The recent U.S. economic turbulence has caused, and will probably continue to cause, challenges in lending. Borrowers, when pushed, will sometimes take actions that are not customary in the lending relationship. Below are some pre-collection and verification tips to mitigate a lender’s “loss of collateral.” It is important to recognize that when a borrower goes...

Thursday, September 4, 2025 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm Royal Oak Event Center, 301 20th S. St, New Ulm, MN 56073 Join us for a full day seminar designed for ag lenders, with timely legal updates, practical insights, and discussion on emerging issues in the agricultural lending landscape. LOCATION: Royal Oak Event Center 301...

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An irrevocable life insurance trust (“ILIT”) is exactly as it sounds. It is an irrevocable trust designed to hold one or more life insurance policies. A properly drafted ILIT provides the owner of a life insurance policy with several estate planning benefits, including estate tax avoidance and liquidity for estate tax obligations. An ILIT is...

The modern-day family has evolved beyond the traditional model. Blended families are more common and can create unique challenges when it comes to estate planning and inheritance. One challenge with estate planning for blended families can be balancing the needs of a surviving spouse with the inheritance rights of children from previous marriages. Minnesota’s probate...

The federal government taxes the gratuitous transfer of property (transfers made without receiving compensation or value in return) made by a person during their life or as a result of their death. Most individuals in the United States will never pay federal gift or estate tax because these transfer taxes, for all practical purposes, only...

(This is an emerging issue as of the date of this writing—April 25, 2025.  Further legislation, rulemaking, administrative interpretation, litigation, or smarter attorneys may change or improve upon the analysis below.) As we approach January 1, 2026—the date on which Minnesota’s Paid Family Leave Act (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 268B) takes effect—employers and employment attorneys are...