Our people
James Magnuson
Commercial litigation, business transactions & private client matters
James Magnuson is a litigator and trial attorney whose work spans commercial disputes, business transactions, real estate, and individually tailored trusts and estates.
Litigation experience that informs business advice
James represents businesses and individuals in commercial and shareholder disputes. His experience includes employment law and First Amendment issues, as well as cases for both large companies and individual clients.
His litigation work informs his approach to transactions: understanding where relationships break down and structuring agreements to address issues before they become disputes. He is a contributing author to Shareholder Litigation, published by Thomson Reuters.
Business transactions & real estate
James has provided corporate transactional services to large Minnesota companies and advised owners forming and growing their own businesses. His work includes organization, strategy, expansion, corporate winding up and bankruptcy-related issues.
He is a contributing author to Advising Minnesota Corporations and Other Business Organizations, published by Juris Publishing. His real estate work ranges from land purchases to foreclosure matters for businesses and individuals.
Trusts, estates & probate
James assists individuals and families with estate plans tailored to their circumstances, from complex trusts to more straightforward estates. His work extends to probate proceedings and the practical questions that arise in administering an estate.
Education & admissions
- University of Minnesota Law School — J.D.
- Carleton College — B.A., Economics.
- Minnesota state and federal courts — licensed since 2008.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Publications & speaking
- Contributing author, Advising Minnesota Corporations and Other Business Organizations — Juris Publishing.
- Contributing author, Shareholder Litigation — Thomson Reuters.
James has lectured at continuing legal education programs on commercial litigation and real estate subjects. He has also been interviewed about his cases by Time Magazine and Fox 9 News.
Community
James has served as an elder of Straitgate Church in Minneapolis, where he has participated since childhood. The church was founded by his father, Roger Magnuson, whose example helped shape James’s commitment to advocacy.
Agricultural litigation experience
James and Matthew Bialick represented Star Bank in Star Bank v. Anderson, a 2024 Minnesota Court of Appeals case involving grain fronting and agricultural collateral. The nonprecedential opinion affirmed enforcement of the bank’s security interest in corn purchased by an ethanol producer.