Research Team

To ensure the highest level of quality on each assignment, LRC’s Research Attorneys work directly with you throughout the research process. Our twenty-six years of experience have taught us that this approach is the best way to build strong professional relationships. Those years of experience have also taught us that our careful selection of experienced attorneys who possess highly developed research and writing skills is key to delivering the high-quality work you need. That is why we have the most rigorous screening and hiring process in the business. The credentials of a sampling of LRC attorneys follows:

STACEY SUPINA, LRC Director of Research, oversees research and writing services for private law firms and corporate counsel worldwide. Stacey’s professional experience includes work in both private practice and corporate environments, with an emphasis in corporate issues. With LRC’s Senior Research Manager Vicki Krueger, she edits LRC’s State-by-State Guide to Employee Leave and Disability. Stacey is a frequent continuing legal education instructor, and organizes LRC’s master class on research and writing, including presentation of an advanced on-line research seminar. In addition to her work at LRC, Stacey has taught at institutions including the University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Business in Minneapolis, and has lectured in North America and Europe on a variety of legal topics. She graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School and received her LL.M. in European Union Law with merit from University College London, England.

VICKI KRUEGER, LRC Senior Research Manager, graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She pursued her writing and editing interests for ten years before attending the University of Minnesota Law School, where she was an editor of the Journal of Law & Inequality and a cum laude graduate. In private practice with Fredrikson & Byron and Rosenthal, Rondoni, McMillan & Joyner, Vicki worked primarily in the areas of commercial litigation and family law before joining LRC in 1989. Since that time, she has engaged in countless legal research projects, including various studies of legal research practices and economics. Vicki specializes in multijurisdictional research and analysis, including legislative and regulatory tracking in hot topical areas of law.

LARRY FETT, an honors graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law, has over thirty years’ experience in all areas of business litigation and deal structuring. His expertise includes contract disputes and negotiations, commercial law, and employment litigation. Formerly with Holstein Law Group in Minneapolis, Larry’s professional background covers executive departures and reemployment; intellectual property disputes; ERISA; construction defect and other real estate issues; and trust and probate litigation. With proven proficiency in all aspects of civil trials and other adversarial proceedings including motion practice, discovery, depositions, trial strategy and trial, Larry is licensed in Minnesota, Iowa, California, federal courts through the U.S. Supreme Court, and selected tribal courts.

VALERIE WERNESS, LRC Senior Research Manager, is a cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and practiced for ten years, four as a partner, in the areas of employment law, business and corporate matters, commercial real estate, real estate finance, and commercial litigation. At LRC, Val’s research and project management experience includes direction of an attorney team in development of a comprehensive legal resource for a major financial institution. The resulting annually updated reference included more than 15,000 text pages of substantive, jurisdictionalized legal analysis and content. She was also project manager for a multi-year product development initiative with the world’s largest legal publisher. Val specializes in multijurisdictional research and analysis, including legislative and regulatory tracking in hot topical areas of law.

LEE TREVIS, LRC Research Administrator, received his J.D. with honors in 1998 from Drake University Law School, where he served as note editor for the Drake Law Review. Prior to joining LRC, Lee gained experience as an associate attorney in a general practice firm, primarily handling cases involving employment law, probate, insurance claims, and creditor remedies. Lee specializes in multijurisdictional research and analysis, including legislative and regulatory tracking in hot topical areas of law.

JOSEPH KERNAN, LRC Senior Research Attorney, practiced primarily in the complex commercial area after graduating cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School. He was a member of the Minnesota Law Review. In the last twenty years he has emphasized trial and appellate brief writing at Opperman & Paquin and Doherty, Rumble & Butler. Joe also has written and counseled extensively in employment, antitrust, franchise, distribution, and copyright law. Joe specializes in multijurisdictional research and analysis, including legislative and regulatory tracking in hot topical areas of law. Vance Opperman, one of the nation’s top litigators and former President of West Publishing, has described Joe as “the best brief writer in the country.”

ANDREA SAHLIN, LRC Senior Research Attorney, graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she was the managing editor of a published law school journal. Prior to joining LRC, she practiced law at a boutique litigation firm, primarily in the areas of general business litigation, bank bailout litigation, personal injury, and bankruptcy. Andrea is the project manager and lead Research Attorney for the National Association of REALTORS® Legal Environment Scan, an annual review of major employment- and liability-related issues facing real estate brokers and agents.

LINDA GRESSEN, LRC Senior Research Attorney, has twelve years of private-firm experience with Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, Wycomb & Keats; and her own practice. Her focus has been in general business law, with special emphasis in employment issues, insurance, contracts, financing, business start-ups, mergers and acquisitions. Linda is a cum laude graduate of Hamline University School of Law. Linda specializes in multijurisdictional research and analysis, including legislative and regulatory tracking in hot topical areas of law.

RANDALL HOLBROOK, LRC Senior Research Attorney, graduated cum laude from Hamline University School of Law. Randy’s experience as an attorney in private practice and as corporate counsel encompasses a wide range of fields, including taxation, bankruptcy, commercial law, and employment law. Most recently, his work has involved legislative and regulatory monitoring and analysis across all fifty states for LRC’s highly regulated industry clientele.

PAUL OVERSON is a 1988 cum laude graduate of Hamline University School of Law, where he was associate editor of the Hamline Law Review. Prior to joining the LRC team, Paul was a Senior Associate Attorney with the Minneapolis law firm of Messerli & Kramer and employment litigation in his own practice. Paul has written extensively on corporate and business issues, and he specializes in multijurisdictional research and analysis, including legislative and regulatory tracking in hot topical areas of law.

DEM HOPKINS graduated cum laude from the John Marshall Law School, where he was an editor of the John Marshall Law Review. He concentrates on business law, including employment and labor issues, limited liability corporations and partnerships, blue-sky securities law, and family business estate planning. He has been active in legislative advocacy and government policy and has been instrumental in enacting voting rights legislation and developing Chicago’s AIDS strategy.

KRISTA SORENSON graduated cum laude from St. Olaf College and William Mitchell College of Law. Krista was an associate with Aafedt, Forde, Gray & Monson before joining LRC. Her practice included insurance defense, workers compensation and probate matters.

PAUL G. ZERBY, JR., practices law as a sole practitioner in Minneapolis in the areas of bankruptcy and civil litigation in addition to his work with Legal Research Center. Paul previously practiced for five years with Kampf & Associates, P.A., and has clerked for two different Hennepin County District Court judges. Paul currently serves as an editor on the Bankruptcy Bulletin, published by the Bankruptcy Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Paul graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990 and earned his B.A. in English, with a minor in linguistics, from the University of Minnesota, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1986.

MARY ANNE RAZIM FITZSIMONS received her LL.M. in taxation, magna cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law and her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where she was a member of the Trial Advocacy Competition Team and wrote for the Pacific Law Journal. Mary Anne’s practice has focused on military and criminal law. In addition to handling military and criminal appeals, Mary Anne has taught trial and appellate advocacy.

The remainder of our staff of research attorneys possess similar credentials. We will be happy to introduce you to the Research Attorneys with whom you will work and describe their background to you.