John M. Koneck

Unique among his real estate lawyer peers, John handles both complex real estate transactions, including sales, financings and leases, and complex real estate disputes and litigation, including contract disputes, foreclosures, workouts and bankruptcy.

John is a real estate lawyer. His goal is to help his clients obtain their business and personal objectives—in a transaction, that usually means closing a deal, and in a dispute, it usually means winning. John has represented clients in transactions across the United States, has tried cases in various state and federal courts, and has represented clients in arbitrations. He has handled real estate transactions and disputes involving commercial, industrial, and multi-family sales and acquisitions, brokerage agreements, commercial lease, tax and business planning, and construction and permanent real estate financing. He has substantial experience in bankruptcy and debtor/creditor law and has represented borrowers and lenders in real estate workouts, and debtors and secured parties in real estate bankruptcy cases. John also regularly counsels his real estate clients on the legal aspects of their business, disputes, and risk-management strategies. In addition, he spends significant time providing pro bono legal services to the disadvantaged in the areas of real estate, real estate disputes, debtor-creditor matters, and litigation generally.

For several years, John served as President of the Firm, and as a member of its Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Since stepping down as Firm President, John remains a shareholder in Fredrikson’s Real Estate Group and serves as the Firm’s Pro Bono Counsel.

John is certified as a Real Property Law Specialist by the Real Property Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. He is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. He frequently lectures and writes about real estate, real estate litigation and bankruptcy issues for professional groups, including lawyers, accountants, lenders and real estate professionals, and he has taught courses on real estate law for law students. He is listed in various Super Lawyer lists, Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America.

Transactions

• Currently represents a large multi-family developer/owner/operator/management company in the acquisition, financing, re-financing, leasing and sale of several projects in the Midwest and Southern United States.
• Represents a national build-to-suit developer in transactions in various parts of the United States, including the acquisition, financing, construction, leasing and selling of office, warehouse, retail and mixed use properties.

Transactions & Disputes

• After representing a minority owner of a large office and retail project in the successful, simultaneous work-out negotiations and litigation with the majority owners and lender, resulting in the minority owner gaining control of the project, currently represents the owner of the project and the leasing and management of approximately 300,000 square feet of office and retail space.
• Represented the owner of substantial waterfront property in successful sale of the property to multiple buyers, including negotiations, termination of a purchase agreement for non-performance and specific enforcement of a purchase agreement through litigation.

Disputes

• Represented a lender in workout negotiations, foreclosure of a mortgage on a large retail and multi-family residential mixed use property, and sale of the property, including successfully litigating the appointment of a receiver and obtaining relief from the automatic stay in bankruptcy proceedings.
• Represented retail and office developer in a $50 million dispute with national lender through three years of foreclosure, receivership and lender liability litigation, ultimately resulting in the developer re-financing and paying the lender to release its claims several million dollars less than the debt and less than the developer offered the lender before litigation commenced.
• Represented a residential and mixed-use land developer in simultaneous workout negotiations with eight different lenders, including successful re-structuring or forgiveness of debt with six lenders, and substantial litigation in trial and appellate courts with the other lenders. Ultimately, the developer successfully retained ownership of several projects.

Education

• Yale Law School, J.D., 1978
• North Dakota State University, B.S., 1975, with honors

Admissions

• North Dakota, 1978
• Minnesota, 1979
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1979
• U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, 1980
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1984

Clerkships

• Clerk, Honorable Robert Vogel, North Dakota Supreme Court, 1978
• Clerk, Honorable Gerald W. Vande Walle, North Dakota Supreme Court, 1978-79

• Minnesota ICON Award, Minnesota Lawyer and Finance & Commerce, 2024
• Certified as a Real Property Law Specialist by the Real Property Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association
• Member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (membership by invitation only)
• Member of the American College of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys (membership by invitation only)
• Minnesota State Bar Association Real Property Section, Distinguished Service Award 2023
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Pro Bono Publico Distinguished Service Award, 2015
• Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board, Volunteer of the Year Award, 2004
• REDA Star Award, 2005
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2014-2024 (pro bono service)
• Top Lawyer – Litigation: Real Estate, Minnesota Monthly, 2024
• Best Lawyers in America, 1999-2025
• Lawyer of the Year in Minneapolis for Litigation - Real Estate, Best Lawyers, 2013, 2018, 2020, 2024
• Minnesota Super Lawyers, Real Estate, 1994, 1997-1998, 2001-2024
• Top 10: Minnesota Super Lawyers, 2006-2007, 2009, 2017-2022
• Top 100: Minnesota Super Lawyers, 2003-2024
• Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Minnesota — Band 1 - Real Estate, 2004-2024
• Minnesota 500, The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Minnesota, Minnesota Monthly, 2018, 2021-2022
• Minnesota LawyerPOWER 30: Real Estate and Construction Law, 2021, 2022
• 200 Minnesotans You Should Know, Twin Cities Business, 2011
• Phi Kappa Phi

Professional Activities

Law Firm Leadership at Fredrikson & Byron

• 18 years as President (2004-2023)
• 25 years on Executive Committee
• 29 years on Board of Directors
• 30 years on Compensation Committee
• 18 years as Firm’s Ethics and Conflicts counsel

Service to Minnesota State Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, and American Bar Association

• Minnesota State Bar Association, Member, Real Property Section and Bankruptcy Section
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Real Property Section Certification Council, Member, 1990-2016; Co-Chair, 2000-2016
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Real Property Section, Chair Pro Bono Committee
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Real Property Section, Governing Council Member, 2000-2016
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
• Real Estate Litigation and Dispute Resolution Committee, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, American Bar Association, Member, 1991-present, and, at various times, Chief Newsletter Editor, Vice-Chairperson, and Chairperson
• State Bar Association of North Dakota, Member
• American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Fellow
• American College of Mortgage Attorneys, Fellow

Service to the Legal Profession

• Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners, Minnesota Supreme Court, Member 2012-present; President, 2020-present
• Minnesota Board of Legal Certification, Supreme Court of Minnesota, Member, 1994-1999; Chair, 1996-1999
• Fourth Judicial District (Hennepin County) Ethics Committee, Investigator, 1994-2000
• Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, Probation Supervisor, 1998-2005
• Mitchell Hamline School of Law (formerly William Mitchell School of Law), Adjunct Professor, 1998-2010
• Speaker/author in 132 Continuing Legal Education Courses
  • 58 courses for Minnesota CLE
  • 9 courses for Hennepin County Bar Association CLE
  • 6 courses for the American Bar Association
  • 59 private CLE providers and professional groups

Community Service

• Volunteer Lawyers Network, Member
• The Advocates for Human Rights, Board Member
• Riverview Economic Development Association (mission to enhance the quality of life on St. Paul’s west side, the District Del Sol area, by cultivating a sustainable and vibrant business community), Outside General Counsel, 2000-2007
• St. Paul Riverfront Corporation (mission to elevate St. Paul’s quality of life and to stimulate economic vitality by championing innovative, sustainable urban design principles for the City and its river valley, and by engaging the community), Board Member, 2008-2018; Treasurer, 2013-2016; Board Chair, 2017-2018
• Meet Minneapolis (formerly the Convention and Visitors Association, which promotes the Minneapolis Community as a viable convention site and visitor destination), Board Member, 2014-2019.
• Summit Academy (educational organization that provides a transformative education experience for students who learn differently by cultivating each student’s academic, social and emotional success in a vibrant and compassionate environment), Board Member, 2013-2017
• Minnesota Business Partnership (an organization of more than 110 CEOs and senior executives from Minnesota’s largest employers whose mission is to maintain a high quality of life for all Minnesotans by ensuring that the State’s economy remains strong and globally competitive), Board Member, 2005-2023