Mohrman, Kaardal & Erickson, P.A. - Minneapolis, MN

I’ve been a client of MKE for over six years across multiple legal matters. They’re some of the most strategic and capable attorneys I’ve come across, with a level of expertise in constitutional law that’s hard to find. They’ve done what 99% of law firms never do: gone to the U.S. Supreme Court twice (and won both times). That alone speaks volumes. The atmosphere is very down-to-earth, and the whole firm is easy to work with. Greg Erickson (the “E” in MKE), especially, is a straight shooter with a blunt (but great) sense of humor. I’ve seen him depose defendants for hours on multiple occasions, and it’s honestly like watching boxing and ballet in one breath—he’s sharp, controlled, and incredibly quick on his feet. John (main paralegal) is like an encyclopedia of constitutional and municipal law—extremely detail-oriented, and Mary (Office Manager) keeps everything running smoothly. It’s a boutique firm that runs on word-of-mouth reputation, not advertising. They represent everyone from large banks, corporations, and small business owners to cities, law enforcement, and prisoners. They also take on cases against cities and public officials, which says a lot about their depth and versatility. I want to comment on a recent negative review here from someone using the name “Jay.” What this person describes does not line up with what I know about the situation. This individual ("Jay") was yelling profanities in the 8th Circuit courthouse that day—I know because I had a hearing there as well. In that context, if Greg advised him to stop acting like “a child,” that is more than fair. Lawyers have to maintain professionalism in court—not just for their firm, but for their other clients (I certainly wouldn’t want that kind of behavior affecting the judge's view of my case or the court’s perception of MKE—would you?). More broadly, I know and respect the attorneys this reviewer criticizes. Greg is quick-witted, highly skilled, and deeply dedicated to his kids. Erick Kaardal is brilliant, kind, and clearly prioritizes his family. These are genuinely good people. As for the younger attorney, Elizabeth—who is also unfairly dragged in that review—I want to be clear: she did an outstanding job that day. In fact, in a separate case, a district court judge (who had previously presided over one of my own hearings) even wrote a letter to MKE commending her work. She’s a young attorney with a very bright future. No law firm wins every case. Outcomes depend heavily on which judge you get and the specific circumstances. That doesn’t take away from the quality of the legal work. And to be fair—I do agree with one thing the reviewer said: sometimes MKE drafts come close to deadlines. That’s the reality of a busy, in-demand firm handling complex litigation. But what matters is how they show up when it counts. I’ve had John stay on the phone with me late into the night to make sure everything was accurate before a strict deadline. That level of commitment is rare. For further perspective, I’m a lifelong liberal, and the firm is known for having (mostly) conservative attorneys. It’s never mattered. I’ve always gotten along super well with everyone there. There’s a mix of political perspectives among both their staff and clients, and there’s clearly mutual respect. It’s worth noting that nearly all the negative reviews online don’t come from actual clients, but instead appear to be from online trolls reacting to a few controversial cases—something that represents only a tiny fraction of the firm’s overall work. Most satisfied clients don’t leave reviews—they get what they need and move on. I only felt the need to write something after stumbling upon this person's review because it didn’t match what I know or my experience. From my (real) experience as a client: if you want serious, high-level legal representation, this is exactly the kind of firm you want in your corner.

Unfortunately, I feel I am obligated to write this review to hopefully prevent others from going through what we have with MKE. We have spent near half a million dollars with this firm to have only 1 meaningless court victory in 5+ years. My personal belief is MKE is more worried about what the judges, court and opposing lawyers think of them than what their client's outcomes are. Frankly, I have typically not left hearings with MKE at my side in which I felt I had a chance to win. Only once have I been comfortable with how MKE lawyers argued in court (out of dozens of hearings). I kept my mouth shut about my perceived incompetence of MKE lawyers over time in hopes that the facts would win out in our favor as we had nowhere else to go and were locked in with MKE. When I presented mild criticism to Greg Erickson (E from MKE) along with my opinion form observing that he and his lawyer both did a terrible job in federal court that day, he literally stated, "You are a child Jay. Elizabeth did an outstanding job" (You got that right, Erickson's response was to denigrate me instead of listen to what I said). Yet Elizabeth got hammered and lost so bad for my wife that MKE has refused to respond to any communications from me or my wife at this point. This includes our longtime attorney, and somebody I thought was a friend, Erick Kaardal (don't let Erick fool you with his stories and charm, he certainly appears to me to not be the good catholic he professes to be). No lawyer at MKE bothered to contact us to determine next steps after the loss, merely decided to shut us out (which certainly appears to be an ethical violation on their part). Further, we had a set fee of $255k for the entire litigation, and when MKE lost because of their own incompetence (not understanding they had to include arguments of why the claim was in federal court), MKE puts their hand put for more money even though they are the ones who screwed up. In fact, we even set up a basically unlosable lawsuit against the city, that MKE somehow seemed to lose anyways (because they refused to put forth the obvious facts that would most likely have swayed the judges). Finally, I have won more cases for myself pro se than MKE ever did for us, not even close. In my opinion, If you are looking for a high priced lawyer that does not put forth the arguments you want them to in court, waits until the last minute to get the paperwork done, gets scolded by the judge right in front of you for being excessively wordy, gets half the arguments right and half wrong in court, fails to defend your character when personally attacked over zoning issues, and, calls you names when you put forth some mild criticism of their efforts ... then MKE is your team!! I would suggest otherwise and to stay away.