Real Estate Attorneys in Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN
Know What You’re Signing.
Know What You Own.
Real estate transactions (whether residential or commercial) often involve legal decisions that go beyond what an agent or title company handles. Purchase agreements, title issues, lease terms, construction defects, misrepresentations about the condition of the property, entity structure, financing arrangements — these details matter enormously, and the consequences of getting them wrong can follow you for years.
At Klemp & Stanton, we’ve been handling real estate law for individuals, families, investors, and businesses across the Twin Cities for more than 35 years. We work on both the residential and commercial sides — from a family buying their first home to a business owner acquiring a commercial property and structuring the LLC to hold it.
We bring the same careful, plain-spoken approach to every transaction — making sure you understand what you’re signing, what your rights are, and where the risks are before you’re committed.
Why You Need a Twin Cities Real Estate Attorney
Your real estate agent is focused on the transaction. They try to draft purchase agreements, they but often miss key details. Your title company is focused on the closing. Neither one is your legal advocate — and neither one is qualified to identify or resolve the legal issues that can surface in a real estate deal. Those issues are more common than most buyers and sellers realize, and they’re almost always easier and less expensive to address before closing than after.
A real estate attorney can help you:
- Review and negotiate purchase agreements before you sign
- Identify title issues, easements, boundary disputes, encumbrances, encroachments, and other problems that could affect your ownership
- Review and explain closing documents so you understand what you’re agreeing to
- Draft or review lease agreements that protect your interests as a landlord or tenant
- Structure commercial transactions to minimize risk and tax exposure
- Resolve disputes that arise before, during, or after a transaction
Contracts & Agreements
We draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of business contracts and commercial agreements, including:
- Business and asset purchase agreements
- Shareholder, member control, and partnership agreements
- Buy-sell agreements and stock redemption agreements
- Employment agreements, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements
- Commercial and residential leases and licensing agreements
- Loan documentation, promissory notes, and security agreements
- Distribution, royalty, and commission agreements
Whether you’re entering a new business relationship, restructuring an existing one, or trying to understand what you’ve already signed, we’ll make sure you know exactly what you’re agreeing to — and what happens if the other side doesn’t hold up their end of the deal.
Corporations, LLCs & Partnerships
We help clients form and structure all types of business entities, including:
- Corporations (S-Corp and C-Corp)
- Limited Liability Companies (LLC and PLLC)
- Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP and PLLP)
- General and limited partnerships
- Professional corporations and associations
- Joint Ventures
But formation is just the beginning. We also help existing businesses restructure when circumstances change — bringing in new partners or shareholders, transitioning from a sole proprietorship to an LLC or corporation, dissolving a partnership, or reorganizing to account for growth or succession.
Selecting the right structure depends on your short and long-term goals, your current and anticipated tax position, and the nature of your business. We’ll work through those factors with you and recommend the structure that makes the most sense — not just for today, but for where you want to be in five or ten years.
Purchase & Sale Agreements
We handle all aspects of business purchase and sale transactions, including:
- Asset and equity acquisition and sale agreements
- Business entity purchase agreements
- Due diligence review and guidance
- Creation and review of organizational documents including articles of incorporation, bylaws, operating agreements, shareholder agreements and member control agreements
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Transition planning and post-closing obligations
Whether you’re buying a business for the first time or selling one you’ve spent decades building, we’ll make sure the definitive agreement and related documentation reflects the deal you actually negotiated — and protects you from surprises and unintended consequences that can surface after closing.
Shareholder Matters
We help business owners structure ownership arrangements that are clear, fair, and built to handle the unexpected, including:
- Shareholder and member control agreements that define decision-making authority and voting rights
- Buy-sell agreements that establish what happens when an owner wants to exit, becomes incapacitated, or dies
- Stock redemption and cross-purchase agreements
- Minority shareholder rights and dispute resolution
- Partner and shareholder dispute negotiation and litigation
A well-drafted shareholder agreement won’t prevent every conflict, but it will make sure that when conflicts arise, there’s a clear path forward that doesn’t require a courtroom to resolve.
Contract Disputes & Debt Collection
We effectively handle commercial contract disputes and business debt collection matters including:
- Breach of contract claims between businesses or individuals
- Commercial and residential lease disputes
- Non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreement enforcement
- Shareholder, equity-owner, and partnership disputes
- Business debt collection, including obtaining and enforcing money judgments
- Wage garnishment and asset collection
We’ll always tell you upfront whether your matter is better suited for negotiation, mediation, or litigation — and a range of pricing for what each path is likely to cost. Our goal is to resolve your dispute as efficiently as possible, without unnecessary stress and legal fees on either side.
Real Estate Law Services for MN Buyers, Sellers & Investors
Residential Purchase & Sale
We assist residential buyers and sellers with:
- Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating purchase agreements
- Reviewing title commitments and addressing title defects or exceptions
- Identifying and resolving issues with surveys, easements, and encumbrances
- Reviewing closing documents and explaining what you’re signing
- Resolving disputes that arise before or after closing
- Post-closing issues including warranty claims and boundary disputes
Your real estate agent will tell you what a home is worth and help you negotiate the price. We’ll make sure the legal terms of the deal actually protect you — and that you understand them before you sign.
Commercial Purchase & Sale
We assist buyers and sellers of commercial property with:
- Drafting and negotiating commercial purchase and sale agreements
- Due diligence review, including title, zoning, and environmental matters
- Review and negotiation of existing leases affecting the property
- Entity formation for commercial buyers, including LLC formation for investment properties
- Loan documentation and financing arrangements
- Closing coordination and post-closing obligations
We also work frequently with commercial buyers who are forming or restructuring a business entity as part of their acquisition — making sure the ownership structure makes sense not just for the transaction but for the long term.
Leases
We draft, review, and negotiate:
- Commercial leases for landlords and tenants
- Retail and office lease agreements
- Residential lease agreements
- Lease amendments and extensions
- Sublease agreements
- Lease amendment and termination agreements
Common lease issues we help clients navigate include unclear maintenance and repair obligations, inadequate tenant improvement allowances, problematic assignment and subletting provisions, and personal guarantee requirements that expose business owners to individual liability. We’ll make sure you know what you’re agreeing to before you sign — and that the agreement actually reflects the deal you negotiated.
Contracts for Deed
But contracts for deed carry real risks for both parties if they’re not structured correctly. Buyers need to make sure their interests are protected during the payment period. Sellers need to make sure they have clear remedies if the buyer defaults — including the ability to cancel the contract and recover the property efficiently under Minnesota law.
We assist both buyers and sellers with:
- Drafting and reviewing contracts for deed
- Explaining the rights and obligations of both parties
- Structuring the agreement to minimize risk and tax exposure
- Addressing default, cancellation, and remedy provisions
- Resolving disputes that arise during the contract period
Frequently Asked Questions about MN Real Estate Law
Do I need a real estate attorney if I already have an agent?
What can a real estate attorney do that a title company can't?
When should I involve a real estate attorney in a transaction?
What is a contract for deed and is it a good idea?
What should I look for in a commercial lease?
Do I need an LLC to buy investment property in Minnesota?
Let's Talk Before You Sign
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