Across the country, downtown areas are trying to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. While those efforts are successful in some capacity, downtown building values have still been falling. More than 360 Twin Cities properties have loans maturing by end of 2024, valued at $2.66 billion, according to data from Bloomberg. Andrew Steil, a Minneapolis-based banking and finance lawyer at Winthrop & Weinstine, deals with distressed assets. He recently spoke to the Twin Cities Business Journal to give his take on what is going on.

It’s a topic that’s been on a lot of people’s minds. We have increasing interest rates coupled with tenancy issues, the return to work is not as robust in certain markets and certain types of properties, so as some of these loans reset and mature, rates are substantially higher, and just from a cash-flow standpoint, it’s very difficult. It’s something that a lot of lenders are looking at right now.

Read the full article here.

After the pandemic’s peak, nearly 20 major law firms with offices in downtown Minneapolis came together to collaborate on ways to revive downtown.  Tami Diehm, Winthrop & Weinstine’s President was recently interviewed by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal on her thoughts about downtown. She encourages her employees to spend more time engaging with downtown.

“As a business leader and the president of Winthrop & Weinstine, I feel an incredible responsibility to do my part to help make sure that downtown Minneapolis thrives.”

Read more about other Minneapolis law firms here.

Winthrop & Weinstine shareholder Gerry Fornwald was recently interviewed by Minnesota Lawyer about Minnesota’s legalization of recreational cannabis. Gerry, who works with a group that helped shape the state law, is looking forward to helping new cannabis-related businesses form, arrange financing, apply for licenses and navigate regulations including residency restrictions.

“This is the kind of thing that lawyers dream of,” Fornwald said. “It’s an industry that is sprouting out of nothing, and we get to be part of the fun of it from the start.”

Get to know Gerry and learn more about his drive for helping small business clients by reading the full article here (subscription required).

Winthrop & Weinstine announced that Andrew Steil and Jeffrey Peterson have joined the firm as Shareholders.

“Andrew and Jeff are talented lawyers who bring not only a wealth of knowledge, but also decades of experience as recognized leaders in their field” said Tami Diehm, President of Winthrop & Weinstine, in the press release. “The addition of this group is instrumental in helping our firm continue to provide high-caliber services to our clients.”

Read more here.

Winthrop & Weinstine was featured in an article in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal discussing the firm’s announcement to extend and expand its lease in Capella Tower.

The extension, Diehm said, represents the firm’s dedication in maintaining a solid downtown. “We were committed to downtown Minneapolis. I believe very firmly that a strong, vibrant downtown Minneapolis leads to a strong state. … It’s just important for our business community,” she said.  She continued, ““Unlike some of our peers, we are leaning into our real estate and actively trying to create that in-office experience that not only fosters collaboration and teamwork but provides a place for young lawyers to thrive and grow.

To read the full article, please click here.

In Minnesota’s Largest Law Firms, Women are Increasingly Being Chosen for Top Leadership Positions

Tami Diehm, the President of Winthrop and Weinstine, was recently showcased in a Twin Cities Business feature titled, “At the Center of Power.” The piece highlights the journeys of six prominent Minnesota-based law firm leaders, including Tami, and their paths to success in managing large firms.

After graduating from law school and clerking for Justice Russell Anderson at the Minnesota Supreme Court, Tami found her legal calling.

“He helped shape my whole view of the legal profession. You can be a lawyer and you can do legal work and charge clients, or you can be the type of lawyer that is going to contribute to the profession as a whole and to the people coming up underneath you.”

Read the full feature here.

Winthrop attorney Catherine “Trina” L. Sjoberg was recently named to Minnesota Lawyer’s POWER 30: Construction and Real Estate for 2023. POWER 30 highlights those whose mere presence on a case signifies the stakes, who have influenced the direction of the law, whose leadership in the community is pervasive and whose respect within the bar is undeniable.

Trina represents developers, owners, operators, investors and lenders in a broad range of real estate matters, including the sale, acquisition, financing and development of real estate. Her practice includes guiding the development of residential, commercial and mixed-use projects and master plan communities, including senior housing cooperatives.

Read more about POWER 30 and Trina’s feature here.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal held a panel discussion recently about women in commercial real estate.  Winthrop & Weinstine shareholder Katherine Johnson participated in the discussion, along with Cally Samson, director of operations at Hyde Development and Ann Franklin, vice president of SBA lending at Fidelity Bank. Sarah Anderson, president and CEO of BOMA Greater Minneapolis, served as moderator. The panel discussion explored topics such as how the commercial real estate industry has changed for women in the past 10 years, creative solutions used within commercial real estate transactions, and many other topics.

Read the article here.

Christianna Finnern was recently interviewed by Law360 regarding health benefits litigation. When the Ninth Circuit ruled that United Behavioral Health did not have to reprocess 67,000 patient claims, it gummed up proceedings in federal benefits lawsuits around the country, demonstrating the wide reach of both the appeals court’s decision and the patients’ pending push for rehearing.  “I do think it could have an impact on single-plaintiff cases,” Finnern said of the reprocessing ruling, adding that in her view, “I don’t think they really considered the practical reality of what it means to reprocess a claim.”

Read the full article here.