Best & Flanagan

What Best & Flanagan does

Best & Flanagan LLP is a Minneapolis-based, full-service law firm founded in 1926 that provides legal counsel across eight core practice areas: business and corporate law, construction law, employment law, family law, intellectual property, litigation, private wealth planning, and real estate, with additional sub-practices including municipal law, public finance, bankruptcy, appellate advocacy, and nonprofit/tax-exempt organizations. The firm serves a heterogeneous client base spanning closely-held family businesses, mid-market companies, Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofit organizations, government entities, and individual clients across multi-generational relationships, with active matters extending from Minnesota throughout the United States. Its work product is human-delivered legal services with case-specific work product, supported by industry-standard legal technology platforms including Relativity and Summation for e-discovery, plus a recently integrated SurePoint payments platform that handles retainer, trust, and escrow transactions.

The firm operates as a private limited liability partnership under Minnesota law, generating revenue through traditional professional services billing — hourly fees, fixed fees for defined matters, contingency arrangements where appropriate, and client retainers — with no public revenue disclosure. The partnership is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Daniel L. Grimsrud, with section-level leadership across each practice area (e.g., William R. Asp as Chair of Private Wealth Planning). Customer acquisition is sales-led and referral-driven, relying on bar association participation, Minnesota CLE speaking engagements, attorney-authored thought leadership, pro bono visibility through organizations such as Volunteer Lawyers Network, and third-party credentialing from Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and U.S. News Best Law Firms. The firm holds no proprietary technology platform, no patents or trademarks, and no disclosed external capital — its economic engine is partner-led client service rather than scaled technology or product distribution.

Name

Best & Flanagan

Legal name

Best & Flanagan LLP

Website

https://bestlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Best & Flanagan LLP is a Minneapolis-based, full-service law firm founded in 1926 that provides legal counsel across business, construction, employment, family, intellectual property, litigation, private wealth, and real estate practices to closely-held businesses, Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofits, government entities, and individuals across multi-generational relationships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG), Estate, Gift & Trust Valuation (BPAHANAL), Estate Planning, Trust Structuring & Governance (FSAAADAF), Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE), Healthcare & Medical Office Brokerage (BPAJABAF)

Keywords

• Legal services
• Corporate law
• Litigation services
• Estate planning
• Construction law

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: Traditional law firm revenue generated through legal fees for services rendered including hourly billing, fixed fees for specific matters, contingency arrangements where appropriate, and client retainers. Services span business transactions, litigation, employment matters, family law, real estate, intellectual property, and wealth planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Best & Flanagan is a Minneapolis-based full-service law firm providing legal counsel across business and corporate law, construction law, employment law, family law, intellectual property, litigation, private wealth planning, and real estate. The firm serves businesses from closely-held family companies to Fortune 500 corporations, along with individuals, families, nonprofit organizations, and government entities, delivering representation in transactions, disputes, regulatory matters, and personal legal affairs.

Product overview

Best & Flanagan is a full-service law firm offering comprehensive legal counsel across multiple practice areas. The firm operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a platform-with-modules architecture. Its core offerings include Business & Corporate Law, Construction Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Private Wealth Planning, and Real Estate. Each practice area functions as a distinct service line with specialized attorneys, and many areas have sub-specialties (e.g., Construction Litigation within Construction Law, Patent Prosecution within Intellectual Property). The firm was founded in 1926 and serves clients ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 corporations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business & Corporate Law Strategic business legal counsel for businesses of all sizes covering business succession planning, compensation and equity incentive plans, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture agreements, venture capital financing, and business restructurings.
• Construction Law
• Employment Law
• Family Law
• Intellectual Property
• Litigation
• Private Wealth Planning
• Real Estate
• Appellate Advocacy & Strategic Motions
• Bankruptcy & Creditor Remedies
• Municipal Law & Land Development
• Non-Profit & Tax Exempt Organizations
• Public Finance
• Government and Internal Investigations & Defense
• Insurance
• Shareholder Disputes & Litigation

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Winthrop & Weinstine: Minneapolis-headquartered full-service law firm with similar practice mix in business, real estate, construction, IP, and family wealth — direct Twin Cities competitor.
• Gray Plant Mooty: Minneapolis-based mid-market firm with strong real estate, construction, family business, and private wealth practices — closely comparable to Best & Flanagan in size and client profile.
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath: Large full-service Midwest-rooted law firm with comparable practices in construction, real estate, corporate, employment, and private wealth; directly comparable to Best & Flanagan in practice mix and regional strength.
• Stinson LLP: Multi-office Midwest-headquartered law firm serving business, construction, real estate, employment, IP, and private wealth clients — comparable in scale and practice breadth to Best & Flanagan.
• Maslon LLP: Minneapolis-based full-service firm with comparable practices in corporate, litigation, family law, and private wealth — a direct Twin Cities peer.
• Husch Blackwell: Mid-market full-service firm with strong Midwest presence, comparable practice areas including construction, real estate, IP, and family/business wealth planning — direct competitor for similar mid-market clients.
• Fredrikson & Byron: Minneapolis-based full-service firm with overlapping practices in business, construction, real estate, employment, and private wealth — among the most direct local peers to Best & Flanagan.

Broad incumbents

• Lathrop GPM: Mid-market national firm with deep Midwest roots, comparable practices in real estate, construction, business law, and family wealth — incumbent peer in the same client segments.
• Dorsey & Whitney: Minneapolis-rooted international full-service firm with significant practices in corporate, construction, real estate, and litigation — broader-scale incumbent peer.
• Polsinelli: National full-service AmLaw firm with a substantial Midwest presence in business, construction, real estate, and wealth planning — competes for the same mid-market and Fortune 500 clients as Best & Flanagan.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bestlaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Best & Flanagan