Alan EidsnessAttorney, Shareholder

With more than four decades of experience, I have a depth of knowledge that gives me clarity, wisdom, and skills that few can match. It’s exciting for me to be at this point in my career and I look forward each day to making a difference in the lives of my clients.

I help clients in the following areas:

• full spectrum of family law issues: concerns in this arena are complicated, especially in situations of high net worth. With my comprehensive knowledge of substantive legal areas—business, tax, real estate, trusts and estates, pensions, and retirement accounts—I am particularly adept at navigating and resolving issues for clients.
• trust, estate and tax planning: aligned with my focus in family law, clients rely on me to advise them on the valuation and management of assets, and to safeguard their best interests.
• commercial matters: working with entrepreneurs and companies, I represent clients with a variety of needs in this area.
• alternative dispute resolution (ADR): ADR often allows parties to settle disputes without going to court. I serve as a mediator and special master.

I have worked closely with my peers to change and shape family law in Minnesota through precedent-setting cases at the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. I am dedicated to the profession and proud that my contributions have had a significant impact on family law and the lives of many. It is an honor to be the first family law attorney in Minnesota inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, an elite group comprising less than one percent of any state’s attorneys who are the very best at the trial bar in their jurisdiction.

As the leader of the firm’s award-winning Family Law group, I foster an environment of professionalism, intellect, and compassion. We continuously collaborate as a team so that you reap the benefit of our collective proficiencies. We are active in the legal community, sharing our knowledge and experience through leadership roles and volunteering in professional associations, as well as writing, thought leadership, and teaching.

ASSISTANT

Mary Petersen

(612) 252-2834

mpetersen@hensonefron.com

• J.D., summa cum laude, University of Minnesota Law School, 1973
• B.A., cum laude, Minot State University, N.D., 1970

• Minnesota
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

• 2019 Minnesota Icon Award recipient sponsored by Finance & Commerce and Minnesota Lawyer
• The first and only family law attorney in Minnesota inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, an elite group comprising less than one percent of any state’s attorneys who are the very best at the trial bar in their jurisdiction.
• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• 2019 HCBA Family Law Section Professionalism Award recipient
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 1995–2024, Family Law & Family Law Mediation
• Featured in Minnesota Monthly Magazine as a Top Lawyer in Minnesota 2022-2023: Family Law
• Featured in Minnesota Monthly Magazine as The Best Lawyers in America® 2019
• Selected as Minnesota Family Law Lawyer of the Year 2009 by Best Lawyers in America
• Selected for inclusion in Minnesota Super Lawyers® from inception–2023
• Selected for inclusion in Top 10: Minnesota Super Lawyers®, 2005, 2009–2017, 2019-2023
• Selected for inclusion in Top 100: Minnesota Super Lawyers®, 2003–2023
• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in the High Net Worth Guide 2021–2023
• Selected as one of 2012 Minnesota Lawyer Attorneys of the Year
• AV® Preeminent peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Order of the Coif, University of Minnesota Law School Minnesota Law Review

• Minnesota State Bar Association, Family and Civil Litigation Sections
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Family and Civil Litigation Sections
• American Bar Association, Family and Civil Litigation Sections

• Managed $1M construction project, Edina Morningside Community Church, 2018
• Current member Board of Trustees and Stewardship Member, Edina Morningside Community Church, 2018
• Member of Board of Visitors, University of Minnesota Law School, 1989–1995
• Director of Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Minnesota

• Expert Witness: testified as an expert witness in legal malpractice cases in Minnesota state courts and retained to provide expert testimony in other cases that were resolved without trial
• Adjunct Professor of Law, Family Law Negotiation Seminar, University of Minnesota, 2000–2003
• Adjunct Professor of Law, Writing Instructor, University of Minnesota, mid–1970s
• Adjunct Professor of Law, Trial Practice Instructor, William Mitchell College of Law, mid–1970s

• Co-Author, “Working with Financial Experts,” Family Law Financial Deskbook, Second Edition May 2018
• Co-Author, “Insights into Family Law,” monthly column in Minnesota Lawyer
• Co-Author, “Confronting Ethical Issues in Practice: The Trial Lawyer’s Dilemma,” ABA’s Family Law Quarterly, 2011 Spring Edition

• Panelist, “Earnouts: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” 19th Annual MNCPA Business Valuation Conference, October 2019
• Presenter, “Tax Reform and its Impact on Divorce Litigation,” 18th Annual MNCPA Business Valuation Conference, October 2018
• Numerous Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars on family law topics including: valuation of businesses, income taxes and marital dissolution, and determination and division of retirement programs in marital dissolutions, through 2017