Employment attorney Brent Benrud brings extensive experience and a welcome perspective.

Partner Brent Benrud is a master at presenting his clients’ circumstances in a persuasive story —
a story designed to make clear what has happened to them and how their legal rights must be respected.
As chair of the Firm’s Employment Practice Group, Brent is a leader with decades of litigation
experience and a depth of knowledge that he brings to his practice and the work of the employment
attorneys in his practice group.

Before coming to the Firm, Brent was an associate general counsel at the University of Minnesota,
where he worked primarily in the areas of labor and employment law and litigation. He litigated
employment cases in federal and state courts and agencies and honed his expertise in many areas,
including dispute resolution, Title IX, workplace investigations, academic research protections,
employment contracts, and compliance with federal and state employment laws.

As a plaintiffs’ employment attorney at Halunen Law, Brent serves his clients well through the
depth of his experience and ability to navigate complex legal matters and negotiate them to
successful conclusions. His broad understanding of employment issues from both the employee
and employer sides, gives him a distinct perspective from which to be a highly effective advocate
for employees. His leadership skills, experience, and expertise also enhance the work of the entire
Halunen employment practice group.

A gifted vocalist, Brent considered becoming a professional opera singer after college, but he was
also passionate about his political science studies. At this crossroad, he became an attorney,
finding courtroom litigation an appealing form of performance and appreciating the intersectionality
of politics and law. His instincts launched the multifaceted career that landed him at Halunen Law,
following a stint practicing employment law in Milwaukee, time at a boutique firm practicing
employment and education law in Denver, and nearly two decades at the University of Minnesota.

Outside of work, Brent sustains his love of music in new ways. An occasional “thrifter,” he has
purchased and restored vintage accordions and stereo equipment. He’s also an avid cyclist and is
training for future multi-day, long-distance rides. With their daughter now in college, Brent and
his wife are adjusting to the “empty nest” and enjoying time at their Minnesota lake home.