Fredrikson & Byron Announces New Shareholders

Fredrikson & Byron has elected nine new shareholders: Philip S. Bubb, Kristen S. Hansen, Brant M. Leonard, Amanda K. Lorentz, Sarah M. Olson, Emily S. Pontius, Brett F. Roberts, Debra A. Schneider and David E. Winkler.

Philip S. Bubb works in the Des Moines office and is a member of the Litigation, Construction and Real Estate Groups. Bubb is an experienced commercial litigator serving clients in diverse industries, including construction and real estate. He regularly handles disputes involving contracts, business torts, insurance liability and negligence. Bubb represents general contractors and subcontractors in mediation, arbitration and litigation, and represents construction-products manufacturers against claims of strict liability, warranty and negligence. He has served as lead and second-chair counsel in both state and federal courts and has obtained verdicts for clients following bench trials and jury trials.

Kristen S. Hansen works in the Bismarck office and is a member of the Oil & Gas Group. Hansen assists clients with diverse oil and gas and real estate issues and transactions, with an emphasis in drafting drilling and division order title opinions. Prior to joining Fredrikson & Byron, she worked for several Denver law firms, practicing in the fields of oil and gas, water law and natural resources. Hansen also spent several years representing plaintiffs in medical malpractice litigation before transitioning to her natural resources and real estate practice.

Brant M. Leonard works in the Des Moines office and is a member of the Litigation, Energy, Commercial Law and Employment & Labor Litigation Groups. Leonard is an experienced litigator focusing on energy and utilities litigation, complex commercial litigation, condemnation and employment litigation. In his energy law practice, he represents clients in regulatory permitting and contested case proceedings before administrative agencies as well as in state and federal courts. Leonard has tried numerous condemnation commissioner hearings, in addition to representing clients in condemnation appeals before Iowa district courts. He regularly represents individuals and businesses in contract, real estate, debtor-creditor and business tort litigation as well as employment litigation.

Amanda K. Lorentz works in the Minneapolis office and is a member of the Securities, Public Companies and Mergers & Acquisitions Groups. Lorentz focuses her transactional practice on various public company matters, including SEC reporting and compliance, stock exchange regulations and corporate governance issues. She has worked with small- and mid-cap companies on many aspects of the public company life cycle, including public offerings of securities, governance structures, SEC reporting and proxy solicitation. Lorentz has also assisted private companies in all phases of development, including small companies working to get off the ground, established companies raising additional capital and companies in the process of buying or selling assets or stock.

Sarah M. Olson works in the Minneapolis office and is a member of the Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Workouts and Litigation Groups. Olson provides primarily businesses with a variety of bankruptcy-related services, including representing debtors and creditors in Chapter 11 cases, assisting with asset sales, filing proofs of claim, and litigating preference and fraudulent transfer claims. In the Chapter 11 context, she has represented a wide range of debtors, such as large corporations, groups of related entities, franchisees, small businesses and individuals. Aside from debtors, Olson has represented creditors (both secured and unsecured), contract or lease counterparties and potential asset purchasers in bankruptcy cases. Olson was a member of the committee that drafted the revised Minnesota statutes on receiverships and assignments for the benefit of creditors, and has won local and national awards for distressed transactions on which she worked.

Emily S. Pontius works in the Des Moines office and is a member of the Employment & Labor, Litigation and Internal Investigations Groups. Pontius is an experienced advisor and litigator for employers. She defends employers against allegations of sex discrimination, age discrimination, race discrimination, FMLA and ADA violations, wrongful termination in violation of public policy and tortious interference. Pontius also provides specialized advice and litigates on behalf of colleges and universities in disputes concerning faculty discipline, tenure and promotion, student conduct, and accommodation of students with disabilities.

Brett F. Roberts works in the Des Moines office and is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity and Public Companies Groups. Roberts advises business clients on a variety of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, compliance and general corporate governance. He has counseled public-company, private-equity and other clients in public and private M&A transactions. In addition to his M&A experience, Roberts has helped clients comply with securities laws and exchange rules, manage director and shareholder relationships, effect legal reorganizations and negotiate commercial contracts.

Debra A. Schneider works in the Minneapolis office and is a member of the Immigration and International Groups. Schneider provides advice on complex immigration matters to help employers and employees in their shared quest for work authorization and a long term future in the United States. Schneider has provided clear and well-researched advice to diverse businesses that has included large scale multi-national corporations, start-up companies, individual entrepreneurs, foreign investors, world-class scientists, professors, business executives, physicians and professional athletes and artists, among many others. She assists with business, family, naturalization and humanitarian immigration matters, as well immigration compliance, policy and global mobility.

David E. Winkler worked in the Minneapolis office and is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions, Securities and Private Equity Groups. Winkler’s mergers and acquisitions practice includes representation of private equity funds, public companies and private companies on all aspects of merger and acquisition transactions. He represents venture capital funds, angel investors and emerging growth companies in convertible note, SAFE, Series Seed, Series A and late stage financing transactions. Winkler’s securities practice focuses on private offerings and general securities law compliance. He assists both private companies and private investments funds with fundraising strategies and securities law compliance.

Fredrikson & Byron is a 275-attorney law firm based in Minneapolis, with offices in Bismarck, Des Moines, Fargo, St. Paul, Saltillo, Mexico, and Shanghai, China. Fredrikson & Byron has a reputation as the firm “where law and business meet”. Our attorneys bring business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking to work with clients, and operate as business advisors and strategic partners, as well as legal counselors. More information about the firm is available at www.fredlaw.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter @FredriksonLaw.