Stephen F. Buterin is a litigation and appellate attorney with a broad background, who focuses primarily in construction and business law. His clients include owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors, along with local, regional, and national businesses. Steve has successfully represented his clients in a variety of forums that include state and federal district courts, the Minnesota Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and arbitration proceedings before the American Arbitration Association. Before joining Coleman, Hull & van Vliet, Steve practiced in the areas of insurance defense and municipal law.

Client Services:
Construction Law
Design Professional Law
Business Law
Employment Law
Appeals

Admitted to Practice:
Minnesota
Missouri
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
United States District Court for District of Minnesota
United States District Court for Western District of Wisconsin

Professional Activities:
Minnesota State Bar Association
    Chair, Appellate Practice Section
Ramsey County Bar Association

Representative Cases:

• S.M. Hentges & Sons, Inc. v. Mensing, et al., 759 N.W. 2d 229 (Minn. App. 2009) (reversing district court and reinstating engineering firm's mechanic's lien after concluding statutory exception applied and did not require engineer to provide prior notice).
• Nelson v. Short Elliott Hendrickson, Inc., 716 N.W. 2d 394 (Minn. App. 2006) (affirming dismissal of plaintiffs' claims against engineering firm as untimely under statute of limitations governing improvements to real property).
• Lake Superior Ctr. Auth. v. Hammel, Green & Abrahamson, Inc., 715 N.W.2d 458 (Minn. App. June 6, 2006) (affirming jury verdict rejecting plaintiffs' claim against engineering firm for negligent design of exhibit tank at Great Lakes Aquarium and affirming award of costs and disbursements).
• Aviation Charter, Inc. v. Aviation Research Group, 416 F.3d 864 (8th Cir. 2005) (affirming dismissal of plaintiff's business defamation claims and alleged violations of Minnesota's Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Lanham Act).
• Travertine Corp. v. Lexington-Silverwood, 638 N.W.2d 267 (Minn. 2004) (involving complex commercial dispute regarding assignability of contractual arbitration clause).
• Nelson v. Popovich, Civ. No. 02-2923 (D. Minn. Jan. 27, 2004) (dismissing plaintiffs' RICO claims).
• Mutual Serv. Cas. Ins. Co. v. League of Minn. Ins. Trust, 659 N.W.2d 755 (Minn. 2003) (holding marked police squad car not a motor vehicle under Minnesota's No-Fault Act).
• Cameo Homes, Inc. v. Kraus-Anderson Constr. Co., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21714 (D. Minn. 2003) (dismissing contractor's claims for breach of contract, negligence, defamation, fraud, intentional interference with prospective business advantage, civil conspiracy and violation of Davis-Bacon Act), aff'd 394 F.3d 1084 (8th Cir. 2005).

Publications and Presentations:

• Co-author, Owner/Architect Agreements: A Comparison of the New ConsensusDocs and the New AIA Documents. Recent Developments in Standard Form Construction Contract Documents. Minnesota State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education, 2008.
• Co-authored, Vol 2., Mark J. Heley & Stephen F. Buterin, State-by-State Guide to Construction Contracts and Claims, Chapter 36 North Dakota (Michael Dodd and J. Duncan Findlay eds.) (Aspen Publishers 2006-2008)
• Co-authored, Owner/Engineer Contracts – Form and Substance for presentation before American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Minnesota. (2005)
• Lecturer, Advanced Legal Writing Seminar for Paralegals presented by National Business Institute. (2002)
• Lecturer, Twin Cities Claims Association Luncheon. Addressed current issues in motor vehicle liability law. (2002)
• Authored, The Eighth Amendment and the State of Mind Requirement; Falls v. Nesbitt, 16 Hamline L. Rev. 417. (1993)

Community Activities:

• Former Head and Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach, Simley High School, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
• Former Head Soccer Coach for various girls and boys teams with the St. Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club

Awards and Recognition:
Recognized as a Rising Star in 2006 and 2007 by the Minnesota Law & Politics magazine.

Undergraduate:
B.A., Russian Studies, Political Science, Gustavus Adolphus College, 1990

Law School:
Juris Doctorate, Hamline University School of Law, 1994