Messerli | Kramer

What Messerli | Kramer does

Messerli & Kramer P.A., doing business as Messerli | Kramer, is a Minneapolis-headquartered, privately held law firm founded in 1965. The firm fields 70+ attorneys across a 251–500 employee base, operating from four Minnesota offices (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Plymouth, St. Michael) plus satellite locations in Denver, Milwaukee, and Omaha, and is consistently ranked among the top 20 law firms in the state. Its service portfolio spans Banking & Finance, Business Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Corporate (including M&A, securities, and emerging companies), Divorce & Family Law, Estate Planning & Probate, Government Relations, Sports & Entertainment Law, and a national Consumer Collections & Creditors' Remedies practice operating across nine states through the MK Bill Pay online payment portal.

The firm's business model is a multi-practice professional services platform with two distinct go-to-market motions: an institutional B2B practice serving banks, lenders, healthcare organizations, real estate developers, and corporate clients on transactional and litigation matters, and a consumer-facing practice handling family law and estate planning engagements. Revenue is generated through hourly fees, retainer arrangements, and transactional billing typical of mid-market regional firms. The Consumer Collections practice operates a higher-volume, multi-state model anchored by the proprietary MK Bill Pay digital payment channel, providing a degree of recurring volume distinct from the firm's advisory and litigation work.

Messerli | Kramer is a private professional corporation that does not publicly disclose financial results. Its growth posture is reflected in the 2022 combination with Gries Lenhardt Allen, ongoing lateral hiring of senior practitioners (including a former DOJ Criminal Chief and a former Minnesota Senate Chief of Staff), practice additions in Sports & Entertainment Law and Government Affairs, and office consolidations designed to support a distributed Midwest operating footprint.

Name

Messerli | Kramer

Legal name

Messerli & Kramer P.A.

Website

https://messerlikramer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Messerli | Kramer is a Minneapolis-based, Top-20 Minnesota law firm with 70+ attorneys serving corporate, institutional, and consumer clients across banking, litigation, real estate, family law, and creditor collections in the Midwest and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK), Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Insolvency Law (BPAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Commercial legal services
• Business litigation representation
• Banking and finance law
• Consumer debt collection
• Estate planning law

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly Billing: Traditional hourly billing for legal services across all practice areas including litigation, corporate transactions, real estate, family law, and government relations.
2. Consumer Collections: Consumer debt collection services for financial institutions across multiple states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Ohio, Colorado).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Messerli & Kramer P.A. is a Minnesota-based law firm providing comprehensive legal representation across eight core practice areas: Banking & Finance, Business Litigation, Commercial Real Estate, Corporate (including M&A and securities), Divorce & Family Law, Estate Planning & Probate, Government Relations, and Consumer Collections & Creditors' Remedies. The firm serves both business clients (banks, lenders, corporations, developers) and individual clients (families, individuals) through 70+ attorneys across offices in Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Michael, Plymouth, Denver, Milwaukee, and Omaha.

Product overview

Messerli Kramer is a top-20 Minnesota law firm founded in 1965, offering comprehensive legal services through distinct practice area divisions rather than a unified software product. The firm's portfolio spans eight core practice areas: Banking & Finance (including commercial financing, creditors' remedies, and equipment leasing), Business Litigation (covering bankruptcy, employment, construction, and fiduciary disputes), Commercial Real Estate (encompassing 1031 exchanges, development, and municipal law), Corporate (with M&A, securities, and emerging companies focus), Divorce & Family Law (including custody and alternative dispute resolution), Estate Planning & Probate, Government Relations (lobbying and regulatory advisory), and Consumer Collections & Creditors' Remedies with its MK Bill Pay online payment service. The firm operates offices in Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Michael, and Plymouth, Minnesota, with more than 70 attorneys serving individuals and businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MK Foundation: The firm's charitable foundation focused on community service and giving back
• MK Bill Pay
• LexLedge Global Network

Products and services

• Banking & Finance
• Business Litigation
• Commercial Real Estate
• Corporate
• Divorce & Family Law
• Estate Planning & Probate
• Government Relations
• Consumer Collections & Creditors' Remedies (MK Bill Pay)
• Sports & Entertainment Law

Named customers7 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gries Lenhardt AllencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMesserli Kramer and Gries Lenhardt Allen announced a strategic combination, expanding the firm's capabilities and geographic reach through the integration of another established law firm.
• LexLedge Global NetworkminorOthersMesserli Kramer is part of LexLedge Global Network, a global network of law firms providing international legal referral capabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Dorsey & Whitney LLP: Major Minneapolis-founded international law firm with substantially larger headcount and global platform. Overlaps with Messerli Kramer across banking, M&A, litigation, and government relations, but competes from a much broader base.
• Husch Blackwell LLP: National mid-market business law firm with comparable banking, corporate, real estate, and litigation practices serving similar mid-market clients. Comparable business model and target market, though operating from a broader multi-state platform.
• Lathrop GPM LLP: Minneapolis-based large full-service firm resulting from Gray Plant Mooty's combination with Lathrop Gage. Comparable in practice mix including banking, real estate, and corporate work, but at substantially greater scale and multi-state footprint.
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Large Minneapolis-rooted full-service firm formed by the 2020 merger of Faegre Baker Daniels and Drinker Biddle. Comparable in core banking, corporate, and real estate practices, but with significantly greater geographic reach and resources.
• Fredrikson & Byron P.A. Larger Minneapolis-based full-service firm with broader practice depth and international reach. Comparable in practice mix (banking, M&A, real estate, litigation) but operates at significantly greater scale and offers overlapping capabilities as part of a wider portfolio.

Direct peers

• Hellmuth & Johnson PLLC: Minnesota-based mid-size law firm with a similar full-service practice focus including banking, real estate, litigation, and estate planning. Directly comparable as a regional competitor for mid-market business clients in the Twin Cities.
• Best & Flanagan LLP: Minneapolis-based law firm of similar size offering business, real estate, litigation, and estate planning services. Directly comparable as a Twin Cities regional firm competing for the same mid-market clients and lateral talent.
• Robins Kaplan LLP: Minneapolis-based litigation-focused firm with a comparable attorney headcount and complex business litigation capabilities. Comparable in its emphasis on high-stakes commercial litigation and Minnesota-headquartered business client base.
• Maslon LLP: Minneapolis-based full-service business law firm of comparable size serving businesses and individuals across litigation, corporate, and real estate matters. Directly comparable as a Twin Cities mid-market multi-practice firm with overlapping banking, litigation, and family law practices.
• Winthrop & Weinstine: Minneapolis-headquartered business law firm with a similar practice mix including banking, real estate, corporate, and litigation. Comparable in scale and geographic focus, serving similar mid-market business clients in the Upper Midwest.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/messerlikramer
• Xx.com/messerlikramer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/76139

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Messerli | Kramer