SELECTED TEAM CREDENTIALS
Research Attorneys, Managers and Editors
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 annual State-by-State Guide to Employee Leave and Disability. Stacey is a frequent continuing legal education instructor, and organizes LRC’s annual master class on research and writing, including presentation of an advanced on-line research seminar. In addition to her work at LRC, Stacey teaches at the University of St. Thomas Graduate School of Business in Minneapolis, and has lectured throughout North America 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.
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, probate, insurance-related 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.”
BARBARA HOLMES, LRC Senior Research Attorney, has practiced in the areas of employment, civil rights, and professional negligence. Barbara came to LRC from Washington, D.C., where she was senior research counsel for a national lawyers’ association. Barbara completed law school in 1989, graduating from Washington College of Law at the American University, and received a Master of Arts in Law and International Affairs in 1990, graduating with honors. Barbara is an expert on employment healthcare benefits and worker privacy issues. Barbara specializes in multijurisdictional research and analysis, including legislative and regulatory tracking in hot topical areas of law.
MARY GRUBB THOMPSON, LRC Senior Research Attorney, received her LL.M. in International and Comparative Law with distinction, and her J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she also served as the Notes and Comments Editor for The Georgetown Law Journal. While working as counsel to the Law Offices of Daniel R. Thompson in Washington, D.C., Mary provided legal advice on complex regulatory matters including the Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, OSHA and domestic and international product labeling.
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 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.
KERRY CORK graduated with honors from William Mitchell College of Law, where she served as an editor for the Law Review. Kerry also has a Certificat de Langue Française from the Sorbonne in Paris, France. For the past twenty-one years, Kerry has been the owner and operator of Mediacraft, Inc., a writing company focusing on the design and development of custom training materials for corporate customers. Kerry has also served as a writer for the Minnesota Science & Technology Research Office and the National Arbitration Forum.
JANE REYER was the top student in the University of Oregon School of Law class of 1993. Following law school, she clerked for Judge Skopil of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Jane has a solo practice in Grand Marais, Minnesota, which focuses on administrative and public law.
JACQUELINE MILLER graduated with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law and was a member of the Order of the Coif. She practiced for eight years before joining LRC. Jacqueline emphasizes family, criminal, federal habeas corpus, job discrimination, social security disability and administrative law. Jackie handled and won the Baby Jessica case.
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.
JANICE O’KEEFE pursued her interest in writing as a journalist, English teacher, and college English department chairperson prior to attending law school. After graduating cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law, she clerked with the Minnesota Court of Appeals and then opened her own practice.
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