Minnesota Lawyer
Anne Marie Solberg
The Opus Group has announced a promotion and new hire within its legal department.
The Minneapolis-based construction and design company has promoted Anne Marie Solberg to senior associate general counsel, and Shanna Strowbridge joined the company as associate general counsel.
Solberg has 27 years of experience in real estate and construction law, serving Opus’ business teams for more than 12 years. She earned a law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota.
“Anne Marie is a trusted team member and adviser who has taken on more responsibilities over the last few years and has assumed a greater leadership role within our department,” Opus vice president and general counsel Tom Hoben said in a press release. “I look forward to her continued leadership in this new role.”
Strowbridge has been a real estate and construction lawyer in the Minneapolis market for more than 22 years with extensive experience as both outside and in-house counsel. She previously led the legal team at Schafer Richardson and served as associate general counsel with CSM Corporation. She has a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and a bachelor’s degree in History and English from the University of Minnesota.
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Daniel L. Bruzzone
Merchant & Gould P.C., a national intellectual property law firm, announces that Daniel L. Bruzzone joined as a partner on May 31, in the Electrical Practice Group.
Bruzzone brings more than a decade of experience in patent development, drafting, patent prosecution, filing strategy, and trademark litigation strategy. He deepens the firm’s impact with his technical background in the following industries: medical devices, pharmaceutical, semiconductors, consumer products, optical systems, networks, software, and data security.
“As a skilled and passionate attorney, Dan is an excellent addition to Merchant & Gould. He brings relevant experience to a variety of innovative industries, guiding clients through complex situations and giving them strategic counseling. We are excited to have Dan join us,” said Christopher J. Leonard, CEO and Managing Director, Merchant & Gould.
As a physicist and engineer, Bruzzone launched his interest in patent law while working in product development at 3M from 2005 to 2011. After that, he graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minneapolis and began work as an attorney in Minneapolis.
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Kristyn Anderson
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has nominated Kristyn Anderson to serve as Minneapolis city attorney. Anderson brings decades of leadership in civil service and a strong background in areas of law unique to government. Anderson presently serves as general counsel, enterprise employment law counsel, and state ethics officer at the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget. She previously served in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office as assistant attorney general, supporting the Civil Litigation Division.
“Kristyn Anderson has fought for the public good and effectively served the people of Minnesota throughout her exceptional legal career,” said Frey. “Her decades of experience with government law have earned her the reputation as a brilliant legal mind. Her commitment to justice and love for Minneapolis makes her the right person to be our City Attorney.”
Frey convened a city attorney search committee in late May, bringing together a diverse group of volunteers with decades worth of legal expertise and public service backgrounds. The mayor’s nomination will be submitted to the full City Council at its meeting on Thursday, Aug. 18 for consideration and referral to the relevant committee. Under the new government structure, the length of charter department head terms is four years.
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Jeffer Ali (left) and Daidre Burgess
Minneapolis-based intellectual property law firm Patterson Thuente IP has added two well-respected partners to the firm’s management team. Attorneys Jeffer Ali and Daidre Burgess were named principals, effective this month.
Litigation Practice chair and the newest to the team, Ali has nearly 30 years of litigation experience.
Starting her law career at Patterson Thuente in 2005 as a law clerk, Burgess is a respected leader in the firm’s patent prosecution practice.
“Our business is growing and changing. Coming out of the pandemic, that fact is more apparent than ever. We wanted to add fresh perspective at the top to help focus our vision relative to client service, practice offerings, technology, and culture,” said Tom Dickson, CEO and Managing Partner of Patterson Thuente IP. “Both of these outstanding attorneys are respected by our clients and their colleagues. As Principals, they will help our firm remain a strong player into the future.”
Burgess left an engineering role at 3M to pursue law school and started her career in patent law at Patterson Thuente IP. Burgess received her J.D. from the William Mitchell College of Law and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
With key additions over the last year, Ali has succeeded in advancing Patterson Thuente’s litigation team and positioning the firm’s practice for future growth. Ali received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and a Doctor of Pharmacy and a bachelor’s from the University of Michigan.
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