Category: BGS News & Events
BGS Transportation Lawyers at 2026 MTA Convention
August 19, 2026 | Carole Clark IsaksonAs it does every year, the transportation department from BGS attended the annual Minnesota Trucking Association conference. This year’s conference was well attended and took place at Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd. Attorneys Carole Clark Isakson, Jacob W. LeVahn, Adam J. Revoir, and paralegal Rachel Schwankl participated as speakers and attendees of the conference, which featured social and networking events and many educational sessions on topics concerning trucking companies. Freight theft and business identity theft are of particular concern. BGS is a sponsor of the conference, and is one of the few MN firms with a focus on trucking and a dedicated transportation department. In actuality it could easily be said that every attorney at BGS supports the trucking industry as all of our expertise is available to our clients. We have attorneys who can assist in transportation matters of course, but also employment, litigation, contracts, acquisitions, business purchases, business succession planning, commercial real estate and more. If you have a transportation legal need, please contact us today!
Read MoreHonoring James H. Wills
July 30, 2026 | Carole Clark Isakson
Barna, Guzy & Steffen is sad to announce the passing of former MTA board member and highly respected transportation attorney James H. Wills on July 23, 2026. For more than 45 years, Jim practiced exclusively in the areas of transportation, taxation, and corporate law, most recently with the law firm of Barna, Guzy & Steffen Ltd. Prior to entering private practice Jim worked in management of and as general counsel for two major trucking companies. Jim was a CPA, chemist and attorney admitted to the patent bar. Not that he ever bragged about any of that, that wasn’t his style. Jim will be remembered not only for his brilliance, but for his kindness, sense of adventure, and love for his family. Jim and his wife Peggy are parents to two adult daughters and have a son-in-law and four grand kids of all ages. Jim was a hardworking and devoted attorney who rarely slowed down. When he did take time away from work, he found great enjoyment in golfing, fishing, hunting, skiing, traveling and competing in dog shows. Whether outdoors enjoying nature or spending time with family, Jim appreciated life’s simple pleasures. While Jim retired from Barna, Guzy & Steffen Ltd last year, and from the practice of law, his influence on the transportation…
Read MoreShareholders at Barna, Guzy & Steffen Elect New President and Rename Chair of the Board at Annual Meeting
February 12, 2026 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.
The law firm of Barna, Guzy & Steffen held its annual meeting on January 17, 2026, in Coon Rapids, MN. The meeting included a gathering of the firm’s Board of Directors, a State of the Firm address given by William Huefner, and elections to the Board of Directors. After serving as President of the firm for 11 years, William Huefner did not seek another term. The Shareholders at Barna, Guzy & Steffen elected Thomas Wentzell as firm President. William Huefner was re-appointed as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Tom is a shareholder who focuses his practice on commercial real estate. He originally joined the firm as a law clerk in 2012, while attending University of St. Thomas School of Law. He was admitted to the bar in October of 2013 and practiced at another medium-sized firm in the Twin Cities before returning to BGS in December of 2014. He focuses his practice on real estate development, acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, and real estate finance. Tom was named a Minnesota Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2022 and 2023, and is a Board-Certified Real Property Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. The firm would like to congratulate Tom on his accomplishments and his commitment to the firm’s mission of providing clients legal services…
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