J. Scott Andresen, partner at Bassford Remele, has built a practice spanning more than 25 years representing owners and contractors across the Midwest in construction and commercial matters. He has secured jury verdicts and arbitration awards in dozens of cases, including building design and defect claims, mechanic’s lien and payment disputes, delay and disruption claims, insurance coverage disputes and material warranty actions.

Andresen also serves as a mediator and private arbitrator in construction and real estate disputes and regularly testifies on construction law matters before the Minnesota State Legislature.

Beyond construction law, he represents businesses and individuals in complex commercial litigation, including contract actions, shareholder disputes, fraudulent transfer claims and class-action and multi-district tort matters.

Andresen is a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America and a master of the Douglas K. Amdahl Inn of Court. He serves as treasurer of the Minnesota State Bar Association Construction Law Section Council and co-chairs its Legislative Committee.

Fabyanske, Westra, Hart & Thomson Shareholder Mark R. Becker concentrates his practice in construction law and commercial litigation, with a particular focus on innovative early mediation methods that resolve complex, high-stakes disputes before significant litigation costs accrue. He employs early case evaluation, quantitative analysis and strategic planning to guide clients through construction overrun and delay disputes, defect claims, default and termination matters, and insurance coverage litigation.
Becker has significant experience in public procurement and public contracts, and brought the first Qui Tam whistleblower claim under the Minnesota False Claims Act, achieving a settlement that benefited more than 240 Minnesota public entities.
He is a fellow of both the American College of Construction Lawyers and the Construction Lawyers Society of America, and holds a Band 1 rating in construction from Chambers USA. He served as chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Construction Law Section in 2017 and serves as a director of the Minnesota Associated General Contractors.

Jennifer L. Carey is a shareholder at Hanft Fride where she concentrates her practice in real estate and estate planning, representing property owners, developers, lenders and associations in a broad range of transactions. Her real estate work includes property sales and purchases, lending, leasing, title matters and development, with particular experience in condominiums, townhomes, resorts and fractional ownership. Her estate planning practice encompasses wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advanced wealth transfer planning, business succession planning and probate and trust administration.

Carey is a certified real property law specialist through the Minnesota State Bar Association, where she serves on the Real Property Law Section Governing Council and co-chairs its Legislative Committee. She is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act committee.

Carey earned both her bachelor’s degree, with distinction, and her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She serves as board chair of the Miller-Dwan Foundation and is a former board member and chair of the Duluth-Superior Area Community Foundation.

Aaron A. Dean, partner at Spencer Fane LLP, has spent three decades representing clients in complex construction litigation, bid disputes, mechanic’s liens and OSHA matters in federal and state proceedings across 27 states. He has taken more than 100 cases to verdict, judgment or arbitration award and handled more than 550 OSHA investigations for contractors and manufacturers.

Recent successes include leading a team that secured a $5.196 million contract award for a Minnesota-based civil contractor to reconstruct a county highway near Northfield, and obtaining a $6.4 million contract award for a highway road reconstruction and utility installation project in Minnesota, both involving lowest-bidder disputes with MnDOT.

Dean serves as chapter attorney for the Minnesota Subcontractors Association, is a chartered fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America, and sits on the Construction Financial Management Board of Directors. He is an instructor for the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota’s Supervisory Training Program, has held leadership positions in the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Construction Law Section, and has presented at more than 100 construction and safety trade events.

Christine L. Eid is an attorney at Vantage Law Group, PLLC where she maintains a national commercial real estate practice focused on leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, development and joint ventures. Her work spans office, industrial and retail properties across multiple states.

Eid’s representative experience includes advising a national retailer on retail store and warehouse distribution leasing, representing a real estate investment firm in the acquisition and financing of industrial properties across seven states, counseling a national technology company on Minnesota data center development, and assisting a public entity with matters that included the redevelopment of the former downtown St. Paul Macy’s building into Treasure Island Center.

Earlier in her career, Eid captained the Division I cross-country team at the University of Minnesota. She earned her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota. She has been selected to the Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Stars list continuously since 2015.

John Holper, shareholder at Bassford Remele, is a construction and real estate litigator with 30 years of first-chair trial experience representing a broad range of industry participants, including owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, landlords, tenants, lenders, architects and engineers.
Holper’s practice focuses on matters involving substantial financial exposure, including complex construction defects, mechanic’s liens, insurance coverage, bond claims and governmental enforcement proceedings. His record includes substantial recoveries in construction defect cases, successful enforcement and defense of mechanic’s liens, favorable outcomes in performance and payment bond disputes, and wins at both trial and summary judgment in high-stakes commercial and real estate matters.
Beyond construction and real estate, Holper handles significant commercial disputes, including shareholder conflicts, creditor’s remedies and major contract actions. He also serves as a thought leader in Minnesota’s construction bar, regularly publishing on price escalation, industry trends and risk allocation, and presenting on mechanics’ liens, indemnification and dispute resolution strategies. He maintains active involvement in bar and industry organizations.