■ “It felt good knowing that all the work you did really makes a difference for somebody.”
As legal work becomes more complicated, local attorneys focus more on particular areas of practice
A
s Mankato has grown dramatically as a regional center, more regional professional firms — from CPA groups to banks - have moved to town. But that trend of Twin Cities businesses taking a big interest in Mankato has, surprisingly, not been seen in the legal community. Save for Leonard, Street & Deinard law firm, which merged with a local firm several years ago, local firms and solo attorneys are the rule here. Still, many think it’s inevitable that as Mankato’s clout grows, more regional firms will be testing the waters here. “It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s some bigger firms merging in smaller firms. That’s happened more in St. Cloud and certainly in Rochester,” said Julia Ketcham Corbett, a partner at Blethen, Gage & Krause. Leonard, Street and Deinard was the result of the 1997 merger of one of Mankato’s oldest firms (Regan, Regan & Meyer, founded in 1910) and one of Minneapolis’ oldest firms (founded in 1922). Doug Peterson, of Leonard, Street & Deinard in Mankato, said the merger grew out of the local firm’s relationships with Leonard, Street & Deinard partners and said the merger was simply a good fit for both groups. Local lawyers say Mankato’s history of long-time local law firms has helped maintain a respectful and cordial relationship in the Mankato bar for many decades. “I’ve noticed that there is an increasing lack of civility in the
profession, not here but around the state,” said Will Partridge of Farrish Johnson. “In the old days you could literally hand-shake a deal and know they were good for it. The local bar is still amazingly collegial, but the wider bar throughout the state is not. It’s more combat for the sake of combat.” Corbett agrees. “It’s an amicable bar here. It’s a great place to work. When you deal with an attorney from the Twin Cities there’s a different feel,” she said. “Everyone here is a strong advocate for their client but you can trust they are doing everything on the up and up. We see each other around town and you have to work together. It’s different than if you don’t see and know each other.” Mankato native Peterson, who worked in the Twin Cities, including 11 years as a federal prosecutor until returning to Mankato, said he is seeing pressures to return more civility to the legal profession. “I think the courts and clients have become frustrated with lawyers who don’t get along and lawyers are responding. I think the civility is improving,” said Peterson, noting that unnecessary warfare costs clients money and wastes court time. Jerry Maschka, of Maschka, Riedy & Ries, said the city has also been blessed with a very strong legal community. “Mankato has a history of having good lawyers. I’m familiar with a lot of firms and we have a good reputation in
MN Valley Business • march 2012 • 23
Cover Story
— Julia Ketcham Corbett