesota State Bar Association. She is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and Minnesota Women Lawyers. Susan is a frequent speaker on topics associated with estate planning and estate administration, charitable giving, and elder law, and is the author of several articles.

Born in Iowa City, Iowa, Susan received her B.A. magna cum laude from St. Olaf College, her M.A. summa cum laude in English and American Literature from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and her law degree summa cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law. Susan clerked for Chief Justice Russell Anderson of the Minnesota Supreme Court and practiced law both as an associate and as principal of her own law firm before joining Henningson & Snoxell in 2004. She lives in Maple Grove with her family and is the immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Maple Grove.