Minnesota Lawyer
Fredrikson & Byron P.A.
We don’t know what the office landscape will be like in downtown Minneapolis a few years after the pandemic, but right now there is plenty of construction going on. Commercial office leasing downtown slowed some during the pandemic, although it has picked up in the suburbs, said Alyssa Troje of Fredrikson & Byron. Warehouse space is also popular right now.
“Probably a lot of businesses are taking a look at how they do business,” she said. Their answers to those questions will be an important consideration for downtown Minneapolis post-pandemic, Troje said. “Come back downtown. There’s a lot going on,” she said
Some must be confident about the future of downtown, judging by Minneapolis’ road and utility construction as well as private projects.
Troje’s practice is largely transactional work — commercial leasing and sales. She does some real estate litigation and finds it rewarding, but she prefers to be a problem solver for clients. That’s what clients want, and it allows for a flexible schedule, which is important to the mother of three daughters.
Connecting with other lawyers never ceases to be important. Troje has written articles about breaking into the real property practice and giving important “get started” advice to new lawyers. At first, try for exposure to many different aspects of real property law, and find out what you’re curious about. The field is huge and it’s easy to be overwhelmed, Troje said.
Another important thing to do is ask for help, be it from a title examiner, another lawyer or a formal mentor. “Other real estate lawyers are extremely generous with using their time to talk through issues,” she said.
