Introduction

Jennifer is a shareholder in Fredrikson and Byron’s Property Tax Appeals group. 

In her property tax practice, Jennifer is experienced in the negotiation and trial of cases involving commercial property valuation, exemption and equalization issues with a focus on medical office properties, hospitals and clinics, single-user and multi-tenant office properties, industrial properties and department stores. 

Jennifer’s representation of taxpayers includes providing an initial analysis of a commercial property’s value and classification, including whether the property is overvalued and/or qualifies for tax exemption. Jennifer pursues tax refunds and future tax reductions through negotiations with county assessors and through trial before the Minnesota Tax Court.

Jennifer has helped her clients achieve significant tax savings through settlement before trial, including:

• Up to 60% exemption from property tax for a property owned and used by a public hospital;
• Tax savings of 38% to 44% in a single tax year for a group of small office buildings in a first-ring suburb;
• Tax savings of up to 25% in a single tax year for several mid-sized industrial properties;
• A 68% tax reduction over four years for a property subject to a conservation easement;
• Tax savings of approximately 22% for several multi-million dollar residential properties in western Hennepin County;
• On a pro bono basis, reduced a local cultural organization’s property tax bill by more than 50%, taking their annual budget into the black.

Jennifer was also part of a two-attorney trial team that has achieved significant successes in the Minnesota Tax Court, including several cases before the Minnesota Tax Court, and has argued motions and tried cases in Hennepin County District Court and the federal court for the District of Minnesota.

Education

• University of Wisconsin Law School, 2001 J.D., Order of the Coif
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998 B.A., with distinction

Bar Admissions

• Wisconsin, 2001
• Minnesota, 2002
• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2002
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2005
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2006

Practice Areas

• Litigation
• Property Tax Appeals

Professional Activities

• Member, Institute for Professionals in Taxation
• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Hennepin County Bar Association
• National Institute of Trial Advocacy Alumni Association

Community Involvement

• Volunteer Attorney, Children’s Law Center of Minnesota - Jennifer volunteers to serve as a personal attorney for children who are state wards in the foster care system. She currently works with three teenage girls, helping make their voices heard and choices respected by adults in the foster care and court systems.