Lisa SpencerAttorney, President & Shareholder

People are often anxious and distraught as they anticipate the end of a relationship. My role is to be objective and provide skillful legal counsel through what can be a difficult transition. I care about your long-term needs and will do my best to safeguard your best interests with purposeful and compassionate guidance.

I represent a wide range of high-net-worth clients including business executives, professional athletes, and entertainers. A long-standing member of the firm’s management committee with 18 years of family law experience, I bring strategic knowhow to cases involving complex financial issues, including:

• business valuations
• tax implications
• executive compensation
• intellectual property
• non-marital property

My primary focus is on settlement; very few cases cannot settle on reasonable terms, but they require a skilled negotiator. Combining business savvy with my extensive knowledge of family law and tax matters, I am able to deftly develop creative settlement solutions in quick-paced negotiations. As a recognized leader in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), I strive to get you there. If that proves unattainable, I will zealously and strategically advocate for you in court.

In addition to counsel during a marriage dissolution, my clients depend on me to craft premarital and postnuptial agreements. I am forward-looking and will work with you to create a legal contract that protects your premarital assets and will meet your long-term needs.

Last but not least, I strive to help you minimize the impact of divorce on your family. If young children are involved, I will help tailor a parenting plan that meets your needs and the needs of your children.

ASSISTANT

Mary Petersen

(612) 252-2834

mpetersen@hensonefron.com

• J.D., magna cum laude, William Mitchell College of Law, 2001
• B.S., University of Minnesota, 1989

• Minnesota
• United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

• 2020 Notable Women in Law Honoree, Twin Cities Business
• 2020 Women in Business Honoree, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
• Named 2018 and 2020 Minneapolis Family Law Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America® (honoring a single lawyer in each specific practice and metropolitan area)
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America® 2015–2023, Family Law
• Selected for inclusion in Top 50: Women Minnesota Super Lawyers®, 2014–2022
• Selected for inclusion in Top 100: Minnesota Super Lawyers®, 2014–2022
• Selected for inclusion in Minnesota Super Lawyers®, 2012–2022
• Ranked by Chambers and Partners in the High Net Worth Guide 2021–2022
• North Star Lawyer, Honored by Minnesota State Bar Association for commitment to pro bono service, 2021
• Featured in Minnesota Monthly Magazine as a Top Lawyer in Minnesota 2022: Family Law
• Featured in Minnesota Monthly Magazine as The Best Lawyers in America® 2019
• Selected for inclusion in Minnesota Super Lawyers–Rising Stars®, 2005–2011
• Executive Editor, William Mitchell Law Review
• Harry S. Sieben Award for Academic Excellence
• AV® Preeminent peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell

• Henson Efron President 2020-present; Management Committee, 2012-present
• 4th District Ethics Committee Chair, 2018-2021; Co-Chair, 2016-2018; Investigative Member, 2007–2016
• AAML Minnesota Chapter Board of Directors Former President; President, 2019-2021; Vice President of External Relations, 2018-2019
• AAML Minnesota Chapter Divorce Camp, Committee Member 2019-present; Chair, 2018; Co-Chair, 2016-2017 (an annual continuing education conference helping shape legislative changes in family law)
• Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution sections, 2001-Present
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Family Law Section, Executive Committee Co-Chair 2009–2011; Officer 2007–2009
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Task Force on the Rights of Unmarried Couples, Family Law Section Subcommittee Chair, 2009
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Diversity Committee Member, 2010–2012
• Hennepin County Unbundled Services Steering Committee 2012–Present

• Adjunct faculty member, Hamline University School of Law
• Guest lecturer, University of St. Thomas School of Law

• Contributor, “In love and owning a business in Minnesota? You may need a prenup,” Star Tribune, October 2022
• Panelist, “Table of Experts: Women in Law,” Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, April 2022
• Co-Author, “Proposals and Prenups: What to do before – or after – you say I do,” Henson Efron Thought Leadership, February 2019
• Co-Author, “Spousal Maintenance,” Family Law Financial Deskbook, May 2018
• Featured in "Where Intellect and Civility are Key," Attorney at Law Magazine - Women in Law Special Issue, November 2014
• Co-Author, "Waiver of Retirement Benefits in Antenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements," Minnesota Lawyer, September 2013
• Co-Author, “Confronting Ethical Issues in Practice: The Trial Lawyer’s Dilemma,” ABA’s Family Law Quarterly, 2011 Spring Edition
• Co-Author, “Effective Representation in High Net-Worth and High Conflict Cases,” The Hennepin Lawyer, May 2010
• Author, “Protecting Your Assets: What You Need To Know About Premarital Agreements,” Minnesota Business, February 2008
• Author, “Before Tying Knot, How to Protect Your Business,” Upsize Magazine, November 2007

• Guest Speaker, AAML Mid-Year Meeting, "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Working with, Representing & Advocating to Millennials," March 2020
• Guest Speaker, AAML Divorce Camp, “The Antenuptial Agreement Statute - What is it Good For?,” October 2017
• Guest Speaker, Family Law Institute, “Common Ethical Traps for the Family Law Attorney” and “General Tax Issues in Family Law,” March 2014
• Guest Speaker, AAML Divorce Camp, “Effective Discovery,” September 2013
• Guest Speaker, Probate and Trust Law Institute, “DDT: Divorce, Death, and Taxes,” June 2013
• Guest Speaker, “Handling Your First Minnesota Divorce Case,” June 2013
• Guest Speaker, AAML Divorce Day Camp, “Practical and Ethical Considerations for Limited Scope Representation,” May 2013
• Guest Speaker, Family Law Institute, “Debt Allocation,” March 2013
• Guest Speaker, Fox 9 Morning News, “Premarital Agreements,” December 2010
• Guest Speaker, Fox 9 Morning News, “Premarital Agreements,” July 2008
• Guest Speaker, Mondale & Jones Show on WCCO-AM, “Premarital Agreements,” June 2008