I was the opposing party in a Dakota County family-court matter in which Clarence Patterson III…read morerepresented the other side. He never represented me. This review concerns my direct experience with his courtroom advocacy and written positions. I understand that attorneys must advocate firmly for their clients. But in family court, words can alter a person's life before disputed facts are fully examined. At an August 28, 2025 hearing, the transcript records Mr. Patterson saying that I "love to talk about guns," that my "relationship with guns is concerning," warning that people could be "caught in the crossfire," and later portraying me as someone who "needs a gun to solve his problems." I stated on the record that I hated guns, had never owned one, and would never have one. I found it profoundly disturbing to be portrayed through repeated gun-related language when I was expressly denying any interest in owning a firearm. The same transcript records Mr. Patterson referring to "his bipolar disorder" while denying my concern that mental-health labeling was being used against me. I experienced the combined gun and mental-health framing as stigmatizing and dehumanizing--an effort to turn disputed allegations into a frightening portrait of an armed and mentally unstable person. A separate and extremely serious discrepancy involved Dakota County Crisis. A sworn filing in the case stated that a crisis-team member had contacted counsel and that the entire office had been alerted about me. A Dakota County Crisis supervisor later wrote that she had searched the system and consulted with colleague supervisors, found no record or recollection of such an alert, found no documentation of a duty-to-warn event, and stated that the team does not communicate directly with attorneys. In my view, a discrepancy involving a claimed government warning was too consequential to be left unresolved. It deserved a prompt, transparent, and documented explanation. Mr. Patterson also asked the court not to consider approximately fifty exhibits because he said he had not received them. I am not claiming in this review that the service objection itself constituted misconduct. I am describing the consequence as I experienced it: severe allegations were presented while a substantial body of my responsive evidence was not considered at that hearing. The matter ultimately resolved by stipulation before the scheduled evidentiary hearing. The most severe characterizations were therefore not adjudicated through that scheduled hearing. The litigation nevertheless caused profound personal, financial, and reputational harm. I found Mr. Patterson's approach unnecessarily escalatory, stigmatizing, and damaging. I would not recommend him. Strong advocacy does not require turning another human being into a caricature of mental illness and violence. Family-law attorneys exercise enormous power, and that power should be matched by factual precision, restraint, professional judgment, and accountability.

Working with Clarence was an excellent experience. He is knowledgeable, straight forward, hard…read moreworking, and transparent. He was extremely helpful and honest with me. He was reasonably priced and respected my time. Thanks to him, I was able to win in court thanks to him. Even if it had it not ended in my favor, I would have felt appreciative of the way he was able to convert what was an immense level of stress on my shoulders into calm and clarity. I appreciate the work he does.

I was very impressed with Justin and his staff's responsiveness, attention to detail, and ability…read moreto achieve the desired outcome for me. I would hire him again and recommend his services to others.

We found ourselves in need of a lawyer and preferred to have someone local. Upon 1st meeting Brent…read moreSchafer we knew that he would be the perfect lawyer for us and he did not disappoint. Took time to explain things and kept us informed during our legal process. Great communication skills and happy with the outcome in the end.

I am so impressed with Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta because of their track record of winning…read morecases, and the kind of cases they take on. They are a law firm that are for the people and they really want to help people that have been wronged by their employers or wronged by dishonest businesses. I also have known one of the lawyers for almost 20 years, and have met his partners and most of his colleagues. They are all really honest, kind, and caring people who genuinely want to help those in need. And at the same time they are all extremely intelligent and passionate about the work that they do. I have also visited their offices many times. The work environment is very positive with a great energy. As a guest, I always feel very welcomed into their offices from the moment I arrive at reception. The office as a whole (interns, assistants, receptionist and lawyers) are all treated as valuable members of a team, which says so much about a company. Baillon, Thome, Jozwiak, Wanta and their team are are amazing lawyers and do their best to help every client. I encourage you to read the "not recommended" Yelp reviews from actual clients, who had never written a Yelp review, but were motivated to do so because of the great services they received. These reviews are very informative about the service and experience you can expect from Baillon Thome Jozwiak and Wanta.

Wanta Thome wasted a great deal of my time, and I understand they have great reviews - so I don't…read moretake putting a 1 star lightly because I appreciate good business. *** BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE - THEY DEMAND 40% CONTINGENCEY FEE FOR PRE-LITIGATION WHICH IS HIGHER THAN USUAL, AND IT GETS WORSE*** I was referred by AI which maybe was my first mistake - but the website looked legitimate and the language seemed to match what I was looking for. I was on the website, and, without acting - a calendar popped up. I was strong-armed into booking an appointment with Carla the intake Lead. Well I book it, but then in the morning Carla e-mails me and tells me she's kicking it down to an entry level intake employee - which I resisted because my case is complex and I wanted someone with experience. Well I didn't get my way, the firm insisted that I get a greenhorn. The new intake person ended up getting fired or quit, but not before wasting my time. The first call was a standard 25 minutes and I submitted a timeline for her as well. 6 days later I get a text saying "Since you're not fired, we can't represent you, but reach out to us immediately if you DO get fired." Those were exactly the terms of rejecting me and leaving the door open. Well a few weeks later my employer ramps up the shenanigans threatening to fire me, then finally does - so I reach back out as instructed. The file is re-opened at Wanta, I'm told GREAT NEWS the attorney is taking a look! Then I had an attorney Kristan call me for another intake. I took the time to send her a detailed updated timeline. She called back with a retainer offer on another day and asked me to open it on the phone. I questioned the high fee and the fact that Wanta Thome will NOT coordinate with EEOC or NLRB inquiries/charges. Compared to what the website says, this seems to make no sense for an employee who did diligence before getting fired who already wants to use those agencies to help out his co-workers and himself. What's disturbing is the amount of wasted time. I TOLD THEM RIGHT AWAY ON THE PHONE AND IN MY TIMELINE THAT I HAVE AN NLRB CHARGE AND EEOC INQUIRY!!! IT TOOK THEM 45 DAYS TO REALIZE IT. I could have been told that initially, it could have been listed on the website in some form. Nobody on the planet it my situation would read the website and be led to believe anything otherwise. The intake process was wonky. Kristen on multiple phone calls assumed I was in Minnesota WHEN I CLEARLY AM IN CHICAGO and corrected her multiple times. They're just not paying full attention. ALSO she said She'd have to ask the partners about the EEOC/NLRB clause in the contract - she said she can't speak with them for 5 days because they're "away" -- I'm sorry, You have a huge law firm in multiple states - and the top 2 partners are going to be off the radar for a week? Do they meditate in the far east? That makes no sense. I respect any attorney's decision to decline a case for whatever reason - but at no point was I led to believe anything other than WANTA THOME IS THE PERFECT FIRM TO REPRESENT ME. I knew it was a wonky process but I told myself - as long as I get retained and they can help me - it'll be worth it. I was wrong. They offered to retain me - and all I said was "hey - do they mind doing something that their website makes it seem like they would totally do?" Advice to the firm - don't put Retaliation, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination on your website if you're not going to coordinate with NLRB or EEOC. Just put in big letters at the top "WE WANT TO SEND A LETTER FOR A HIGH FEE AND IF IT DOESNT WORK WE'RE BACKING OUT." A severe waste of my time - it's not OK - I'll never get it back. They don't really pay attention. I'm not sure what types of cases these reviews come or if they're incentivezed to send them in - but for the sake of helping people who need help - if you see any of these warning signs, consider going somewhere else. IM SO GLAD I DIDNT SIGN THAT RETAINER WITHOUT FIGHTING FOR A SENSIBLE CONTRACT. Change your website

Jeffrey Dean Criminal Defense really helped us when we had an unfortunate experience in the…read moreMinneapolis/St Paul area. He was extremely knowledgeable, proactive and attentive to our issue. His communication was excellent. The issue was resolved favorably.

Mr Dean has a stellar reputation in the community which is why so many people I know and trust have…read morehired him. They all would tell me that Jeffrey got great results for them. One person said that Jeffrey put his heart and soul into her case. This is the reason why he has been our family's attorney since we reached out to him. We will continue to call on him when we need him. He always gets back to us right away and We know we can count on him in any bind.

I am a client of Bennerotte and Associates, they have been with me every step of the way you once I…read morecame home from the hospital after my accident (not my fault, my car was cut off by an inattentive driver). Tom and his team told me what to expect, what the process would be like, and how to protect my health and my rights as the injured party. I have had access to his team via email and phone and I could even stop in to speak personally if I wanted to. Their guidance on dealing with the various health professionals I've had to work with in order to get back to a place where I can start to feel like myself again has been invaluable. Would I recommend them if you're injured in accident like I was? In one of the most vulnerable and bewildering times in your life, you'll need an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side. Every time I speak with Tom and his team, they answer even my most trivial questions about the process without making me feel uncomfortable or uneducated. They have been honest and factual every step of the way. I couldn't ask for better representation, I have been very pleased with their professionalism.

Being elderly Tom and Lynn went over and above to accommodate me through the whole process after an…read moreinjury from an automobile accident. The thought of having to go to trial gave me great anxiety. Tom was able to settle without going to trial and still get the same results. Thank you. I highly recommend Tom and his team. Clara Inman

Attorney Carl Christensen successfully closed our case in less than one month after meeting us…read more The case had dragged on for over a year before retaining his services. While my husband and I initially thought Mr. Christensen was expensive, he actually saved us a large amount of money with a speedy resolution. During our first meeting, Carl assured us we were on sound legal ground. He was confident our suit and counter-suit would be resolved in short order. That was hard to believe after such protracted litigation. He asked a number of questions, and, at times, pushed back against our position. Carl's approach illuminated the issues for us as litigants and for him as an attorney. This also prepared us for push back by the opposing party and provided perspective on what the opposition's motivations were in a clear, direct way. Carl then closed the case with binding mediation to the satisfaction of both parties. His ability to quickly understand the nature of the suit, the counter suit, as well as the personalities and natures of the litigants led to a solid outcome--no small feat--the result of a fine legal mind and years of experience as a litigator.

I was very happy to receive prompt attention upon contacting Christensen Law Office and was…read morepleased that I didn't have to drive all the way to their offices just to sign agreements for service; they had everything I needed to do online. Very convenient and time saving. Everything worked out from my perspective and even promptly received money back as the issue resolved quicker and simpler than it may have.

Had an incredible experience!! Everyone who I interacted with was so helpful and kind, from the…read moreinitial interviewing process all the way to the final outcome of my case. They took the time to explain the legal jargon to me clearly and laid out what my options were in a very helpful way. I will 100% be coming back if I need more legal help.