Blake R. Nelson

Attorney at Law

“I strive to know my clients’ businesses as well as they do, but the real value I provide lies in my understanding of all the moving parts surrounding the business, transaction or dispute. My job is to see the bigger picture, which enables me to quickly and cost-efficiently analyze and address my clients’ needs.”

Blake R. Nelson

Attorney at Law

“I strive to know my clients’ businesses as well as they do, but the real value I provide lies in my understanding of all the moving parts surrounding the business, transaction or dispute. My job is to see the bigger picture, which enables me to quickly and cost-efficiently analyze and address my clients’ needs.”

Blake R. Nelson

Blake’s clients don’t conduct business in a vacuum, nor does he take that approach to practicing law. “My clients don’t need me to duplicate their expertise; they count on my guidance when their business intersects with construction, real estate transactions, lending, corporate matters, collections, and many other areas.”

He represents businesses in many industries, handling:

  • Real estate purchases, sales and development
  • Construction contracts, projects and all facets of construction law
  • Mechanic’s liens and payment bond claims
  • Commercial leases
  • Contractor licensing and enforcement actions
  • Entity formation and buy-sell agreements
  • General corporate representation
  • Loan documents and transactions

Blake also counsels and assists clients in every phase of creditor remedies, from reviewing and improving contracts and credit applications to recovering accounts receivable, filing and enforcing liens, and obtaining and collecting judgments. Outside of his successful law practice, Blake also serves in other areas of the community and has been honored numerous times over the years.

Blake offers potential new clients a free 30-minute initial phone consultation either by phone or in person.

He is licensed to practice law in the Minnesota state and federal courts.

EXPERIENCE

  • Land acquisition, development, financing, and construction of Hellmuth & Johnson building in Edina, Minnesota
  • Land acquisition, development, financing and construction of multiple apartment buildings in Uptown area of Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Negotiation of subcontracts for new Texas Rangers stadium
  • Negotiation of subcontracts for new Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Land acquisition and redevelopment of numerous gas station properties
  • Land acquisition, redevelopment and financing of medical buildings and facilities
  • 20-year+ representation of one of largest owners and developers of office and other commercial properties in Minnesota
  • Representation of developer for $25 million HUD loan for construction and ownership of apartment building in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Representation of developers and property owners for hundreds of millions of dollars of non-recourse financing with life insurance company and other lenders
  • Acquisition, ownership and leasing of shopping centers, office buildings, warehouses, restaurants, apartment buildings, triple-net investments properties and numerous other commercial properties

IN THE NEWS

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Affiliations

  • Member, Hennepin County Bar Association
  • Member, Minnesota State Bar Association

Community

  • Minnesota Subcontractors Association (MSA), Board of Directors – Secretary
  • Former five-year member of the board of directors of a local Minnesota bank, whose original president and CEO called Blake an “outside the box thinker” who helped the new bank get on its feet and build a market presence
  • Six-year member and investigator for the Fourth District Ethics Committee, which provides recommendations to the Office of Lawyers’ Professional Responsibility on ethics cases
  • Fellow, Hennepin County Bar Foundation
  • Co-Chair, Gusties In Business

Honors & Awards

  • Minnesota State Bar Association Certified Real Property Law Specialist, a designation held by a select few Minnesota attorneys
  • The Best Lawyers in America® – Real Estate Law, 2023-2025
  • Minnesota Super Lawyers® – 2002-2024
  • Minnesota Monthly Top Lawyers in Minnesota Real Estate Law, 2023 & 2024
  • Real Estate Lawyer of the Year – Minnesota Real Estate Journal, 2022
  • Fellow, Construction Lawyers Society of America
  • AV peer-review rated by Martindale-Hubbell since 2005, the highest possible rating, which reflects professional excellence, several years of practice, and outstanding skill and integrity
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” top business leader in 2009

EDUCATION

  • William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1995

  • Gustavus Adolphus College, B.S., cum laude, 1992

ADMISSIONS

  • Minnesota State and Federal Courts

CONTACT INFORMATION

Direct: 952-746-2131

PRACTICE AREAS

ASSISTANT

Crystal M. Truman