Cook County Lawyers

Ginny grew up in North Minneapolis and graduated from Patrick Henry High School. She got her undergraduate Degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities with a major in Political Science with a focus in Law and Politics and a minor in Sociology: Law, Criminology, and Deviance. While at the University of Minnesota Ginny was a Dean’s List recipient. She then pursued her legal education at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota where she graduated and was also a Dean’s List recipient. While at William Mitchell she was accepted as a member of the...

Matthew Schaap is a shareholder at Dougherty Molenda and serves on the firm's board of directors. He focuses on personal and business litigation, offering clients seasoned guidance in and out of the courtroom. Starting his career as a Judicial Law Clerk to Judge Elizabeth Hayden in Minnesota, Matthew supported judicial decision-making with crucial research and writing. He gained valuable experience assisting in jury trials across criminal and civil contexts, observing winning trial techniques firsthand. Joining Dougherty Molenda in 2004 post-clerkship, Matthew dedicated his practice to litigation and trial advocacy. He aims to be a zealous advocate, ensuring thorough research on all pertinent...

Ms. Molinaro has several years experience practicing tax law, probate/estate administration, estate planning, guardianship/ conservatorship, and HRO/OFP law. Ms. Molinaro strives to provide sensible legal representation to her clients. With litigation experience but also a common sense approach to the law, Ms. Molinaro is an effective advocate both in and out of the courtroom. Ms. Molinaro is licensed to practice in Minnesota, Colorado and North Dakota.

Susan H. Stephan focuses her practice on legal challenges involving workers' compensation, Social Security Disability, personal injury, intellectual property, e-commerce and the Internet, as well as on general corporate legal matters. Susan has worked as a transactional attorney and a litigator on behalf of individual and corporate clients in a variety of industries, including software development, computer technology, health care, human resources consulting, engineering, and the entertainment community. She also has served as adjunct faculty since 2001 and has taught Intellectual Property Law, Music Copyright Law, Antitrust, Law and Economics, Workers' Compensation, Deposition Skills, and Pretrial Skills. Susan has been...

Boyd Johnson's practice focuses on probate and trust administration and related tax work. He is well-acquainted with Minnesota's probate and trust administration procedures and can help families navigate the difficult time when loved ones pass away. Additionally, Boyd assists individuals and families with estate planning, probate prevention, and estate tax management. Since every perso's situation is different, he tailors each estate plan with appropriate planning techniques to meet the client's unique objectives. Boyd enjoys spending time with his wife, a nurse at a local clinic. They live in Wayzata and can frequently be found visiting the area's lakes and parks. Boyd was...

John C. Lillie, III practices in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation within Minnesota and the surrounding region. John deals with a wide range of criminal matters, including petty misdemeanor traffic citations, gross misdemeanor DWI allegations and serious felony cases. John also focuses on handling a variety of civil cases, with an emphasis placed on those cases which must be tried. He is very aware of the fact that not all cases will be tried, but he prepares every case as if it will be with incredible attention to detail and leaving no stone unturned in...

I joined the Government Law department at Barna, Guzy & Steffen in June 2023. With a solid background in criminal law and trial advocacy, I have developed a comprehensive understanding of the legal field through various roles. Prior to my current position, I served as an Assistant Public Defender and a Judge Advocate with the Minnesota Army National Guard for several years. My professional journey also includes several years in private practice, where I represented clients in criminal, civil, and business law matters. In addition to practicing law, I have been an adjunct faculty member at St. Cloud State University, teaching...