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Moss & Barnett is pleased to congratulate our 26 lawyers who have been included in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America^® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America^®, with special congratulations to Yuri B. Berndt* and Jana Aune Deach* who have been named as 2026 "Lawyers of the Year" in Minneapolis. This is the 32nd edition of The Best Lawyers in America and the sixth edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. 

For over 40 years, Best Lawyers has been esteemed by both legal professionals and the public as a premier benchmark for legal integrity and distinction in the United States. The Best Lawyers methodology is a purely peer-based review process designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Only about five percent of practicing U.S. attorneys earn a Best Lawyer distinction, underscoring the award’s exclusivity. Nearly 30,000 lawyers participated in the voting process this year, providing more than 3.4 million confidential evaluations to assess roughly 130,000 vetted nominees. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America is tailored to attorneys with fewer than ten years in practice and spotlights rising legal talent demonstrating excellence in private practice. Each honoree exemplifies strong discipline, reputation, and professional respect, marking a key milestone early in their careers.

Moss & Barnett would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to the 2026 Best Lawyers publications:

The Best Lawyers in America

• Cindy J. Ackerman – Trusts and Estates
• Todd J. Anlauf – Real Estate Law
• Yuri B. Berndt* – Corporate Law, Litigation and Controversy-Tax, Tax Law, and Trusts and Estates
• John P. Boyle – Commercial Litigation, Litigation-Labor and Employment Law, and Litigation-Real Estate
• Nathan M. Brandenburg – Real Estate Law
• Craig A. Brandt – Litigation-Labor and Employment Law
• Jana Aune Deach* – Family Law
• Christopher Ferreira – Real Estate Law
• Maggie H. Garborg – Real Estate Law
• Timothy L. Gustin – Real Estate Law
• David S. Johnson – Real Estate Law
• Jodi L. Johnson – Real Estate Law
• Richard J. Johnson – Administrative/Regulatory Law and Energy Law
• Richard J. Kelber – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• John M. Schmid – Real Estate Law
• Joseph G. Socha – Trusts and Estates
• Christopher D. Stall – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Bryant D. Tchida – Commercial Litigation 
• James J. Vedder – Family Law
• Patrick T. Zomer – Energy Law and Energy Regulatory Law

Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America

• Leah E. DeGrazia – Real Estate Law
• Aylix K. Jensen – Financial Services Regulation Law
• Austin J. Malinowski – Commercial Litigation, Litigation-Labor and Employment Law, and Litigation-Real Estate
• Erik L. Romsaas – Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• April L. Will – Family Law

Best Lawyers: Lawyer of the Year*

• Yuri B. Berndt – Litigation and Controversy-Tax
• Jana Aune Deach – Family Law