Introduction

Tim is of counsel in Fredrikson & Byron’s Energy, Renewable Energy, and Real Estate Groups. He has over twenty-five years of legal and management experience involving land, minerals, royalties, and financial assets. He has worked for or represented major oil companies, independents, leasing and land acquisition companies, individuals, and the State of North Dakota.

Tim’s current practice includes a variety of real estate matters relating to oil and gas exploration and production. He has extensive experience in mineral title examination, including the preparation of drilling, division order, mortgage and acquisition title opinions covering fee, federal, Indian, and state lands. He also assists clients in drafting mineral, leasehold and overriding royalty conveyances, stipulations, and other contracts relating to oil and gas exploration and production. Having examined title to hundreds of thousands of acres in North Dakota (as well as thousands more in Montana and South Dakota), Tim has probably “seen it all” in one form or another. So, he is frequently called on to assist clients or other lawyers with the messiest, most difficult or uniquely challenging issues. He enjoys digging into a question and problem-solving, and balances technical expertise with “real world” knowledge and a practical approach.

Tim also advises clients on a variety of matters relating to mineral and leasehold ownership of riparian lands, as well as title issues involving Indian trust minerals. His areas of expertise include a thorough understanding of probate law, with a particular emphasis on issues relating to ancillary probates of minerals held by non-residents, and the unique requirements involved when probate is delayed until many years after the death of an owner.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 1980, magna cum laude
• Concordia College, B.A., 1976, summa cum laude
• Golden Valley Lutheran College, A.A., 1974
• Yale Divinity School

Bar Admissions

• North Dakota, 1980
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 1981
• U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota, 1985

Practice Areas

• Energy
• Oil & Gas
• Renewable Energy
• Real Estate

Professional Activities

• Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, member
• North Dakota State Land Commissioner, 1985 to 1993

• Member, North Dakota State Investment Board, 1985 to 1993

• Director, Ag Mediation Division, N.D. Department of Agriculture, 1997 to 1998
• State Bar Association of North Dakota, including Real Property, Probate and Trust Section

Community Involvement

• Big Al’s Big Band and Bismarck Mandan Civic Chorus
• Executive Board, Bismarck Tobacco Free Coalition
• Past member, Boards of Directors: Western Cooperative Credit Union; Mental Health Association of ND; Upper Missouri Lutheran Bible Camp; Tri-county Advisory Board, Lutheran Social Services