Four Fredrikson Attorneys Named Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer

Fredrikson attorneys Alethea (Leah) M. Huyser, Nathan D. Converse, Pari I. McGarraugh and Karen G. Schanfield were named Attorneys of the Year for 2025 by Minnesota Lawyer. They will be honored during an awards program in Minneapolis on February 5, 2026.

Huyser and Converse, along with attorney Kevin C. Riach from the Law Firm of Kevin C. Riach, are honored as a team for their work on State of Minnesota v. Schierholz and Associates, Inc., and Paul Milton Schierholz for which they received a successful and precedent-setting jury verdict following a nearly two-week civil trial.

McGarraugh, Schanfield and Riach, along with attorneys Teresa Nelson of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, and Edward Schwartz of Reed Smith LLP, are honored as a team for their pro bono work on Goyette et al. v. City of Minneapolis et al. The litigation is nationally recognized for its profound impact on civil liberties and the First Amendment.

At the core of State of Minnesota v. Schierholz and Associates, Inc., and Paul Milton Schierholz was a mobile home park with aging private infrastructure that provided low-income housing. Due to efforts to keep costs and rent low, profits from the park were insufficient to pay for the repairs needed. The state sued, alleging violations of statutes regarding infrastructure, late fees and more. After a multi-million dollar, six-year investigation by the State of Minnesota and a two-week trial, the jury found for the defendants on 11 out of 12 claims. A judicial order awarded $981,273 in fees and costs to the defense.

"The verdict was a significant outcome and vindication of our client who had been publicly maligned as a result of the investigation and case," Huyser said. "The victory was also an important win for landlord and property rights in the state."

Filed in June 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Goyette et al. v. City of Minneapolis et al. challenged the unconstitutional targeting of journalists by law enforcement during protests. Throughout years of litigation, the legal team secured policy reforms restricting law enforcement from arresting or assaulting members of the press and monetary settlements totaling more than $1.7 million.

"This case reinforced the First Amendment, affirming journalists have a constitutional right to report on public demonstrations without fear of retaliation," McGarraugh said. "Beyond monetary relief, the settlements mandated systemic reforms within law enforcement agencies and influenced best practices for policing protests."

Fredrikson & Byron is a leading Midwest law firm working collaboratively to help businesses achieve their goals regionally, nationally and globally. With a reputation as the firm “where law and business meet,” our attorneys bring business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking to work with clients and operate as business advisors and strategic partners as well as legal counselors. The firm’s 400+ attorneys are based in Minneapolis, with offices in Ames, Bismarck, Des Moines, Fargo, Madison, Mankato, St. Paul, Saltillo, Mexico, and Shanghai, China. Learn more at fredlaw.com or LinkedIn.