Jessica leverages her exceptional knowledge and passion in litigation to assist clients in construction, medical benefits/ERISA matters and business and commercial litigation.
Overview
Clients trust Jessica to guide them to comprehensive solutions. She is an experienced litigator focusing her practice on construction, real estate litigation, medical benefits/ERISA, property tax appeals, premises liability and personal injury claims. She has gained invaluable experience working with clients from various industries, including private entities, banking and financial institutions, insurance companies, colleges, school districts, park districts and villages.
Jessica is a former transactional attorney experienced in commercial real estate transactions, lease negotiation and corporate formation. Her experience in these areas uniquely equips her to excel as a litigator and gives her an advantage when navigating complex legal disputes and advocate effectively her for clients.
Jessica enjoys giving back to the community through pro bono legal services. She has donated significant time helping clients resolve litigated matters, volunteers with the firm's Deinard Legal Clinic and co-captains Hearts & Hammers every year.
When not working, Jessica likes hiking, biking and enjoying the outdoors.
Experience
Construction
Represents contractors, developers and owners in litigation and dispute resolution including design and construction defect claims, payment disputes, bid protests, project delays and invoking payment and performance bonds.
Assists clients with transactional work including, drafting and negotiating construction contracts, American Institute of Architects documents, such as owner/contractor agreements, owner/architect agreements, construction management agreements and general conditions, bid packages and requests for proposals.
Medical Benefits/ERISA
Represents insurers, third-party administrators and sponsors of employee welfare benefits plans in claims for failure to pay health care benefits and wrongful denial of benefits under employee benefit plans and on the No Surprises Act.
Successfully obtained summary judgement on denial of benefits claims, both under ERISA and the state law breach of contract theories.
Successfully obtained dismissals of claims against Medicare Part C Insurers for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and on preemption grounds.
Real Estate Litigation
Represents clients in various real estate disputes, including breach of contract, judicial and non-judicial foreclosure actions, evictions, title actions, zoning changes, condemnation actions and easement disputes.
Premise Liability/ Personal Injury
Conducted a comprehensive investigation of a boiler replacement incident that left an occupied building filled with smoke.
Resolved a large multimillion dollar personal injury suit against a corporation.
Represented property owners and insurance companies defending slip and fall claims.
Property Tax
Represented both taxpayers and governmental bodies in commercial and residential tax appeals including nursing homes, big box retail, hotels, power plants, shopping centers, offices, auto body shops, apartment complexes, manufacturing plants, warehouses, farms and mines.
Successfully overturned an unfavorable decision from the Property Tax Appeal Board that misinterpreted a section of the Illinois Property Tax Code for supportive living facilities which resulted in a change of assessment of almost $1 million.
News & Insights
News
Speaking Engagements
Co-presenter, "Attorney Client Privilege & Interactions with Third-Party Consultants (Ethics)," ABA Forum on Construction Law, Midwinter Meeting, Tampa, Florida, January 2025
Co-presenter, “2022 Construction Law Case Update,” Minnesota State Bar Association, January 2023
Co-presenter, “2021 Construction Law Case Update,” Minnesota State Bar Association, December 2021
"Property Tax Assessment Challenges and How to Defend Your Tax Base," PMA Financial Network, LLC, Chicago, Illinois, June 2020
"Construction Law 101," National Business Institute, Altoona, Wisconsin, December 2019
Publications
Contributing author, “Compelling Subcontractor Participation in Owner-Contractor Arbitration Using a Joinder Clause,” ABA Under Construction, Summer 2022
Contributing author, "Contagion Waivers as a COVID-19 Pandemic Risk Management Tool," Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, 2020
Contributing author, "Public Body Social Media Rules Make Retention, Ready Retrieval Imperative," Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, 2019
Contributing author, "How Far Does the Law Allow Schools to Go?" UPDATE Magazine, Illinois Association of School Business Officials, 2018
Recognitions
Recognitions
Selected to Minnesota Lawyer's Power List: Construction and Real Estate Attorneys, 2025
Professional & Civic Activities
Professional & Civic Activities
American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law
- Division 1 Steering Committee
- Division 1 Membership Committee Liaison
- Former Division 1 Technology Liaison
- Assistant Editor-in-Chief of The Dispute Resolver
- ABA Forum on Construction Law 2024 Diversity Fellowship Recipient
Minnesota State Bar Association, Construction Law Section, Council Member
Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Education
Florida Coastal School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2013
University of Minnesota, B.A., Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Deviance, 2010
