Lisa T. Spencer
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Family Law Attorney in Minneapolis, MN
Selected to Rising Stars: 2005 - 2011
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.
Certificates and Credentials
Top Lists
- Top 100: 2022 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2022 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2021 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2021 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2020 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2020 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2019 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2019 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2018 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2018 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2017 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2017 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2016 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2016 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2015 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2015 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 100: 2014 Minnesota Super Lawyers
- Top 50: 2014 Women Minnesota Super Lawyers
About Lisa T. Spencer
First Admitted: 2001, Minnesota
Professional Webpage: http://www.hensonefron.com/attorneys/lisa-t-spencer/
Educational Background
- B.S., University of Minnesota, 1989, 1989
- J.D., magna cum laude, William Mitchell College of Law, 2001, 2001
Verdicts/Settlements
- Supreme Court ruling that earn-out payments memorialized in a contract for the sale of marital property are themselves marital property. Gill vs. Gill. Minnesota Lawyer article State of MN Supreme Court decision, 2018, 2018
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- Guidance on Antenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements., Co-author, Proposals and Prenups: What to do before - or after - you say I do, Henson Efron Thought Leadership, General Public, 2019
- Spousal Maintenance is Statutory, But…; Is there a Case for Spousal Maintenance?; Determining the Amount of Spousal Maintenance; Determining the Duration of Spousal Maintenance; Special Considerations in the Amount and Duration of Spousal Maintenance; Modification of Spousal Maintenance, Co-author, Family Law Financial Deskbook - Chapter 2 - Spousal Maintenance, Minnesota CLE, Family Law Attorneys, 2018
- PRESENTATIONSGuest 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 2013PUBLICATIONSFeatured 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
Bar/Professional Activity
- 4th District Bar Association's Ethics Committee Chair, 2018-present; Co-Chair, 2016-2018; investigative member, 2007–2016, 2019
- AAML Minnesota Chapter Board of Directors President, 2019-present; Vice President of External Relations, 2018-2019, 2019
- Henson Efron, Management Committee, 2012-present, 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), 2019
- Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2019
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution sections, 2001-Present, 2019
- Hennepin County Unbundled Services Steering Committee 2012–Present, 2019
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Diversity Committee Member, 2010–2012, 2012
- Hennepin County Bar Association, Family Law Section, Executive Committee Co-Chair 2009–2011; Officer 2007–2009, 2011
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Task Force on the Rights of Unmarried Couples, Family Law Section Subcommittee Chair, 2009, 2009
Honors/Awards
- Notable Women in Law Honoree, Twin Cities Business, Notable Women in Law Honoree, Twin Cities Business, 2020
- 2020 Women in Business Honoree, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Women in Business Honoree, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, 2020
- 2020 Recipient, Minneapolis Family Law Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyer in America, 2020
- Minneapolis Family Law Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyer in America, 2018
- 2015-2022, Best Lawyers - Family Law, Best Lawyers in America, 2022
Additional Sources of Information About Lisa T. Spencer
Visit my FindLaw® profile
Last Updated: 5/26/2022