Stephen E. Yoch

Practice Areas

• Business Organizations and Transactional
  • General Corporate Law
  • Business Acquisition and Sale
  • Commercial Contracts
• Real Estate Law
  • Construction Law
  • Land Acquisition and Sale
  • Lease Negotiations
  • Landlord Tenant Disputes
• Civil/Commercial Litigation
• Cyber Security and Response

Representative Work

• Steve provides general corporate advice to a variety of businesses, including manufacturing, real estate, construction and service companies.  He has expertise in cyber security prevention and response.
• His transactional experience includes business acquisition and sale, construction agreements, land acquisition and sale, business contracts, and lease negotiation.
• His litigation experience includes contract, shareholder, construction, landlord/tenant, non-competition, probate and copyright claims.

Stephen E. Yoch

Professional Certifications, Awards and Designations

• Named in Super Lawyers®, 2003-2020
• Rated “AV Preeminent” (highest rating) by Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory
• Cybersecurity and Privacy Law Certificate, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
• Certified Distance Education Instructor, IDECC & Arello

Bar Admissions

• Wisconsin, 2003
• Minnesota, 1990

Education

• J.D., University of Minnesota, cum laude, 1990
• B.A., Boston College, cum laude and Scholar of the College, 1987

Articles

Written over 50 articles on legal topics.  Examples include:

• The “Minnesota Real Estate Deskbook”, published by Minnesota CLE (Co-editor)
• “All Breaches Are Not Created Equal – Understanding Default and Breach”
• “Before You Cash That Check…”
• “Can You be Bound by an Arbitration Agreement You Didn’t Sign?”
• “Email: When ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Means ‘You’ve Got a Deal’!”
• “Force Majeure – A Clause for Our Times”
• “Getting Paid in the Event of a General Contractor Bankruptcy”
• “Hey! They stole my plans! Architectural Copyright in Minnesota”
• “How Do You Sign a Contract?”
• “Indemnification Agreements – You Want Me to Pay for What?”
• “It’s Not Easy Being Green: Legal Pitfalls of Green Construction”
• “Key Warranty Issues”
• “Legal Implications of Building Information Modeling”
• “Legally Running a Company (or Else)”
• “Limitation on Damages Clauses – We Made a BIG Mistake!”
• “Real Estate Deskbook — Property Tax Considerations”
• “Right to Audit Provisions – Trust But Verify”
• “Selecting an Entity and Controlling It”
• “Summary Guide to Construction Claims”
• “The Personal Side to Personal Guarantees”
• “The Tides are Turning – Weathering the Storm of Uncertain Financing”
• “Warranties 101”

Presentations

Presented and taught over 50 seminars and classes to lawyers and industry groups.  Examples include:

• “What You Need to Know About Cyber Security & Social Media Attacks”
• “Essentials in Protecting Yourself from Personal Liability Claims”
• “I Want Out of the Deal! Minnesota’s Statutory Cancellation”
• “Leasing in Troubled Times: Negotiating and Enforcing Commercial Leases in a Distressed Market”
• “Modifications of Owners Plans – Cost or Opportunity?”
• “Mortgage Fraud Prosecutions in Minnesota”
• “Negotiating and Completing Commercial Real Estate Closings”
• “Summary Guide to Construction Claims”
• “The Eye of the Storm: Preparing for the Next Cyber Security Incident”
• “Three Stupid Legal Mistakes in Leases”
• “Work-Outs, Debt Restructuring, and Other Ways to Stay Financially Fit”
• “You Can’t Do That! Restraints on Trade: Non-Competes, Confidentiality and Other Agreements”

• BATC Foundation – Volunteer Attorney
• Minnesota CLE Real Estate Institute Planning Committee
• Board of Trustees, Mounds View School Educational Foundation
• Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS), Volunteer Attorney for 25+ years.  Steve talks about how he began working with SMRLS: