J. Matthew (Matt) Berner
is an attorney with Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC, and concentrates his practice in the area of civil litigation including commercial law, construction defects, employment law, and insurance law.

Matt has extensive experience representing businesses and individuals in complex and diverse professional liability, personal injury, premises liability, landlord/tenant, and general liability matters including veterinary malpractice, employment, and business issues.

In addition, Matt provides Equine Law litigation and transaction services for horse barns and horse owners, riders, and trainers. His practice includes the formation of equine corporations and businesses, purchase, sale, and lease agreements, boarding contracts, training and lesson contracts, stallion and breeding contracts, release of liability and hold harmless agreements as well as representing businesses and individuals on equine law matters in state and federal court.

Matt has presented continuing legal education seminars for attorneys on Equine and Animal Law issues including “Exotic Animals as Pets: New Minnesota Law on Lions, Tigers, and Bears,” and “Equine Activity Statutes and an Introduction to Equine Law” at the first ever Animal Law Conference held by the Minnesota State Bar Association in April 2006. He has also appeared on FOX Channel 9 News discussing private ownership of wild cats and wild cat sanctuaries. In 2005, Matt co-authored an article providing a national overview of equine and related recreational activity statutes for the American Bar Association Tort & Trial Insurance Practice Session. He has lectured at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine on veterinary malpractice and equine law issues.

Matt is licensed to practice in Minnesota State and Federal Courts. He is a graduate of Hamline University School of Law where he served as a Notes and Comments Editor for the Hamline Law Review. As a law student, the Hamline Law Review published his case note entitled “Abstinence, Advertisements, and the Abridgement of Student Press Rights: Yeo v. Town of Lexington, 1997 WL 292173 (1 st Cir. June 6, 1997).” After graduation, Matt clerked for Hennepin County District Court Judge Myron S. Greenberg before joining a prominent Minneapolis firm as an associate attorney.

Matt is married to Dr. Jennifer Selvig, an equine veterinarian practicing race and sport horse medicine and avid three-day eventing competitor.

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