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Michael J. Pfau
Attorney
Michael J. Pfau
Attorney
Construction, Real Estate, Business and Commercial Litigation, Employment
Construction Industry, Financial Services Industry, Real Estate and Residential Property Management Industry
Overview
Michael Pfau is a litigator, focusing his practice in the areas of construction, real estate, business and commercial litigation, and employment litigation/advice.
Michael has experience in conducting research, drafting legal documents, conducting and defending depositions, and managing written discovery. He has first-chair trial experience and has conducted oral arguments at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Michael also has experience in administrative appeals with both the Minnesota Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service. He has also successfully settled multiple disputes before the need for litigation.
Michael graduated from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where he was a certified student attorney for the Trademark Practice Clinic and the Bankruptcy Litigation Clinic. While in the Trademark Practice Clinic he conducted clearance searches of marks clients intended to register and drafted opinion letters for clients, filed trademark applications for the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and responded to USPTO office actions and opposing marks and drafted written discovery requests. During his time with the Bankruptcy Clinic, Michael prepared answers, drafted written discovery requests, drafted complaints, conducted client interviews, and drafted responses to comprehensive written discovery requests. Michael also has experience volunteering for Volunteer Lawyers Network in landlord-tenant matters and tax disputes.
EDUCATION & ADMISSIONS
Education
- University of St. Thomas School of Law, J.D., cum laude
- Dean’s Scholarship
- Dean’s Awards, Lawyering Skills III, Administrative Law and Employment Discrimination
- Journal of Law and Public Policy, Chief Articles Editor
- North Dakota State University, B.A., magna cum laude
- Université de Caen
Bar Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- United States Tax Court
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
NEWS & EVENTS
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Executive Orders Restricting DEI Efforts | 4/14/25
The Work Week with Bassford Remele April 14, 2025 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with...
Bassford Remele | Upcoming Events and Newsletters
2025 The Work Week with Bassford Remele: Annual Employment Law SeminarWednesday, June 25,...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Child Labor Laws | 3/31/25
The Work Week with Bassford Remele March 31, 2025 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | SCOTUS Hears Reverse Discrimination Case | 3/3/25
The Work Week with Bassford Remele March 3, 2025 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Federal Employment and Labor Protections | 2/3/25
The Work Week with Bassford Remele February 3, 2025 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | PPE Updates | 12/23/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele December 23, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Performance Improvement Plan | 12/2/24
December 2, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with Bassford Remele. Each Monday...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Laws on Commissions | 11/11/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele November 11, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Return to Office Policies | 10/21/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele October 21, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Employee Records | 9/30/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele September 30, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Gratuity Laws | 9/3/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele September 3, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Additional Legislative Updates | 8/12/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele August 12, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Case Law Construing the MHRA | 7/15/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele July 15, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with...
Legal Foundations: Adapting to The Uncertainty of Construction Costs
Legal Foundations | Adapting to The Uncertainty of Construction Costs: Why Price Escalation Clauses...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Noncompete Ban Faces Challenge | 6/24/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele June 24, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Courts Must Stay Lawsuits During Arbitration | 5/20/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele May 6, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Restrictive Covenants | 4/8/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele April 8, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week with...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Black Lives Matter | 2/26/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele February 26, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
Bassford Remele Hosts Construction Summit
2024 Annual Construction Law Summit Join us for Bassford Remele's 2024 Annual Construction Law...
Legal Foundations: Slander of Title: The Counter-Punch to a Mechanic's Lien
Legal Foundations | "Slander of Title": The Counter-Punch to a Mechanic's Lien | Associated General...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Wage Theft | 1/16/24
The Work Week with Bassford Remele January 16, 2024 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
Legal Foundations: SCOTUS Hears Oral Argument on Landmark Employment Law Case
Legal Foundations | SCOTUS Hears Oral Argument on Landmark Employment Law Case | Associated General...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Landmark Employment Case | 12/11/23
The Work Week with Bassford Remele December 11, 2023 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Workplace Halloween Party | 10/30/23
The Work Week with Bassford Remele October 30, 2023 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
The Work Week with Bassford Remele | Salary Exemption Threshold | 9/11/23
The Work Week with Bassford Remele September 11, 2023 Welcome to another edition of The Work Week...
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC
Bar Associations
- American Bar Association
- Forum on Construction Law, Division 1 - Litigation
- Federal Bar Association
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Construction Law Section
- Labor and Employment Law Section
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- Board of Directors, 2024-present
- Minnesota Lavender Bar Association
Professional Associations
- Associated General Contractors of Minnesota
- Association of Women Contractors
- NAIOP Minnesota | Commercial Real Estate Development Association
Civil Involvement
- University of St. Thomas School of Law
- Mentor, 2024-present
Publications
- Construction Industry Economic Forecast for 2025, co-author with J. Holper, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, October 2024
- Adapting to The Uncertainty of Construction Costs: Why Price Escalation Clauses are More Vital Than Ever, co-author with J. Holper, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, July 2024
- "Slander of Title": The Counter-Punch to a Mechanic's Lien, author, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, January 26, 2024
- SCOTUS Hears Oral Argument on Landmark Employment Law Case, author, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, January 12, 2024
- Minnesota Bans Non-Compete Provisions and What It Means for Minnesota Construction Companies, co-author, Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, June 23, 2023
The Work Week with Bassford Remele
- Florida Looks to Ease Child Labor Laws, author, March 31, 2025
- SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments in Reverse Discrimination Case, author, March 3, 2025
- President Trump Upends Federal Employment and Labor Protection, author, February 3, 2025
- OSHA Updates Personal Protective Equipment Standard for Construction Workers, author, December 23, 2024
- It's Time to Give the PIP Its Own PIP, author, December 2, 2024
- Minnesota Laws on Commissions, author, November 11, 2024
- More Employers are Pushing for Return to Office Policies, author, October 21, 2024
- Let's Talk About Employee Records, author, September 30, 2024
- Gratuity Laws in Minnesota, author, September 3, 2024
- Additional Minnesota Legislative Updates, author, August 12, 2024
- Recent Case Law Construing the Minnesota Human Rights Act, author, July 15, 2024
- The Federal Trade Commission Faces Legal Challenges Against its Ban on Noncompete Clauses, author, June 24, 2024
- Supreme Court Unanimously Rules that Courts Must Stay, Not Dismiss, Lawsuits During Arbitration, author, May 20, 2024
- Minnesota Legislature Considers Banning Restrictive Covenants in Service Contracts, author, April 8, 2024
- NLRB Rules Employee's "Black Lives Matter" Marketing on Home Depot Apron Was Protected, author, February 26, 2024
- Minnesota AG Sues Evergreen Acres Dairy Alleging Wage Theft and Substandard Housing Conditions, author, January 16, 2024
- SCOTUS Hears Oral Argument on Landmark Employment Law Case, author, December 11, 2023
- The Tricks to Making the Workplace Halloween Party a Treat, author, October 30, 2023
- Department of Labor Introduces New Proposal to Increase Salary Exemption Threshold, author, September 11, 2023
Seminars
- Mastering Client Relations and Getting Paid!, co-presenter with W. Reece and J. Klobucar, Bassford Remele 2025 Annual Construction Law Summit, February 6, 2025
- Mitigating the Risk of New Technology, presenter, Bassford Remele Construction Law Summit, February 8, 2024
- Minnesota Litigators’ Discovery Playbook: Depositions, E-Discovery, Subpoenas, and More, co-presenter, National Business Institute, May 2023
- Real Property Law Update, co-presenter, Minnesota State Bar Association, September 2022