2022 Unsung Legal Heroes: Caryn E. Anderson

Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.

Caryn Anderson once had a career in mind of becoming an elementary school teacher before she began student teaching.

Then she found out that teaching wasn’t her calling. The College of St. Benedict graduate enjoyed one-on-one relationships with children but “being in front of a class wasn’t my personality.” Then Anderson worked a summer for an aunt, an immigration attorney, and enjoyed the experience, especially the one-on-one relationship with clients and assisting with research for asylum cases.

Anderson decided law would be her career. She earned a paralegal certificate and began working for law firms in 2002. In 2014 Anderson joined Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A., bringing her expertise to the firm’s commercial lending practice.

“It sounds boring, but it’s not,” she said laughing. “It’s interesting to me. I like to see the depiction of the property, review the documents, and dig in and figure out what’s happening with the property.”

The deals include a wide range of commercial property, including multifamily developments, retail, office and industrial buildings. As a result, the contracts carry a wide range of issues that Anderson flags for attorneys and then she works with them to come up with solutions.

Anderson said the firm works all over the United States, and deal sizes carry a considerable range. Recently she closed a $100 million loan. The job stays interesting because she has to investigate real estate law not only in Minnesota but in other states. “There’s always something new to learn and issues to deal with,” she said.

In nominating her for this award, Winthrop & Weinstine managing associate Raha Assadi-Lamouki asked colleagues to comment on Anderson. They praised her ability to help get deals done, for excellent title and survey review, for collaborating with clients, for being a team player and managing a busy workload.

They also lauded her training of new associates, attorneys and paralegal staff. “Attorneys are not well-known for their showers of praise; that’s why the response I received from our team is so telling,” Assadi-Lamouki wrote.

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