Christopher R. Grote uses experience, leverage, and resolve to solve business disputes. He provides pre-litigation advice to help businesses properly assess the strength of their positions and to resolve disputes without formal litigation when possible. For those matters that require a lawsuit, Chris provides rigorous trial representation. He focuses his practice on complex matters involving real property title issues, including mortgage, mechanics' lien and tax lien validity and priority disputes; construction payment, defect and warranty claim litigation; performance and cost bond claims; lease and purchase agreement disputes; boundary and easement disputes; zoning and land use issues involving city councils and county boards; and insurance coverage matters.
Experience
Representative Matters
- Counsel to global institutional investment management firm regarding real estate issues—including mortgage, as-extracted collateral security, and mechanic's liens—related to $450,000,000 loan to Essar Steel Minnesota to finance the completion of its $1.8 billion taconite plant in Nashwauk, Minnesota.
- Represented engineering firm in complex mediation and settlement of $4,000,000 breach of contract and mechanic's lien foreclosure dispute with engineering, procurement and construction contractor related to the installation of a dry sorbent injection system at a coal-fueled, thermal electric generating plant in Illinois.
- Represented national, big-box sporting goods retailer and obtained dismissal of all claims in $15,000,000 breach of lease claim by national shopping center developer related to the construction and lease of building in Detroit, Michigan suburb.
Professional Highlights
Professional Activities
Hennepin County Bar Association, Member
Minnesota State Bar Association, Construction Section, Real Property Section, Member
State Bar of Wisconsin, Member
Speaking Engagements
"Mechanics’ Liens – How They Are Won and Lost," Real Property Law in Minnesota, Minnesota CLE, February 25, 2020
"Mechanics’ Liens," Real Property Law in Minnesota, Minnesota CLE, November 20, 2019
"Mechanic's Liens," Real Property Law in Minnesota, Minnesota CLE, January 23, 2018
Credentials
Education
Hamline University School of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law) (J.D., editor, Hamline Law Review, 1996)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.S., with Distinction, 1986)
Admissions
Minnesota
Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit