Julie N. Nagorski, DeWitt LLP

Partner, DeWitt LLP

DeWitt LLP attorney Julie N. Nagorski practices a variety of real estate law including purchase and sale, construction defects, land use, drainage, and mechanics liens, to name a few. Her sense is that people are coming to a point of reflection about their property ownership since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coming out of the pandemic there was more activity by homebuyers. Some of those sales had inspections by Zoom or no inspections. The market was busy and some people made high offers, leading to buyer’s remorse. “I hope they pay attention, slow down, do their inspections and make well-thought-out deals,” she said.

What advice would you give a business to avoid legal complications in construction or real estate?

See my answer to the next question: Retain counsel at the beginning.

Without revealing the names of a client, what is the most interesting transaction you’ve worked on lately?

A successful businessperson sought to expand his investment portfolio into real estate and entered a number of deals that failed and then sought legal advice. We instituted suit and obtained preliminary injunctive relief restraining transfers of property by one of the parties, negotiated the acquisition of a loan secured by valuable real estate, put a receiver in place, assisted with the foreclosure of that mortgage, and negotiated a construction contract with a new builder, to assist the client in resurrecting his new line of business.

How do you manage work/life balance?

Managing work life balance became far easier for me when the nest emptied. Now, I spend substantial amounts of time with my aging father and my siblings who live in closer proximity to me. When my daughters come home from their lives afar, it is for shorter periods, and I focus almost exclusively on them. They are both adults and we are finding old and new fun activities to enjoy together — whether it is a game of cards or swing dancing lessons in St. Paul.

What is one thing you would change about Minnesota if you could?

Answering this question without mentioning the term “polar blast” does not seem reasonable. I would enjoy Minnesota more if temps stayed above about 20 degrees.