Blethen, Gage and Krause is pleased to announce that Partners Christopher Roe, Beth Serrill, and Kevin Velasquez have been selected as 2013 Minnesota Rising Stars by Minnesota Law and Politics. This is a prestigious honor as no more than 2.5% of the attorneys in the state are named to the list. The selection process is rigorous. Lawyers are asked to nominate the best attorneys who are 40 or under, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less. They are instructed to nominate lawyers they have personally observed in action — whether as opposing counsel or co-counsel, or through other firsthand courtroom observation. In addition to the general survey, the attorney-led research team reviews the credentials of potential candidates and assigns points based on a set of defined evaluation criteria. The point totals from the general survey and research process are then added to arrive at a final tally and those with the highest point totals are named to the Rising Stars list.
Chris Roe focuses his practice in the areas of Agricultural Law, Business Law, Real Estate, and Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts and Probate. A large part of Chris’ practice is devoted to assisting individuals and businesses in the agricultural setting. Chris is a farmer himself; he and his family operate Roe Farms, a large crop/hog operation near LeRoy, MN. He is also routinely involved in agricultural, commercial and residential real estate matters such as purchase agreements, title opinions, title
insurance, closings, tax appeals and real estate disputes.He is active in the Mankato Downtown Kiwanis Club and the Miracle League of North Mankato. This is Chris’ second year receiving the Rising Star designation.
Beth Serrill specializes in a variety of practice areas including Employment Law, 
Family Law, Personal Injury, and Education Law. She represents companies in all areas of employment law including unemployment, discrimination and general liability issues.She is active in Minnesota Women Lawyers, the YWCA, March of Dimes, SMILES, the United Way and also serves on the Board of Directors of The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota. Beth has also done numerous speaking engagements including those for the YWCA, the Jeanne Thorne Employment Seminar, and the SMAHRA Employment Law Seminar. This is Beth’s second year receiving the Rising Star designation.
Kevin Velasquez has extensive experience litigating a wide range of civil matters in areas such as employment law, family law, insurance disputes, auto accidents and general business disputes. Kevin has represented clients in Minnesota District Courts, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Federal District Court in Minnesota, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture and in various forms of alternative dispute resolution. Kevin is active in the Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, the Defense Research Institute and the Greater Mankato Growth Young Professionals. Additionally, Kevin has worked hard to give back to the region through his extensive involvement in community organizations such as the Mankato YMCA Board of Directors, the United Way Community Impact Committee (Chair), Mankato Sertoma Club, and the Mankato Diversity Council. Kevin was also named an Up and Coming Attorney for 2013 by Minnesota Lawyer.
To contact Chris, Beth, Kevin or any of our attorneys please call 507-345-1166.
