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Laura Carlson's practice focuses on the needs of family-owned business, as well as trusts and estates issues. She joined Faegre & Benson in 1987 and has 15 years of experience working with private and closely held businesses in the Corporate group. Recently, she became the head of the firm’s family-owned and closely held businesses practice and is working in the trusts and estates group on estate planning, inter-generational wealth transfers and various issues involving private businesses.Family-Owned BusinessesLaura provides cradle-to-grave representation and advice on issues for small businesses, including structuring, buy-sell agreements, succession planning and contract matters. She advises clients on estate planning for individuals and inter-generational transfers of family-owned businesses. Other areas in which Laura advises clients include: choosing and forming a business entity; recapitalization issues; employment, severance and termination matters; incentive compensation; consulting arrangements; manufacturing and service agreements; developing basic contract forms; trademark and copyright protection; and buying and selling businesses.Estate Planning and Related Work Laura represents individuals in estate planning and estate administration, including planning to use available tax exemptions. This may include inter-generational transfers of wealth or business assets, valuation analysis and succession planning. She advises clients on formation of trusts, asset protection and gifting and titling of assets. Where appropriate, she advises clients on tax planning including formation of family limited partnerships, grantor trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and grantor retained annuity trusts. Sales of Businesses. The following are selected business transactions in which Laura advised the buyer, seller or other parties: Faribault Foods, Inc. - Sale of Sun Vista brand to La Costena U.S.A., Inc. Faribault Foods, Inc. - Acquisition of S&W brand from Del Monte Corporation Fair Isaac Corporation - Acquisition of assets of Seurat Company, XOR, Inc. and Rapid Insights, Inc. Faribault Foods, Inc. - Acquisition of assets of "Chilli Man" Division of Milnot Company McNally Industries, Inc. - Sale of assets to Treval Holdings, LLC Faribault Foods, Inc. - Acquisition of Sun Vista Products Bemis Company, Inc. - Acquisition of Assets of Viskase Corporation Fingerhut Corporation - Sale of Wiman Corporation Cowles Media Company - More than 40 acquisitions and divestitures of CMC and subsidiaries Industry Food Manufacturing Communications/Media Sports/Entertainment Private Companies Education B.S.J., Northwestern University (1981), with honors J.D., University of Michigan (1987), cum laude Presentations Taking Advantage of the Hottest M&A Market in History. The Collaborative Buying and Selling a Business--Documenting the Deal CLE International. The New Frontier--E-Commerce Minnesota Institute for Legal Education Mergers and Acquisitions/Emerging Companies KPMG Executive Series Admitted to Practice (State) Minnesota Pro Bono Areas State Wards Advocacy Project/Guardian Ad Litem Project | 