Blake R. Nelson - Minneapolis, MN

Blake Nelson is a partner with the firm and chair of the Construction Law Group, and also serves on the firm's Board of Governors. He primarily represents privately-held businesses of all types, with a concentration in meeting the unique needs of those in the construction industry.

Blake's practice includes counsel and representation in the following primary areas:

• Construction law and litigation
• Real estate law and litigation
• General corporate representation
• Creditor's remedies

Blake's background brings unique experience to his construction law practice. He grew up working at his family-owned lumber yard in his teens and early twenties, learning about the construction industry from the inside out. His first-hand experience working in the construction industry gives him a unique perspective when counseling his clients.

One of Blake's particular areas of expertise is the perfection and enforcement of mechanic's liens. He is widely regarded as an authority in that area, and has written numerous articles and taught many seminars about enforcement of mechanic's liens and creditor remedies for businesses in the construction industry. He also has extensive experience helping construction clients with contract disputes and bond claim enforcement.

Blake is also the chief author and editor of the quarterly publication The Authority on Construction Law and the author of Construction Liens: A National Review and Template for a Uniform Lien Act, published in the William Mitchell College Law Review. Blake routinely writes for other construction industry publications and trade journals, and is a frequent lecturer on construction law and creditor issues.

Blake is also a Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Board Certified Real Property Law Specialist, a designation held by a select few Minnesota attorneys. He represents many commercial real estate investors, owners and developers and provides counsel regarding their purchase, sale and leasing transactions. He also has extensive experience in handling and structuring tax deferred real estates exchanges under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 1031).

An experienced business counselor, Blake also serves in a general counsel capacity for his clients, guiding them in formulating creative strategies to maximize opportunity and minimize risk. As such, his services encompass a wide range of transactional matters including:

• Buy/sell agreements
• Business sale and purchase agreements
• Joint venture agreements
• Independent contractor and sales representative agreements
• Shareholder/partnership agreements

For his entire career, Blake has counseled and assisted creditors in recovering accounts receivable, having represented both businesses and collection agencies. With a specific concentration on clients in the construction industry, Blake routinely recovers funds and negotiates favorable settlements in connection with construction projects. Absent mechanic's lien rights, collection in these cases can be more difficult, but clients rely upon Blake's years of experience in this area to create favorable results. Blake 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.

• Blake serves on the Board of Directors for Minnesota Bank and Trust in Edina, Minnesota, the only new bank to successfully open in Minnesota in 2008. Kate Kelly, president and CEO of Minnesota Bank & Trust, called Nelson an "outside of the box thinker" who helped the new bank get on its feet and build a market presence.
• In 2009, Blake was honored as one of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal's "40 Under Forty" top business leaders.
• Blake has repeatedly been chosen for inclusion in the Minnesota Super Lawyers® list, only 5% of attorneys in the state of Minnesota are selected each year.
• Blake is also AV® Peer Review Rated – the highest possible peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell™. An AV Rating shows that a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence, has usually practiced law for many years, and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.
• The first letter rates the lawyer's ability, with A being the highest possible ranking and indicating that the lawyer's abilities are "Very High to Preeminent."
• The second letter rates the lawyer's general ethical standards, and denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities. "AV" rating indicates that the lawyer's ethical rating is "Very High."
• Together, the "AV" rating is the highest possible and Blake is proud to have achieved that rating in 2005 in only his tenth year of practice.
• Blake served for six years on the Hennepin County Fourth District Ethics Committee as a member and investigator.

Blake obtained his J.D. magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law and graduated cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Political Science. He is licensed to practice law in the State and Federal courts in Minnesota and is a member of the Hennepin County and Minnesota State Bar Associations.

Blake offers a free 30 minute initial consultation to potential new clients and is happy to discuss new matters by phone or in person.