joe lawder
Lawder Law is founded upon a pure commitment to serving clients’ interests. This is a better way to deliver advice and advocacy that is built upon decades of experience. Representation does not have to be disaffected by billable hour quotas and inefficient staffing. It can be forged by trust and skill.
Joe Lawder practices a broad spectrum of litigation including general commercial litigation and contract disputes, creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, real estate, insurance defense and coverage, employment, civil rights, tort and fraud litigation, class action, personal injury, and aviation law.
Credentials
Board Certified Real Property Specialist
C.P.A. Certificate (inactive)
experience
Joe was a partner at Lindquist & Vennum, LLP and left to strike out on his own in 2017 after ten years with that prestigious firm. His practice involved litigation and transactional work for financial institutions, fiduciaries, property and business owners. Highlights include:
Representing Petters bankruptcy Trustee responsible for unwinding the multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme and pursuing claw-back claims to recover money for the bankruptcy estate.
Pursuing complex post-judgment remedies on behalf of judgment creditors collecting multi-million dollar judgments by uncovering hidden assets, piercing the corporate veil and retrieving fraudulent transfers.
Led litigation team defending real estate developer in $16 million construction defect claim involving 12 building condominium complex and obtained favorable settlement after surgical use of summary judgment to shift liability to other parties in case.
Representing trustees, personal representatives and beneficiaries in several disputes over estate planning instruments, will contests and claims of breach of fiduciary duty in estates and trusts of all sizes.
Negotiation, drafting and dispute resolution involving collection, foreclosure, workout, restructuring, lender liability, leases, sale transactions, mechanics’ liens, mortgage loans/priority disputes, security interests, guaranties, receiverships, equity stripping, participated loans, zoning, land use, condemnation, evictions.
From 1996 to 2007, for three years as an associate and thereafter as an equity partner at Rider Bennett, LLP, Joe developed a general litigation practice emphasizing business, real estate and insurance related disputes.
Trials, appeals, arbitrations and mediations, on behalf of numerous lenders and property owners through title insurance defense.
Depositions, expert selection and preparation, motion preparation and argument and case development for insured defendants and commercial litigation clients in large volume of defense work.
Litigated several aviation accident cases, including trial verdicts for passenger hearing loss, and the FAA for runway collision; and a major settlement against the FAA for weather-related general aviation crash; pursued class-action to obtain benefits for air-tanker pilots under PSOBA.
Joe was appointed as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri from 1993 to 1996, representing state agencies and employees in civil matters involving employment, civil rights, torts, contract, governmental regulation, class action and anti-trust litigation.
Instrumental in developing anti-trust theories influential to persuade NFL to allow Rams to move to St. Louis.
Defended class action brought by Missouri inmates relating to correctional facility conditions.
Missouri Court of Appeals: Judicial Clerk from 1992 to 1993 for state appellate judge.
St. Louis City Attorney: Student prosecutor in 1991 solely responsible for handling criminal dockets for city ordinance violations.
GE Capital: From 1988 to 1989, before going to law school, Joe was a financial analyst in its Corporate Finance Group.
Pro Bono/Community
Joe serves as a Conciliation Court Referee in Dakota County, Minnesota, where he resides. Joe hears cases quarterly as a small claims court judge.
Joe previously served as an adjunct professor for University of St. Thomas School of Business teaching Business Law.
Education
St. Louis University, J.D., 1992, cum laude
Marquette University, B.S., Accounting, 1988
Bar Admissions
Active member in good standing, without any disciplinary action or any ethical complaints for the following courts:
Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Missouri
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. District Court and Bankruptcy Court, District of Minnesota
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
Memberships
American Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Building Owners and Managers Association
Experimental Aircraft Association