The numbers behind W. Morgan Burns’ career are striking — more than 100 M&A transactions and more than 100 capital markets transactions spanning over 30 countries, with deal sizes ranging from under $100 million to more than $2 billion. A partner at Faegre Drinker, Burns advises public and private companies, boards of directors and investment banks on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions and corporate governance.

His M&A practice spans acquisitions and sales of public companies, private equity and venture-backed companies, family-owned enterprises and carveouts from large multinationals. In capital markets, Burns has served as primary counsel for IPO and follow-on equity offerings and high-yield and investment grade debt issuances, representing both issuers and investment banks in transactions denominated in multiple currencies. He also advises public company boards on fiduciary duties, SEC and stock exchange compliance and activism defense.

Burns brings firsthand business perspective to his practice, having served as a corporate development executive and as co-founder of a software company. He currently serves on the board of governors of the Children’s Theatre Company.

William M. Burns is a shareholder at Hanft Fride whose practice encompasses private and public financing of business enterprises, healthcare business issues, mergers and acquisitions, and general business advice. He also manages litigation and dispute resolution services and maintains an active real estate practice focused on multifamily and commercial real estate development. His clients include large and small businesses, banks, real estate developers, educational institutions and medical specialists.

Burns earned a Bachelor of Arts with distinction and a Juris Doctor cum laude, both from the University of Michigan, where he served as an editor of the University of Michigan Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He served as associate dean of the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and Arts from 1966 to 1968.

Active in his community, Burns has served as a trustee emeritus and former board chair of the College of St. Scholastica, former president of Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota, and former chairman of the United Way. He is a strong supporter of legal services for low-income individuals.

Christopher Carlisle is a partner at Taft where he focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and emerging company and venture finance. He is admitted to practice in Minnesota and North Dakota and earned his law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Carlisle represents a broad range of clients — from startups to publicly held enterprises — including founders, entrepreneurs, venture capital funds, and private equity firms across industries such as software, health care technology, consumer products, franchise, agriculture, and industrials.

His M&A experience spans domestic and international transactions, with clients based in the U.K., Canada, Italy, Belgium, and other EU and Pacific Rim jurisdictions. Notable representations include Drylock Technologies in its acquisition of Presto Absorbent Products, WellBeats in its sale to LifeSpeak, and ExperienceIT in its acquisition by Globant. He also provides ongoing M&A counsel to the world’s largest hearing aid retailer.

Tammera R. Diehm is a partner and firm president at Winthrop & Weinstine, where her legal practice focuses on real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, franchise transactions, campaign finance, and election law. She earned her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 2003, and holds a certificate in law firm leadership from Harvard Law School Executive Leadership. She is admitted to practice in Minnesota and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Diehm co-leads the firm’s downstream energy practice, representing gas and convenience store owners and fuel distributors on supply contracts, zoning, environmental compliance, and financing matters. Notable representations include the $85 million sale of Erickson Oil Products to CrossAmerica Partners LP and the acquisition of Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen and Grandy’s on behalf of Sentinel Capital Partners.

She previously served as city attorney for a first-ring suburb for eight years and served three terms as an elected city council member in Columbia Heights.

Katie Eisler is a partner and chair of the Corporate & Securities Group at Maslon LLP. Her practice centers on complex mergers and acquisitions, with additional work as outside general counsel on corporate governance, reorganizations, succession plans, technology-related agreements and commercial contracts. She also advises clients on data privacy, website policies, trademark management and day-to-day business operations.
Recent notable representations include serving as co-lead counsel in the acquisition of Epika Fleet Services, a nationwide network of commercial fleet services, by a private equity fund, and lead counsel in four subsequent Epika acquisitions. She also represented fourth-generation, family-owned retail insurance agency Dyste Williams of Minneapolis in its acquisition by Arthur J. Gallagher & Company. Additional work includes negotiating master supply and hosted services agreements with Tesla and Walmart on behalf of a payment terminal manufacturer.
Eisler co-authored the LexisNexis volume on Minnesota Business and Commercial Law and regularly presents continuing legal education seminars on M&A topics including earnouts, rollover equity and asset versus stock sales.

Jon Farnsworth has built his practice at the intersection of business transactions and emerging technology — a combination that has made him a trusted adviser for clients ranging from startups to established companies navigating multimillion-dollar deals. A partner at Spencer Fane LLP, Farnsworth assists clients with mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data privacy, and software and technology law across industries including medical devices, retail, health care, manufacturing and utilities.
His technology law practice includes advising clients on data breaches, cyber liability insurance and emerging digital risks, as well as counseling public and cooperative utilities on electrical and water smart grid installations. He serves clients across the full business lifecycle, from company formation through major transactions and market expansions.
Farnsworth served as the elected chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Computer and Technology Law Section, where he helped shape legal discourse on technology issues at a national level. He remains active as a vice chair and council member of that section and volunteers with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services and LegalCORPS.