Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC and award-winning design and build firm College City Homes and Remodeling are again partnering to present Moisture Intrusion seminars for homeowners in 2009. These highly popular, free seminars provide homeowners and prospective home buyers with information on identifying and resolving moisture intrusion issues - including the home investigation process, remediation, and the legal rights and responsibilites of homeowners. Real estate and building professionals are

Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts

Here's a great technique used to transfer wealth in an advantageous and unique way: gifting an asset's appreciation while keeping its income. An Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT) is an irrevocable trust designed for the benefit of your children and future descendants.

How Does a Defective Trust Work?

Typically, the trust maker sets up an irrevocable trust. The trust is drafted so that the trust maker retains enough control to cause it t

Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC is pleased to announce that firm partner Lee R. Bissonette has been certified as a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Lee is presently a Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements.

Less than 1% of U.S. lawyers a

Does North Dakota law protect those who provide horse boarding, training, and riding services from liability for injuries sustained by their customers?

Yes. North Dakota's equine activity statute generally shields "equine activity sponsors" and "equine professionals" from liability for bodily injuries sustained by participants during equine activities.

An equine activity sponsor or an equine professional is not liable for an injury to or the death of a participant engaged in an equine ac

Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC is pleased to announce that Mark E. Rath and Carol R.M. Moss have joined the firm's Litigation Practice Group.

Mark Rath concentrates his practice in the areas of insurance defense, municipal defense litigation and commercial litigation. He is licensed to practice law in the state courts of Minnesota and Michigan, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Tribal Court f

Recognized Among Top 2.5% Attorneys in State

Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC today announced that Minnesota Law & Politics magazine has named five firm attorneys to the 2009 Minnesota Rising Star^® list. The attorneys will be recognized in the December 2008 issues of Minnesota Law & Politics, Twin Cities Business and Mpls/St.Paul Magazine.

The attorneys named to the 2009 Rising Star list are:

Matthew J. Franken / General Litigation, Construction Litigation, Real Estate

The Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) prohibit discrimination against some protected classes, such as disabled individuals. Normally, a residential housing provider is required to make reasonable accommodations in its policies, procedures and practices to afford a disabled individual with an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. These acts have been held to apply to community associations.

In the context of pet and animal restrictions, an a

In a previous article, we discussed use of electronic communications to conduct business of associations governed by Minnesota Statutes Chapter 515B, the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act (MCIOA). (See our Spring 2008 newsletter.) As that article indicated, boards acting on behalf of associations governed by MCIOA are required to have open board meetings except when the discussion involves certain sensitive matters (as enumerated in MCIOA).

Not all associations, of course, are gove

What is a Pet Trust? Would it allow me to include my horses in a will?

Generally speaking, one cannot directly will property to an animal. However, this does not necessarily mean that you cannot provide for your horses or other animals in the event that they outlive you. Many States have expressly recognized the validity of "Pet Trusts" where the animal's owner establishes a formal trust for the care of the animal after the owner’s death. For example, the Uniform Trust Act - which has

Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC is pleased to announce that John J. Steffenhagen has joined the firm as a partner.

Steffenhagen has more than 20 years experience representing corporations, other business entities and individuals in litigation ranging from employment disputes to complex multi-party litigation involving real property, commercial and environmental matters. He also assists clients on a wide variety of day-to-day employment matters affecting their business operations.

"John enjoys