Eight Foley & Mansfield Attorneys Named 2007 Rising Stars
 

Eight Foley & Mansfield Attorneys Named 2007 Rising Stars

Minneapolis, MN  (November 22, 2006)—Eight attorneys from national litigation firm of Foley & Mansfield have been name 2007 Rising Stars by Minnesota Law & Politics.  As Rising Stars, Aaron Ponce, Jamie Habeck, Chris Goodman, Amy Gelhar, Molly Kramer, Steve Sheridan, Heather Neubauer, and David Scouton, make up 2.5% of the best up-and-coming attorneys in the state, all under the age of 40 and all have practiced less than 10 years.  The selection process involves a survey of all Minnesota Super Lawyers and independent research to identify outstanding up-and-coming attorneys who have demonstrated superior professional potential.

Aaron Ponce works in the growing practice area of environmental and pollution law.  With a background in construction engineering, he represents insurance companies, owners, contractors, manufacturers, and energy producers and distributors in the areas of construction litigation, product liability and catmn-web1phic loss caused by fires and explosions, and property damage and subrogation.  He is certified in hazardous waste operations and emergency response standards and works with OSHA and international building code compliance issues.  Aaron is a member of the Defense Research Institute and the National Fire Protection Association.  His pro bono work is also involved in the construction industry where he assists people and organization with housing court issues and construction payment disputes.

Jamie Habeck practices in commercial litigation advising and representing clients in areas of contract and corporate disputes, and shareholder and lender liability.  Her clients include small and large businesses and their owners/shareholders.  Jamie provides legal counsel for a national plastics manufacturer and regularly represents manufacturers, suppliers and distributors in asbestos-related litigation.  She also works and assists clients with personal injury litigation.  She volunteers a significant amount of time to matters involving adoption and child welfare.  She recently organized a charity event for St. Anne’s Place and was instrumental in being able to provide new shoes to each of the 300 children the organization expects to serve throughout the year.

Chris Goodman, a partner with the firm, has a broad civil litigation practice with special emphasis in product liability, catmn-web1phic loss, and insurance litigation.  In this regard, Goodman represents manufacturers, contractors, premises owners, insurance companies, financial institutions and schools. His representation has included property damage and subrogation claims involving environmental and catmn-web1phic loss caused by fires, explosions, and toxic releases.  He has prepared hundreds of cases for trial and has successfully defended multi-million dollar claims.  This is Goodman’s third consecutive Rising Star award.  He is a member of the American and Minnesota State Bar Associations and the Defense Research Institute.

Amy Gelhar practices in construction law and dedicates the majority of her practice to representing general contractors.  She is a qualified civil neutral mediator and arbitrator under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice.  She volunteers her time in the areas of criminal defense, consumer debt protection, real estate and personal injury as well as representing clients for the Minnesota Housing Court. Amy is the Construction Law liaison to the New Lawyers Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the Co-Chair for the Construction Law committee of MDLA.

Molly Kramer focuses her practice in construction law, representing general contractors and subcontractors.   She also represents clients in general liability and civil litigation.  Molly is a member of the Minnesota and Hennepin County Bar Associations, and the Defense Research Institute.  Molly volunteers time to Foley & Mansfield’s Pro Bono Services group and represents victims of domestic abuse through Chrysalis as well as children in foster care through the Children’s Law Center of Minnesota.

Steve Sheridan, a partner with the firm, focuses his practice in construction law.  He has successfully taken cases to verdict involving construction disputes, product liability claims, personal injuries, insurance coverage, workers compensation benefits, constructive trusts, commercial transactions and real estate disputes.  His management responsibility within the firm is training young lawyers and providing guidance for career development.

Dave Scouton focuses his practice in the areas of product liability, general civil litigation and personal injury. With a background in biochemistry, Dave primarily represents contractors, manufacturers and suppliers in asbestos and product liability cases.  This is Dave’s second year named a Rising Star; he was also recognized in 2006. He is a member of the American, Minnesota, and Hennepin County Bar Associations, and the Defense Research Institute.  Scouton volunteers for the Volunteer Lawyers Network and the Minnesota Legal Aid Society.  He is also involved with the organizations Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota and with Kids N Kinship.

Heather Neubauer practices in the areas of product liability, with a special emphasis on asbestos and benzene cases; general civil defense litigation; personal injury; appeals; and employment and construction law cases.  Heather was also named one of ten Up and Coming Attorneys in 2005 by Minnesota Lawyer Magazine. She recently co-authored the article “Laska v. Anoka County: A Quest for Justice for an Infant Who Died of SIDS Resulting in Appellate Court Finding Day Care Helper Owes a Duty to Protect” published in the William Mitchell Law Review in May of 2006.  Heather volunteers her time by assisting law students in mock interviews, judging mock trial competitions, and mentoring first-year law students.  She is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association, and Defense Research Institute.

Founded in 1989, Foley & Mansfield is fast becoming one of the nation’s leading litigation law firms. Its attorneys serve clients ranging in size from multi-million dollar corporations to small businesses and their owners in the areas of admiralty and inland marine, catmn-web1phic loss, commercial litigation, commercial finance and corporate transactions, construction law, employment law, environmental and pollution law, general liability and civil litigation, insurance coverage and litigation, intellectual property, probate and trust, product liability, toxic tort and mass litigation, and pro bono services.   The firm of over 90 attorneys is headquartered in Minneapolis and has additional offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, St. Louis and San Francisco.

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