Christopher R. Jones

Chris has nurtured close client relationships since he joined Hellmuth & Johnson in 2004. Today, he is a partner and a member of the Real Estate, Construction, and Litigation practices. His clients include contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, business owners, and property owners. He represents them in mediations, arbitrations, administrative hearings, and district court actions regarding mechanic’s liens, construction defect disputes, real estate and other business and commercial disputes and investigations.

He assists his construction industry clients on contract issues, project disputes, and general legal matters, taking a problem-solving approach to resolve disputes quickly and efficiently. Chris also works to prevent future disputes by drafting and reviewing construction contracts, assisting in project documentation, and establishing preliminary dispute resolution procedures. His construction industry clients also hire him to handle regulatory and legal compliance matters on their behalf.

Chris represents both buyers and sellers in real estate sale misrepresentation cases, including arbitrations. He frequently teaches seminars on sale disclosure issues to real estate agents, who are frequently the first point of contact when a problem arises. In all matters, he works diligently to achieve the best outcome possible while trying to minimize the tensions inherent in these types of matters.

Over the years, Chris has obtained significant monetary recoveries on behalf of clients with homes damaged by water intrusion, water damage, and construction deficiencies. Those recoveries have helped homeowners get their homes repaired and resolve the ongoing issues. “The process can be challenging and intimidating for those who lack guidance,” explains Chris, “so I steer my clients through it quickly, yet aggressively and effectively, to maximize the possible recovery under the circumstances.”

Chris’s clients benefit from his focus on relationship building. “It’s all about establishing trust,” he says. “To do that, I never sugarcoat the truth but provide an honest assessment of a case at each stage and evaluate what makes sense going forward. In addition, I place a premium on organization and timeliness. All these things form the basis of a real partnership, and that, in turn, enables me to represent my clients as effectively as possible.”

Chris is licensed to practice in the state and federal trial courts of Minnesota and North Dakota, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.


Assistant


Experience

  • Represented a homeowners association in a construction defect case, resulting in a settlement well in excess of six figures
  • Represented a subcontractor seeking payment for work on a large construction project
  • Negotiated a six-figure settlement with an insurance company on behalf of a property owner after coverage had been denied
  • Represented sellers in a dispute over property conditions, settling for a fraction of the amount being sought by the opposing party

In The News

Thought Leadership

Affiliations

  • Member of the Hennepin County and Minnesota State Bar Associations.

Community

  • Author of the article “An Agent’s Guide – Understanding Real Estate Disclosure Laws”.
  • Elected in November 2016 to the Board of Directors of the Community Associations Institute – Minnesota Chapter (CAI-MN), serving as President in 2020.
  • Served a four-year term on the Board of Directors (including one year as President for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Minnesota Chapter (NARI-MN). Current chair of the Program & Education Committee.
  • Served as a commissioner (2009-2018) on the Planning Commission for the City of Savage and is also a past Board member and President of The Pointe Homeowners Association in Savage, Minn.

Honors & Awards

  • Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Star® – 2008-2010, 2012-2014
  • Minnesota Super Lawyers® – 2022

Presentations

  • Top Terms & Clauses in Construction Contracts and Subcontracts, NARI National webinar, 2021