qhe women of FREDRIKSON & BYRON law firm

Words by Paul Hankel

Photography by Dennis Krull, 5foot20 Design Lounge

Who They Are

Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. at first glance, appears to be a typical successful law practice. But if you look deeper, you’ll immediately notice something different: a successful business firm, committed to providing quality, experienced legal advice while making a conscious effort to hire and retain talented women professionals. This practice has lead to numerous awards and a growing number of clients that report being satisfied with the excellent services provided.

Founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1948, Fredrikson & Byron has offices throughout the Red River Valley including North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and several offices located internationally.

The Fargo office consists of 12 attorneys, 7 paralegals and 11 office and support staff. Five out of the 12 lawyers at Fredrikson & Byron are female, along with 100 percent of their support staff.

KRISTY ALBRECHT, Shareholder

• Employment and Labor, Litigation, Appellate

• Provides counsel to the Eastern North Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and other nonprofits

“I thoroughly enjoy working with clients and feel privileged to have colleagues who are great people and excellent professionals. We all strive to provide high-quality, client-focused services — which makes the practice truly enjoyable.”

ELIZABETH ALVINE, Associate

• Corporate Law

• Serves on the board of the Legacy Children’s Foundation

“One of the best parts of being an attorney with Fredrikson & Byron is having the opportunity to work for a law firm that highly values innovation and that has created a culture where working women not only thrive, but hold key leadership roles in the firm.”

KATIE PERLEBERG, Associate

• Trusts and Estates

• Serves on the board of the Fargo-Moorhead Opera Company and Theatre B

“Through Fredrikson & Byron I have been able to pursue a variety of experiences and opportunities that have shaped my life both personally and professionally.”

JESSICA FOSS, Associate

• Trusts and Estates

“I feel lucky to work at Fredrikson because I love what I do, who I work with, and because this firm truly offers work-life balance.”

AUBREY ZUGER, Associate

• Commercial Litigation , Employment and Labor

• Serves on the board for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley

• Secretary-Treasurer of the State Bar Association of North Dakota

“I have the privilege of working with great clients and smart colleagues in a supportive law firm, while at the same time serving on boards within the community and spending valuable time with my husband and three kids. What could be better?”

What They Do

Fredrikson & Byron specializes in business law and offers its clients creativity and experience when dealing with many of the complex business issues they face. Their services include:

Corporate and Transactional Work

Business Litigation

Civil Litigation

Contracts

Employment and Labor Law

Mergers and Acquisitions

Real Estate

Trusts and Estate Planning

One of the things Fredrikson & Byron encourages its employees to practice is work-life balance. While the attorneys and staff are certainly busy, the firm also wants its employees to enjoy the other aspects of life including family time and community service and involvement.

AWARDS and ACCOLADES

• In 2013, the firm’s Fargo office was honored for being a Business/Organization that Empowers Women at the 40th Annual YWCA Cass Clay Women of the Year event, celebrating the most influential and impactful women and businesses in the Cass-Clay community.

• For the fifth year in a row, Fredrikson & Byron was named one of the 2015 Best Law Firms for Women by Working Mother and Flex-Time Lawyers LLC.

• In 2015 Fredrikson & Byron received the Leadership Award by the Minnesota Women Lawyers (MWL).

• Fredrikson & Byron was ranked third among the Top 100 Firms for Female Attorneys by Law360.

Fredrikson & Byron’s Fargo office is located at 51 Broadway, Suite 400, in downtown Fargo.

Youth in North Dakota need your support.

Youthworks is seeking host home families to provide a stable and loving environment for youth victims of human trafficking. Host home parents are compensated for their time and provided with training and 24-hour support.