Lenae M. Pederson
Partner33 S. Sixth Street
Suite 4300
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Lenae focuses her practice on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis on professional liability, products liability, and catastrophic loss matters. She represents design professionals, manufacturers, and businesses in high-stakes disputes, helping them navigate risk and achieve efficient, effective outcomes.
In her professional liability practice, Lenae defends architects and engineers in both private and public construction projects. Her experience spans a wide range of design-related claims, including highway, building, roofing, parking ramp, mechanical system, and specialized equipment design. She has successfully defended engineers at trial in cases involving millions of dollars at stake.
Lenae also represents manufacturers and distributors in products liability matters, including claims involving construction equipment, recreational vehicles, and small machinery. She has defended a major automotive manufacturer in multiple Lemon Law cases, including jury trials.
In addition, she defends international companies in food-related litigation as part of the firm’s Safety, Toxic Tort & Environmental practice group.
Clients work with Lenae for:
- Defense of design professionals in complex construction-related claims
- Representation in high-exposure products liability and catastrophic loss matters
- Trial advocacy in cases involving significant financial risk
- Strategic guidance from early case assessment through resolution
She advises clients throughout the litigation process, from initial case evaluation through discovery, motion practice, and trial, while also providing guidance on business practices to help reduce future risk.
Lenae takes a hands-on approach to every matter, working to quickly understand the technical issues unique to each client’s industry so she can build an effective, tailored defense strategy.
She regularly speaks on litigation topics for local and national organizations and serves as an affiliated professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Outside the office, Lenae volunteers with legal mentoring programs and enjoys traveling to sunny destinations with her daughter.
- William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., 2001
- Florida International University, B.S., 1995
- Ammonia explosion with claims exceeding $100 million for property damage and business interruption
- Multi-million dollar claim involving pneumatic chemical conveying system
- Dispute involving packaging used in commercial food operation with business interruption and lost profits claim
- Manufacturer of peanut butter in what was then the largest food recall case in U.S. history
- International producer of meat products in a Salmonella matter
- Wrongful death
- Loss of limb, hearing and sight
- Paraplegia and quadriplegia
- Brain injuries
- International manufacturer of vehicles in Lemon Law claims
- Agricultural equipment including augers, corn pickers, hay balers, and silos
- Industrial equipment including ammonia systems, chemical conveying systems, and custom-built equipment
- Dock and warehouse equipment including forklifts, manlifts and reach trucks
- Construction equipment including bulldozers, excavators, cranes, skid steer loaders and wheeled vehicles
- Defense of civil engineers in quadriplegia cases arising out of highway design
- Defense of catastrophic personal injury claims arising out of construction projects
- Delay claims involving commercial projects ranging from condominiums to auxiliary-use developments
- Structural failure cases involving commercial buildings and soil retention systems
- Federal Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Minnesota Women Lawyers
- Ramsey County Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Chair of Public Service, Trial Tactics Committee, 2015
- Chair of Membership, Trial Tactics Committee, 2012
- Chair of Sponsorship, Trial Tactics Seminar, 2012
- Steering Committee Member, Trial Tactics Seminar, 2012
- Steering Committee Member, Product Liability Seminar, 2012
- Lawyer Networking Vice-chair, Product Liability Committee, 2011-2012
- The Harmonie Group
- Board of Directors, 2023-Present
- Adjunct Professor, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, 2018-present
- Recognized as a Rising Star, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Co-presenter, Submittals and Delays, Kraus-Anderson Insurance 2023 Fall A&E Seminar (October 2023)
- Co-presenter, Contract Terms That Can Make or Break a Project, or Your Firm, Kraus-Anderson Insurance 2023 Fall A&E Seminar (October 2023)
- Co-presenter, Women in Hard Hats, The Harmonie Group Women of Harmonie webinar series (June 2022)
- CE Instructor and author of materials, Preventing and Defending Professional Liability Claims, HalfMoon Education webinar Legal, Regulatory, and Ethical Issues for Minnesota Engineers (May 2022)
- Co-presenter, Tips and Tricks as to Presentation of Complicated Information, The Harmonie Group Women of Harmonie webinar series (March 2021)
- Lecturer, Technology in Jury Selection, The Harmonie Group Transportation & Construction Seminar 2019 (July 2019)
- Co-presenter, Design Professionals Do's and Don'ts When Claims Occur, Webinar, Cobb Strecker Dunphy & Zimmerman (May 2019)
- Lecturer, Generation Y Jurors, The Harmonie Group Construction & Cutting Edge Litigation Topics (August 2016)
- Co-presenter, Complex Communication: Multi-Party Litigation and Mediation, DRI Trial Tactics Seminar (March 2016)
- Lecturer, Generation Y Jurors, Harmonie Next Generation Conference (November 2015)
- Author of supplemental course materials, Generation Y Jurors, Attorney-Conducted Voir Dire for the Defense Lawyer DRI CLE Seminar (January 2015)
- Lecturer, Trying Your Case to the Generation Y Juror, Wisconsin Defense Counsel Annual Conference (August 2013)
- Lecturer, Generation Y as Jurors, South Dakota Defense Lawyers Association (SDDLA) Annual Seminar (November 2012)
- Lecturer, Generation Y as Jurors, DRI 2012 Annual Meeting (October 2012)
- Author, "Generation Y as Jurors" The Voice, Vol. 11 Issue 39 (October 2012)
- CLE Instructor and author of materials, You're More Important than You Think: Serving as a Second Trial Chair, DRI webcast (October 2012)
- Lecturer, Professional Liability, ASME Minnesota Professional & Product Liability Symposium (March 2012)
- Lecturer, Generation Y as Jurors, Minnesota Claims Managers' Association (MCMA) (February 2012)
- Co-author, "Can They Really Take It Apart Without Me?", For the Defense, a DRI publication (November 2011)
- Lecturer, Managing Complex Litigation, University of Minnesota Law School (December 2010)
- CLE Instructor and author of materials, Key Evidence Strategies in Personal Injury Litigation, National Business Institute (November 2010)
- CLE instructor and author of materials, Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case, National Business Institute (June 2010)
- CLE instructor and author of materials, Personal Injury Trials: Getting the Most out of your Evidence, National Business Institute (March 2009)
- CLE instructor and author of materials, Practicing Architecture in Minnesota, Current State of Professional Liability Law, Half Moon Seminars (August 2008)
- CLE instructor and author of materials, Evidence and Expert Testimony, Best Practices: Supporting your Case, National Business Institute (March 2008)