Jessica D. Manivasager

Jessica assists start-up and small business entities to protect their valuable intellectual property assets while achieving their goals through creative corporate and tax planning strategies.

Jessica is a shareholder of Fredrikson and a member of its Business & Tax Planning, Nonprofit & Tax Exempt Organizations, and Internet, Technology & E-Commerce groups. Jessica supports many businesses in the role of general counsel, and deals with issues relating to choice of entity in entity formation, business ownership and disputes and the purchase and sale of businesses.

As the Chair of the Nonprofit and Tax-Exempt Organizations Group at Fredrikson, Jessica also addresses a wide range of issues for nonprofit and tax-exempt entity clients. She assists in all stages of a nonprofit entity’s lifespan, from corporate formation and obtaining tax exempt status, resolving federal and state law compliance issues, to guiding nonprofit clients through winding-up and dissolving the entity. She has specific experience dealing with mergers and acquisitions of nonprofit entities, and counseling nonprofit directors and officers with regard to complying with fiduciary duties in the context of a merger or acquisition of the entity that they serve. She works with clients to structure non-profit/for-profit joint ventures and works regularly with non-profits doing international work.

In her work with the Internet, Technology & E-Commerce Group, Jessica concentrates on copyright protection and registration for a variety of works, including technology-based works such as online works and computer programs, as well as more “traditional” works, such as books, scripts, art and musical arrangements. She provides advice and drafts agreements relating to the transfer of intellectual property assets in transactions and provides advice in negotiating publishing and licensing agreements.

Education

• Temple University Beasley Law School, J.D., 1999
• University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1993, Japanese and Sociology, with distinction

Admissions

• Minnesota, 1999

• Best Lawyers in America, Tax Law, 2022-2025; Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), 2023-2025; Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, 2025
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association

Professional Activities

• Frequent presenter on choice of entity, closely-held business entity and tax-exempt entity at Minnesota State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education and National Business Institute seminars
• American Bar Association, Member
• Minnesota Bar Association, Member
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Member
• William Mitchell College of Law, Adjunct Business Practicum Professor, Spring and Fall, 2008; Spring 2009; and Spring 2010 Semesters
• Afghanistan Transitional Commercial Law Project, Advisor on Partnership Law to The Afghan Transitional Administration, 2002-2004
• United States Department of State Program, Presenter on Intellectual Property Issues in Almaty, Kazakhstan, October 2002