Minnesota Appellate Lawyers

Appellate Law

14300 Nicollet Ct, Burnsville, MN 55306, USA

John is an experienced litigator, specializing in high conflict or complex cases. He primarily takes cases in Dakota and Scott Counties. John represents clients in dissolution of marriage, paternity, custody, maintenance and child support proceedings. He has significant experience in the Court of Appeals. John is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the First District Bar Association, where he is past President and currently serves on the District Ethics Committee. He is also a member of the Dakota County Bar Association, where he serves on the Board of Directors and is the past President. Numerous recognitions have been awarded to John such as the Dakota County Heroes Award, Super Lawyer, the BV-distinguished rating, and Who’s Who in Family Law. He graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with majors in History and Political Science while also playing on the football team. John received his law degree from the Indiana University School of Law where he graduated cum laude. While there he competed in moot court competitions, receiving the highest score at the national level. He served as a law clerk at the Indiana Supreme Court before returning to Minnesota to join a group practice in 1992. Since then, he has established himself with the bench and bar in Dakota and Scott Counties after opening his private practice in 1994. He has written several articles and teaches continuing education courses to attorneys on a variety of family law topics. John has completed the Hawaii Ironman and the Boston Marathon. He enjoys coaching youth sports, particularly football and basketball.

Appellate Law

3600 American Blvd W suite 670, Bloomington, MN 55431, USA

Mark is an accomplished appellate attorney and commercial litigator. He has argued more than 150 appeals in state and federal courts in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and regularly consults clients at all stages of the appellate process. Mark also tries cases. He has tried 16 cases to jury verdict, including high-stakes commercial matters—winning all of them. Mark’s blend of trial and appellate expertise has earned him recognition in?The Best Lawyers in America?in both Commercial Litigation and Appellate Practice each year since 2019, and a place on the Minnesota Super Lawyers “Top 100” list since 2018. He was named a “Top Lawyer” by?Minnesota Monthly?in Commercial Litigation and Appellate Law in 2022, and again in 2025 Mark is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Attorneys, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the International Academy of Trial Attorneys. Beginning in 2013, the Minnesota Supreme Court appointed Mark to serve on the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure. Mark is also a contributing author of the Eighth Circuit Appellate Practice Manual. For the past 14 years, he has taught appellate advocacy at the University of St. Thomas Law School. In 2022, the school awarded Mark the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching. Mark also devotes a substantial amount of time to pro bono matters. He has been involved with the Innocence Project for many years, including winning post-conviction relief following a two-week evidentiary hearing for a client wrongly convicted of second-degree murder. Mark represented the same client before the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Supreme Court (and won). He then represented the client at his retrial (and won again), securing a not guilty verdict. The Great Northern Innocence Project recognized Mark as its volunteer of the year in 2022 and 2025. He is the only two-time recipient of that recognition.