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- Mark W. Vyvyan
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Mark W. Vyvyan
Shareholder
Email: mvyvyan@fredlaw.com
Office: 612.492.7005
Mobile: 612.209.6375
Assistant: Julie Ciesynski, 612.492.7513
PRIMARY SERVICES
Litigation
Real Estate Litigation
Banking & Financial Services Litigation
Construction
ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE
“I thrive on the challenge of winning the tough cases.”
Overview
Experience
Articles & Presentations
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Honors & Education
Professional Activities
Overview
Mark is a litigator, known for winning important cases for his clients in areas like commercial landlord-tenant disputes, complex foreclosures, construction disputes, oil and gas litigation, and significant boundary and easement disputes.
Although Mark is a litigator and focuses his practice on real estate disputes, he also has experience handling real estate transactions, which makes him a more effective litigator. Mark has tried cases for both plaintiffs and defendants in states across the Upper Midwest. Mark also mediates real estate-related matters, including residential and commercial construction disputes, commercial landlord-tenant matters and boundary and easement disputes. Mark is well-known for his hard work, responsiveness and expertise in achieving great results for his clients.
Experience
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
- Mark and his team represented a well-known Minnesota nonprofit corporation in a dispute with a national telecommunications company. After nearly two years of litigation, and substantial discovery and motion practice, the court adopted Mark’s arguments and granted his client’s motion for partial summary judgment. Soon thereafter, with most of the key issues decided, the case settled on terms very favorable to Mark’s client.
- Mark and his team represented a townhome builder that was the target of a construction defect lawsuit brought by the project’s homeowners association. The association sought over $2 million in damages. Mark successfully argued for dismissal of the case on summary judgment. With its claims dismissed by the trial court, and facing the prospect of an award of attorneys’ fees against it, the association agreed to waive its appeal rights.
- Mark defended a golf course against a suit brought by its landlord seeking to evict the course from its leased premises and recover a judgment in excess of $2 million. After a five day trial in this “bet the company” case, Mark’s client prevailed on all claims and was awarded attorneys’ fees.
- Mark represented a local company in a suit to collect a significant amount of rent from its commercial tenant who vacated its premises claiming to have been unlawfully forced out. After a two day trial, the jury rejected the tenant’s claims and awarded Mark’s client every dime it had asked for.
- Another of Mark’s clients was the target of a claim that it had breached a purchase agreement to sell land for a major townhome development. The plaintiff sought damages from Mark’s client in excess of $6 million. After a three day trial, the court ruled for Mark’s client on all counts and awarded the opposition nothing.
- Mark represented an owner in a construction dispute in North Dakota. After a two-day trial, the jury found for Mark’s client and awarded the opposition nothing.
Articles & Presentations
Should We Lower Our Voices? The Misunderstood Covenant of Quiet Enjoyment
May 20, 2020
Landlords and tenants are familiar with the term “covenant of quiet enjoyment,” but they often misunderstand the meaning of that covenant.
Who Was This Torrens Guy? And What Does He Have to Do With My Property?
May 11, 2020
Minnesota landowners may have heard the term “torrens” when dealing with title to their property, but most are unsure of the term’s meaning or its origin.
Where Does the Oil Go? Cushing and Contango
April 28, 2020
On April 20, 2020, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil dropped to a historic low of negative $37 per barrel.
Is Possession Really Nine-Tenths of the Law?
April 20, 2020
We have all heard that “possession is nine-tenths of the law,” but is that true?
What Are Road Restrictions Anyway?
April 13, 2020
Many Minnesotans know that “maximum load per axle” signs have something to do with road restrictions, but most Minnesotans don’t have an understanding of what the phrase actually means.
Home on the Range: A Look at the Open Range Doctrine in North Dakota
April 9, 2020
The current pandemic has provided an opportunity for many of us to watch old movies. In the 1955 Western film “Man Without a Star,” Kirk Douglas’ character risked his life to preserve the barbed-wire fences he installed across the open prairie of the American West. It seems hard for many of us to believe now, but in the late 19th Century, the fencing of open range was a matter of paramount importance. Even today, North Dakota’s laws reflect the tension between allowing livestock to roam freely and keeping them confined to their owner’s property.
Springtime Water Issues in Minnesota
March 16, 2020
Minnesotans often have questions about their legal rights and responsibilities in dealing with water and the damage it can cause their homes and other real property.
Would-Be Lumberjacks – A Look at Tree-Related Disputes
June 13, 2017
When it comes to trees, Minnesota law allows neighbors to take the law into their own hands under the right circumstances.
New Law Seeks to Lessen Condominium Construction Defect Claims
June 2, 2017
Governor Dayton has signed into law House Bill 1538, which adds additional requirements for condominium and townhome homeowners associations wishing to bring construction defect claims against developers.
Real Estate Considerations for Managing the OREO on Your Books
June 2, 2014
Following the “Great Recession” of 2008 and 2009, banks were forced to foreclose on a number of mortgages granted to defaulting borrowers. As a result, banks’ portfolios of “other real estate owned” grew significantly. Although the economy is recovering, these OREO properties continue to demand significant attention. While there are many regulatory issues related to OREO properties, this article will focus on some of the real estate related considerations for managing your OREO.
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
- Presenter, “Minnesota Workouts and Foreclosures,” Fredrikson & Byron Webinar, June 23, 2020
- Presenter, “Minnesota Workouts and Foreclosures,” Hennepin County Bar Association Webinar, May 14, 2020
- Presenter, “Advising the Disadvantaged – Residential Eviction Defense,” Minnesota CLE, March 19, 2012, February 26, 2013, February 19, 2014, February 4, 2015, March 7, 2016, March 29, 2017, March 20, 2018, March 12, 2019 and March 19, 2020
- Co-Presenter, “Construction Defects & Disputes – Warranties, Right to Inspect & Repair, and Preserving Evidence,” Minnesota CLE, October 31, 2019
- Presenter, “Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? Fences and Boundary Issues,” Minnesota CLE, June 6, 2019
- Presenter, “Fundamentals of Landlord-Tenant Law,” Sterling Education Services, December 19, 2014
- Presenter, “Considerations for Managing the OREO on Your Books,” Bank Holding Company Association Webinar, June 13, 2013
- Speaker, “Damages, Trespass, Trees and Punitive Damages,” One Step Over the Line…Boundaries, Access & Surveys, June 3, 2011
Honors & Education
EDUCATION
- University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D., 1997, cum laude
- University of Wisconsin, B.S., Political Science, 1994, with distinction
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Minnesota, 1997
- Wisconsin, 1997
- North Dakota, 2014
- Arizona, 2016
- U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota, 2016
- District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 1997
- District Court, District of Minnesota, 1998
- Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 1998
HONORS
- Order of the Coif
- Minnesota Super Lawyers, Rising Star
Professional Activities
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- State Bar of Wisconsin
- Hennepin County Bar Association
COMMUNITY
- Volunteer Lawyers Network, Board Member, 2010-2016
- Maple Grove Crimson Football Athletic Club, Board Member, 2016-present, President, 2018-present
- Maple Grove Youth Football Association, Coach and Board Member, 2011-2016