Smith, Paulson, O'Donnell & Erickson, PLC

Providing Quality Representation to our Community since 1968

Smith, Paulson, O’Donnell & Erickson is a team of dedicated lawyers and legal professionals who use experience, vitality and enthusiasm to advocate for our clients. Our team is made up of five attorneys including a Minnesota State Bar Association Certified Specialist; an honor held by approximately three percent of attorneys practicing in Minnesota. Our attorneys are supported by a staff of highly qualified assistants, including paralegals, legal assistants and the warmest front desk staff around. Our attorneys have been recognized by AVVO.com, Superlawyers.com, and Martindale Hubbard for excellence in their areas of practice.

We are a full service law firm, whose size and composition enables us to offer the personalized services of highly experienced lawyers to serve each client’s unique needs. Our skilled attorneys can help you avoid future legal problems by creating business and estate strategies and can help you get out of trouble when problems arise.

We help people plan for their futures and help people who are in crisis when things don’t go according to plan. Our clients understand the value of quality legal services. Historically, we have worked with people who are flexible and open to discussing and pursuing courses of action they may not have previously considered.

Our areas of practice include:

• Estate Planning: Wills, Trusts, Probate, wealth transfer planning, basic estate planning, asset protection planning, general business and business succession planning, charitable giving, powers of attorney and healthcare directives.

• Family Law: Dissolutions (divorce), child support, child custody, adoptions, grandparent rights, alimony/spousal maintenance, Orders for Protection, modifications of orders and judgments.

Mediation: We currently offer mediation services in the area of Family law.

• Employment Law: CEO’s, HR directors and small business owners keep us on speed dial for: contract negotiation, risk management, workplace conflicts, termination disputes, human rights, disability leave, regulatory compliance and employee classification matters. Employees contact us regarding workplace conflict and terminations, non-compete compliance, wrongful termination, personnel policies, employment, sexual harassment, race/age/sex/disability discrimination, labor negotiations, executive compensation, non-compete, confidential agreements.

• Business Law: Entity formation and reorganization, commercial contract drafting and negotiating, buying or selling a business and asset sales.

• Criminal Defense: Drunk driving, DWI/DUI, implied consent hearings, underage drinking, driving license suspensions, driving after revocation and suspension, driving without insurance, criminal sexual conduct, assaults, internet crimes, theft or robbery, traffic tickets, domestic assault, drug offenses, fish and game violations, burglary, shoplifting, embezzlement, fraud, rape, sexual misconduct, child pornography, prostitution, homicide (murder), forfeitures, probation violations, juvenile crimes, appeals, expungements.

• Civil: Civil litigation, civil defense, evictions, commercial, contract, professional negligence, torts, appeals, Minnesota federal civil practice. ,.

• Real Estate: Sales and acquisitions, real estate development, water rights, zoning and variances, leasing, agricultural law, mechanic’s liens, landlord tenant disputes, foreclosures, real estate related disputes, eminent domain.

• Debtor / Creditor: Debt collections, judgment and executions, replevin and claim and delivery, asset discovery, garnishments, levy, fraudulent transfers, promissory notes, confessions of judgment.

• Personal Injury: Automobile accident compensation and railroad accident compensation.