Jeffrey C. O’Brien is a partner with Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. practicing in the areas of business and corporate law, real estate law, estate and business succession planning and probate law. He also currently serves as the Firm’s Marketing Partner and Editor of the Firm’s monthly e-newsletter, E-Watch.
Mr. O’Brien has dealt with a diverse array of businesses and business owners in his practice including real estate agents, developers and investors, community banks, restaurant operators, manufacturing companies, franchised businesses, financial advisors and insurance agents and members of the entertainment industry. He has significant experience with the formation of new businesses and he oversees the Mansfield Tanick & Cohen Business INCubation Center®, a unique program designed to assist new and developing businesses in their formative years. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Microbusinesses (AAM).
Mr. O’Brien is a Minnesota State Bar Association Board Certified Real Property Specialist and has appeared as a featured guest on the WCCO Real Estate Radio Hour, a program hosted by his client, the Walgrave & Yardley Real Estate Group.
Mr. O’Brien attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and graduated with honors in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering as a member of the first class of students to graduate with such a degree. He received his juris doctor with honors from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2000 and is admitted to practice in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Mr. O’Brien has been active in politics and public policy for many years. Prior to law school, Mr. O’Brien worked as a research assistant for various public policy organizations, including the Washington, D.C. lobbying firm of former U.S. Senator David Durenberger and the Minneapolis-based Center of the American Experiment. He has also volunteered on campaigns for federal, state and local candidates.
He has held numerous leadership positions in a wide variety of organizations, including the Founding President of the University of St. Thomas Student Chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (1995-96), State Chairman of the Minnesota College Republicans (1998-99), a past member of the Board of Directors of The Gaia Collective, a non-profit theater group dedicated to telling the stories of women. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Microbusinesses (AAM) and as School Board Chair for Redeeming Grace Lutheran School in Rogers, Minnesota.
A frequent lecturer and writer, Mr. O’Brien has presented and written articles on a variety of topics such as asset protection planning, entity conversions, real estate lending and loan documentation and other general business matters.
Mr. O’Brien has been named a Minnesota Super Lawyer “Rising Star” for 2008 and 2009 by Minnesota Law & Politics Magazine, a designation reserved for only 2.5 percent of all attorneys in Minnesota. He was also selected for inclusion in Who’s Who in American Executives and Professionals for 2008.
A resident of Albertville, Minnesota and an active member of the local community, Mr. O’Brien has previously served as the President of the Board of Directors of his neighborhood homeowners’ association, as the President of a BNI chapter in Dayton, Minnesota, and as a member of a citizens committee investigating the possibility of bringing city wide wireless internet to the City of Albertville. He is currently active in the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce.
Current Position(s):
Partner
Areas of Practice:
Business Law
Entity Formations
Business Transactions
Mergers and Acquisitions
Contract Drafting
Trademark Registrations
Franchising
Business Loan Documentation
Corporate Finance
INCubation Center®
Real Estate Law
Real Estate Transactions
Registration Proceedings
Quiet Title Actions
Commercial Leasing
Landlord-Tenant/Unlawful Detainer
Condominiums/Homeowners Associations
Commercial Real Estate Loan Documentation
Mechanic’s Lien Litigation
Mortgage Foreclosures
Short Sales
Estate and Business Succession Planning
Wills
Trusts
Family Limited Partnerships
Buy-Sell Agreements
Probate Law Probate Administration Probate Litigation Education:
William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul,
Minnesota, 2000 J.D.
Honors: Cum Laude
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1997 B.S., Manufacturing Engineering
Honors: Cum Laude, Aquinas Scholar
Bar Admissions:
Minnesota, 2000
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, 2003
Wisconsin, 2006
Professional Associations/Memberships:
Hennepin County Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association, Real Property Law Section
State Bar of Wisconsin
State Bar of Wisconsin, Business Law Section
State Bar of Wisconsin, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section
State Bar of Wisconsin, Taxation Section
American Bar Association
American Bar Association, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section
President, Front Nine Business Builders (BNI)
Minnesota Multi Housing Association
Minnesota Multi Housing Association, Professional Education Committee, April 2007-November 2008
Minnesota Multi Housing Association, Legal Committee
CIC Midwest
CIC Midwest, Planning Committee
CIC Midwest, Education Subcommittee
CIC Midwest, Publications Subcommittee
Minnesota Association for Guardianship and Conservatorship, 2007-2008
American Association of Microbusinesses (Board of Directors, May 2008 – Present)
American Society of International Law
U.S.-China Business Connections
Civic Involvement/Volunteer Activities:
School Board Chair, Redeeming Grace Lutheran School
Member, Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce
Past Civic Involvement/Volunteer Activities
Board of Directors, Towne Lakes Community Association (President), March 2008 – October 2008
Board of Directors, Towne Lakes Traditional Homes Homeowners Association, June 2007 – October 2008 (Secretary)
Member/Secretary, City of Albertville Wireless Exploratory Committee, July 2007 – January 2008
Board of Directors, The Gaia Collective, 2000-2005
President, Minnesota College Republicans, 1998
Published Works:
Minnesota’s New Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate Law, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. E-Watch, November 2008
Business Law Basics, American Association of Microbusinesses Newsletter, November 2008
Choosing Your Battles: Practical Tips on Enforcing Association Rules, CIC Midwest, Fall 2008 Real Estate Sales in a Troubled Market, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. E-Watch, August 2008 (Co-authored with Ryan Yardley, Walgrave & Yardley Real Estate Group) Choosing an Attorney for Your Startup Business, New Business Minnesota, May 2008. Ninth Circuit Ruling Poses Threat to Family Limited Partnerships, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. E-Watch, January 2008
Dealing With the Bolting Buyer: The Mechanics of Minnesota’s Residential Purchase Agreement Cancellation Statute, CIC Midwest News, Winter 2008 (Co-authored with Brian N. Niemczyk)
Minnesota Legislature Reacts to Record Number of Mortgage Foreclosures, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. E-Watch, November 2007
Tips & Traps Dealing With Pets, CIC Midwest News, Fall 2007 (Co-authored with Marshall H. Tanick)
Estate Planning for Real Estate Owners With Family Limited Partnerships, North Central News, Spring 2007 Minnesota and Wisconsin Construction Warranty Law Amendments, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. E-Watch, December 2006 Minnesota’s Housing Warranty Statutes Amended in the Wake of Camacho Decision, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. E-Watch, November 2006
Sellers Beware: Five Things to Consider When Selling a Business, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. Law Watch, Fall 2006 (Co-authored with Kristi A. Zentner)
Buyers Beware: Five Things to Consider When Purchasing a Business, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. Law Watch, Summer 2006 (Co-authored with Kristi A. Zentner)
The Basics of the Minnesota Professional Firms Act, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. Law Watch, Summer 2006
Seminars Taught:
Top Estate Planning, Wealth Transfer and Asset Protection Techniques in Minnesota, Lorman Educational Services, October 28, 2008
Business Law for Consultants, Lee Hecht Harrison E-Team Presentation, October 22, 2008
Creating Practical Operating Procedures and Advantageous Uses of LLCs, Limited Liability Companies, National Business Institute, October 17, 2008
Business is Personal: The Importance of Personal Financial, Estate and Succession Planning, Mansfield Tanick & Cohen INCubation Briefing, September 9, 2008 (Co-Presented with Glenn Stewart, Ameriprise Financial, and Dave Stewart, North Central Insurance Agency)
Business Transaction Basics, Minnesota CLE, July 24, 2008 (Co-Presented with Kristi A. Zentner)
Understanding the World of Minority Rights and Fiduciary Obligations, Advanced LLC Issues, National Business Institute, May 20, 2008
Walking the Ethical Line, Advanced LLC Issues, National Business Institute, May 20, 2008