James R. Behrenbrinker, Attorney

Jim Behrenbrinker concentrates his practice representing individuals in cases involving:

Personal Injury
In the personal injury area, Jim represents individuals who have sustained injuries, ranging from soft tissue injuries, broken bones to wrongful death, as a result of accidents, medical malpractice or defective products. Examples of some of the results Jim has obtained for his clients in Minnesota personal injury cases include:

Obtained a seven figure settlement for next of kin of a woman killed in an automobile accident involving the operation of a commercial vehicle.

Obtained the largest known settlement at the time for an individual hurt while using a "Hi-Lift Jack."

Settled numerous personal injury cases involving automobile accidents, premises liability, product liability, medical device, and medical malpractice.

Discrimination and Employment Law
Jim represents individuals in a wide range of employment law cases involving claims of discrimination based upon age, disability, sex, pregnancy, race, national origin, as well as cases involving wrongful termination, breach of contract, change of control, severance, non competition, trade secret, harassment and retaliation issues.

He regularly represents clients before the MDHR, EEOC, DOL, as well as state and federal courts. For example, in representing an executive against a former employer, Jim settled a claim of breach of change in control agreement for more than $1 million. Representing clients against a "big three automaker," Jim settled more than 50 individual claims of race discrimination.

Consumer Protection
Deceptive trade practices, consumer fraud and breach of fiduciary duties. Jim represents consumers who have been damaged in all of these areas. He recently represented individuals in civil actions against Coldwell Banker and Edina Realty in Minnesota , stemming from allegations of fraud, deceptive practices, negligent misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duties.

He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota Association of Justice, and the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), national and Minnesota chapter. Since 1990, Jim has also been a member of the CJA Private Attorneys Panel, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
Jim is also a mediator and arbitrator, who is Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 of the General Rules of Practice, helping others resolve disputes involving all types of accidents, personal injury, discrimination, employment law, contract and commercial disputes.

Jim received his B.S., with distinction, from the University of Minnesota and his law degree, magna cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable James M. Rosenbaum, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota. Jim was a partner in the law firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP where he represented individuals in a wide range of personal injury cases, as well as manufacturers of industrial and commercial products in national products liability defense programs. He was a sole practitioner for several years before becoming Of Counsel to the Schaefer Law Firm, LLC in 2008