Attorney Profiles

Jeffrey C. O'Brien is a partner with Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, P.A. practicing in the areas of business and corporate law, real estate law, estate and business succession planning and probate law. He also currently serves as the Firm's Marketing Director and Editor of the Firm's monthly e-newsletter, E-Watch.

Mr. O'Brien has dealt with a diverse array of businesses and business owners in his practice including real estate developers and investors, community banks, restaurant operators, manufacturing companies, franchised businesses, financial advisors and insurance agents and members of the entertainment industry. He has significant experience with the formation of new businesses and he currently oversees the Mansfield Tanick & Cohen Business INCubation Center, a unique program designed to assist new and developing businesses in their formative years.

Mr. O'Brien's practice occasionally involves litigation and he has argued before various District Courts of the State of Minnesota as well as the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He has also appeared before the United States District Court for the State of Minnesota, the United States Bankruptcy Court, the Minnesota Supreme Court and he has appeared pro hac vice in the State of Ohio Court of Common Pleas and the California Superior Court.

Mr. O'Brien attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and graduated with honors in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering as a member of the first class of students to graduate with such a degree. He received his juris doctor with honors from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2000 and is admitted to practice in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Mr. O'Brien has been active in politics and public policy for many years. Prior to law school, Mr. O'Brien worked as a research assistant for various public policy organizations, including the Washington, D.C. lobbying firm of former U.S. Senator David Durenberger and the Minneapolis-based Center of the American Experiment as part of the Minnesota Policy Blueprint, a comprehensive review of Minnesota's executive branch of government. He has also volunteered on campaigns for federal, state and local candidates.

He has held numerous leadership positions in a wide variety of organizations, including the Founding President of the University of St. Thomas Student Chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (1995-96), State Chairman of the Minnesota College Republicans (1998-99), a past member of the Board of Directors of The Gaia Collective, a non-profit theater group dedicated to telling the stories of women.

Prior to joining Mansfield Tanick & Cohen, Mr. O'Brien was involved with several first amendment/election law matters, most notably the 2000 Second U.S. Congressional District recount and the 2002 absentee ballot controversy arising from the untimely death of U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone.

A frequent lecturer and writer, Mr. O'Brien has presented and written articles on a variety of topics such as asset protection planning, entity conversions, real estate lending and loan documentation and other general business matters.

Mr. O'Brien has been named a Minnesota Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2008 by Minnesota Law & Politics Magazine, a designation reserved for only 2.5 percent of all attorneys in Minnesota. He was also selected for inclusion in Who's Who in American Executives and Professionals for 2008.

A resident of Albertville, Minnesota and an active member of the local community, Mr. O'Brien is a member of the Board of Directors of his neighborhood homeowners' association. He is also the President of a BNI chapter in Dayton, Minnesota and is active in the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also previously served as a member of a citizens committee investigating the possibility of bringing city wide wireless internet to the City of Albertville.