News

Congratulations to Mack Marrin and Jon Zentner on a great result in a recent arbitration win. Mack and John represented a window and door manufacturer and the case centered around persistent water intrusion issues at a customer’s home. After our client was forced to make significant repairs, Mack and Jon successfully argued that the contractor responsible for the faulty work should bear the full cost — and the Arbitrator agreed. A strong outcome for our client — and another example of outstanding legal team work in action. Well done!

Congratulations to attorneys Nicholas Strafaccia and Jonathon Zentner on a recent arbitration award in excess of $700,000. Our client served as a General Contractor for a public project. The Owner halted the project due to the negligent work of a subcontractor. 

We are excited to have Devona Thomas join our team this summer as a law clerk. Devona is at the University of St. Thomas School of Law gaining her Juris Doctorate. She joins our team for the next ten weeks in partnership with Twin Cities Diversity in Practice 1L Clerkship Program. When not in class, Devona spends her time with friends and classmates trying out new restaurants and coffee shops around the city. She also loves participating in new activities such as dancing classes, karaoke, shopping, and traveling around the country. Devona recently went skydiving with the Twin Cities Skydive organization and she looks forward to possibly going again in the near future. Welcome, Devona!

Welcome to Rakiah Adams!

The Minnesota Supreme Court issued its decision in Simonson v. Douglas County and Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust (April 16, 2025) on rebutting the retirement presumption. More specifically, the issues were 1) the standard of proof necessary in rebutting the retirement presumption in a pre-October 1, 2018, date of injury case, and 2) whether there are a list of factors in determining if an employee rebuts the retirement presumption.

Happy International Women’s Day! Today, we honor the women who lead, advocate, and inspire change in the legal field and beyond. Let’s continue to #AccelerateAction toward equality!

Women in Construction week is a great time to celebrate the female attorneys who support our construction clients. From navigating complex contracts to resolving disputes, these attorneys bring their expertise and dedication to helping clients achieve their desired results. Thank you for your hard work, Beth Jenson Prouty, Kafi Linville, Perssis Meshkat, Shannon Nelson and Stephanie Kudrle Smodish! 

We are pleased to announce that Shayne Hamann is Certified Rule 114 ADR Neutral. Congratulations!

Mackrell International (MI) has secured its thirteenth consecutive ranking as a leading global network in the Chambers Directory, a premier legal industry directory, marking an impressive 13-year streak of excellence. This year, MI proudly secures a Band 1 ranking, reinforcing its position as a top tier legal network. “The recognition is a testament to our continuous innovation, value driven approach, and the difference we make - not just for our member firms, but also for their clients,” says Keith Heddle, Managing Director of Mackrell International.

Congratulations to attorney Christine Chambers and her team on their trial victory this week, successfully defending a family practice doctor and North Memorial in a case alleging delayed diagnosis of endometrial cancer.

Arthur Chapman, a top 25 litigation defense law firm located in Minneapolis with more than 50 attorneys, is seeking a detail-oriented Accounting Manager to lead its accounting department. This full-time exempt position offers competitive salary, excellent benefits, and opportunities for professional development and growth.

Welcome to Jeffrey Grace!

Welcome to Theman Taylor!

Congratulations to Beth Jenson Prouty on her reappointment as a member on the Legislative Salary Council. This group prescribes the salaries for Minnesota legislators through a report that must be submitted by March 31 of each odd-numbered year. Beth is representing the second district.

Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak & Pikala, P.A. has announced the election of Aaron C. Abelleira and Nicholas G. Strafaccia as shareholders at the firm.

On December 16, 2024, the MN Court of Appeals issued a published decision in Ariel, Inc. v. State Farm Fire and Cas. Co., No. A24-0604 (Minn. App. Dec. 16, 2024), providing direction on two appraisal issues:

Arthur Chapman is pleased to announce that R. Stephen Tillitt was elected Dean of the Executive Board of the Academy of Certified Trial Lawyers of Minnesota.

Congratulations to Nhoa Stanton for being selected to represent our firm in the Twin Cities Diversity in Practice Emerging Leaders Group. This group offers professional development and mentoring opportunities for early career attorneys.

As we celebrate our firm's 50th anniversary this year, we’ve enjoyed recognizing the people and clients who make our firm exceptional. We are pleased to share the attorneys that were named as Super Lawyers® or Rising Stars® for 2024. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Welcome to Nhoa Stanton!