People & Practices: July 7, 2023

Vedder president of Matrimonial Lawyers Minnesota chapter

James J. Vedder, shareholder and family law attorney at Moss & Barnett, A Professional Association, was elected president of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML‑MN). Vedder’s term as president began on June 7, and will run for two years. Vedder previously served as president-elect in 2021-2023.

AAML-MN helps to educate Minnesota family lawyers, propose legislation on important family law initiatives, and discuss up and coming trends in the law.

Vedder has significant trial and settlement experience in complex marital dissolution matters, including the division of marital and nonmarital assets, the division of closely held businesses, spousal maintenance, child support, and custody issues. He regularly advises in the areas of antenuptial, prenuptial, and postnuptial agreements; business valuation litigation; complex litigation and the settlement of marital and nonmarital assets; complex nonmarital tracing; spousal maintenance and child support; custody settlement and litigation; settlement negotiations; and appeals.

Vedder serves on Moss & Barnett’s Board of Directors. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor and has taught numerous classes and seminars on various family law topics. Vedder received his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Hanson named chair of MSBA Professional Regulation Committee

Fredrikson Conflicts and Ethics Counsel Cassie Hanson has been appointed chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Professional Regulation Committee. The Professional Regulation Committee studies and recommends changes or comments (including those proposed by other entities) to the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rules on Lawyers Professional Responsibility, Rules for Bar Admission, Client Security Board, or policies or administration of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, the Lawyers Board and the Board of Law Examiners.

Hanson is a legal ethics lawyer with substantial experience in the field of ethics and professional responsibility. For 20 years, she worked as a senior litigator and adviser at the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

Hanson is an experienced trial attorney and appellate advocate who regularly argued complex attorney discipline cases in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court. She has advised various government agencies, law firms and other stakeholders on legal ethics and professional responsibility.

Employment attorney Nicole Faulkner returns to Stinson

Nicole Faulkner has returned to Stinson LLP in its Minneapolis office as partner in the Labor, Employment & Benefits (LEEB) Practice Division.

Faulkner advises clients on the full range of labor and employment issues, including collective bargaining negotiations, labor organizing campaigns and elections, labor arbitration, wage and hour, disability/family leave management and reasonable accommodations, discrimination and harassment, and complex internal investigations, among others. She works with both unionized and nonunionized employers on traditional labor issues, emphasizing positive employee relations with her clients and drawing on her own prior management experience to give practical day-to-day guidance.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to Stinson,” Faulkner said. “I look forward to providing high quality legal counseling and services to clients as well as further establishing and strengthening long-term personal connections and collaborating with attorneys, some of whom mentored me from the start of my legal career.”

Faulkner also counsels and litigates on behalf of clients facing issues involving the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

Faulkner, who started at Stinson as a summer associate in 2014, then joined the firm as an associate from September 2015 to June 2022, most recently served as senior counsel and director with United Natural Foods Inc.

People & Practices is a lightly edited compilations of news releases from law firms and other organizations. Minnesota Lawyer welcomes news about hires, promotions and other activities in the legal profession. Send releases (and photos if desired) to [email protected].