Michael L. Gjesdahl, Senior Shareholder

Education:

• Fargo North High School, 1977
• University of North Dakota, B.S., Public Administration, 1982
• University of North Dakota School of Law, JD, 1985

Licenses and Admissions:

• State Bar of California, 1985 (presently inactive status)
• State Bar of North Dakota, 1989
• State Bar of Minnesota, 1989
• U.S. District Court, California, 1985
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, 1986
• U.S. District Court, North Dakota, 1989
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2001

Professional Associations/Memberships:

• North Dakota Bar Association, 1989
• Minnesota Bar Association, 1989
• California Bar Association, 1985
• American Bar Association
• Cass County Bar Association
• Clay County Bar Association
• National Association of Counsel for Children
• International Academy of Collaborative Professional
• Collaborative Law Institute of Minnesota
• North Dakota Collaborative Law Group
• SBAND Inquiry Committee Southeast, 2017-2020

Presentations:

• 2012 - Family Law Basics; to Grand Forks Air Force Base Legal Office and the Air Force Legal Assistance Program
• 2014 - Divorce 101; to ND State Bar

Articles:

• “Custody Battle Brewing, What You Should Know,” On the Minds of Moms, 2011
• “Gestational Carriers and the Law,” On the Minds of Moms, 2014
• “Prenuptial Agreements: They’re Just for Rich People, Right?,” The Village Family Magazine, 2015

North Dakota Appeals:

• Sturdevant v. Fargo Culvert Company, 524 N.W.2d 762 (N.D. 1993)
• Alvarez v. Carlson, 524 N.W.2d 584 (ND 1994) 
• Ratajczak v. Ratajczak, 1997 ND 122, 565 N.W.2d 491 
• Jorgenson v. Ratajczak, 1999 ND 65, 592 N.W.2d 527
• Darling v. Gosselin, 1999 ND 8, 589 N.W.2d 192 
• Schmitz v. Schmitz, 2001 ND 19, 622 N.W.2d 176
• Peters-Riemers vs. Riemers, 2001 ND 62, 624 N.W.2d 83 
• Peters-Riemers vs. Riemers, 2002 ND 49, 641 N.W.2d 83 
• Peters-Riemers vs. Riemers, 2004 ND 28, 674 N.W.2d 287 
• Schmitz v. Schmitz, 2001 ND 19, 622 N.W.2d 176
• Wambheim v. Wambheim, 2001 (briedfed, then dismissed)
• Bladow v. Bladow, 2003 ND 123, 665 N.W.2d 724 
• Larson v. Larson, 2005 ND 67, 694 N.W.2d 
• Hanson v. Hanson, 2005 ND 82, 695 N.W.2d 205 
• Siewert v. Siewert, 2008 ND 221, 758 N.W.2d 691 
• Conzemius v. Conzemius, 2014 ND 5, 841 N.W.2d 719 
• McCarthy v. McCarthy, 2014 ND 234, 856 N.W.2d 762 
• Stock v. Stock, 2016 ND 1, 873 N.W.2d 38 
• Krasheninnik v. Dokmak (dismissed due to appellee's death)
• Lessard v Johnson, 2019 ND 301, 936 N.W.2d 528
• Wesley v Wesley, (dismissed)
• Wisnewski v. Wisnewski, 2020 ND 148, 945 N.W.2d 331
• Lessard v. Johnson, 2022 ND 32, 970 N.W.2d 160
• Fercho v. Fercho, et al. 2022 ND 214, 982 N.W.2d 540
• Johnson v. Brady, et al. #20220105
• Edison v. Edison, 2023 ND 141, 994 N.W.2d 151

Minnesota Appeals:

• Richter v. Richter, 625 N.W.2d 490
• Singh v. Singh #A21-1608
• Singh v. Singh (pending)

Representative Clients:

• Entrepreneur with marital estate worth $200M+, over $100M of which was comprised of trust assets (divorce).
• Owner of paving company with estate of $20M+, including inherited assets (divorce).
• Owner of paving company with estate of $30M+, and involving child-related issues (divorce).
• Owner of engineering business, numerous small businesses, and substantial real estate holdings, with an estate in excess of $25M+ (divorce).
• Wife of Emergency Room doctor (divorce).
• Wife of Trauma Surgeon (divorce).
• Plastic Surgeon (divorce).
• Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor (divorce).
• Wife of partner in law firm (divorce).
• Husband of partner in law firm (divorce).
• College Professor
• Owner of edible bean processing plant and marketing business (divorce).
• Owner of business that manufactures building materials, with marital estate of over $50M (divorce).
• Fiance of bank owner, involving hundreds of millions of dollars (prenuptial agreement).
• Fiance of entrepreneur, real estate and multiple business owner, involving hundreds of millions of dollars (prenuptial agreement).
• Sugar beet farmer, with estate of over $10M (divorce).
• Owner of Electrical Engineering company, with estate in excess of $20M (divorce)
• Owner of mortgage company.
• Owner of mechanical engineering company.
• Owner of business that manufactures feed supplements for cattle.
• Financial Planner.