FIELDS LAW FIRM - Key Persons
Abby Barr is a Legal Assistant in our Long Term Disability practice area and assists with correspondence related to our clients' cases.
Originally from Anoka, Minnesota, Abby earned her Bachelor of Science degree in General Business at Saint Cloud State University.
In her spare time, she enjoys waitressing at a restaurant in South St. Paul.
Abby Lay is a legal assistant who helps with incoming phone calls, incoming faxes and outgoing mail.
Originally from St. Anthony Village, Minnesota, she is studying Organizational Leadership through Arizona State University online.
She enjoys spending her free time with her puppy, two cats and her boyfriend. She also absolutely loves photography and would like to be a part time photographer, one day.
Anna is a legal assistant here at the office who welcomes clients and visitors upon arrival at the front desk. She also helps answer phone calls and directing the flow of mail and incoming documents.
Born in Moscow, Russia and raised in Wayzata, Minnesota, Anna studied Developmental Psychology at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading books, and doing arts and crafts with her daughter.
Annie Surbaugh grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Strategic Communications with a minor in Business Management from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Annie obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Upon graduating law school, Annie joined a real estate litigation firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she had the opportunity to represent members of the community facing eviction, foreclosure and other real estate related disputes. It was through this practice that Annie developed a passion for helping individuals through their most vulnerable and difficult seasons.
Annie's passion for representing community members brought her to Fields Law where she currently practices Long Term Disability, Workers' Compensation, and Social Security Disability cases. As an attorney, Annie understands the importance of advocating for the vulnerable, and will always put her client's best interests first.
Ms. Surbaugh is admitted to practice in Minnesota State Courts and the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. She is also a member of the Minnesota Bar Association and Hennepin County Bar Association.
When away from the office, Annie enjoys spending time with her husband and their two dogs. Annie also enjoys spending time up north, trying out new restaurants, watching the Minnesota Wild, and reading a good book.
Job Titles:
- Intake Specialist
- Specialist
Anver is an intake specialist in our consumer law practice area. He is the main contact with potential FCRA clients during our initial screening/onboarding process.
Originally from Richfield, MN, Anver enjoys ice fishing, golf, gardening, road trips and spending time with his wife and son.
Blake Bauer started his legal career while still in law school as the Judicial Law Clerk for Judge Joanne Smith in Ramsey County Minnesota. While working as a law clerk, Blake handled thousands of cases and several jury trials, providing him with courtroom and trial skills. After several years of working for the government, Blake joined Marso and Michelson, P.A. and quickly became the managing partner of the firm.
At Marso and Michelson, Blake represented consumers who had trouble paying their bills, typically their medical and credit card debts. He defended hundreds of state court lawsuits for consumers and brought Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) claims on behalf of clients in Federal Court against harassing third-party debt collectors. Blake has always enjoyed practicing law in this area because he can make a real difference in his clients' lives, and helps them in their time of need.
In 2017 Blake joined Fields Law Firm, bringing the Marso and Michaelson Consumer Law clients with him. This move was a perfect fit because the two firms focus on areas of law that are dedicated to helping people in need. In fact, Blake has dedicated his entire career to helping individuals who are dealing with life's unanticipated circumstances. Blake understands and appreciates the struggles people experience when they are are unable to work, and knows how crippling it can be emotionally, financially, and physically to not be able to support your family.
Blake has lived in the Twin Cities area his entire life. He played basketball at Saint John's University and graduated cum laude with a double major in political science and psychology. Blake went on to study law at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. Blake excelled at William Mitchell, academically ranking in the top tier of his class, he was on the William Mitchell Law Review as both a Staff Member and as an Editor, and obtained a full time law clerk position for a Judge in Ramsey County, Minnesota while completing his Juris Doctorate.
Mr. Bauer is admitted to practice in the United States District Court of Minnesota, United States Bankruptcy Court of Minnesota, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and Minnesota state courts.
In his free time, Blake enjoys spending time with his wife and two young boys, fishing, playing golf, going to the Minnesota's Brainerd Lakes Area and spoiling his nieces and nephew.
Brenna Karrer grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Iowa. From there, Brenna moved to the Twin Cities and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Brenna worked at Fields Law throughout her law school career as a legal clerk where she had the opportunity to learn how to advocate for individuals through their most painful and difficult times. Brenna knew she wanted to work in this field of law after she experienced her own personal injury case in high school, which taught her the empathy and understanding needed to connect with her clients. She also spent a semester as an extern with the Honorable Mary Vasaly in Hennepin County.
Upon graduating law school, Brenna moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she decided to continue her legal career protecting injured individuals with Fields Law Firm. She currently practices in Long Term Disability and Consumer Rights where she is committed to working diligently for her clients to get them the best outcomes. Brenna recognizes that each client has different needs, and she strives to meet every need by listening, appreciating, and asking questions to understand the client's perspective on their own cases.
Ms. Karrer is admitted to practice in Nebraska State Court and the District of Nebraska. She is currently a member of the Nebraska Bar Association.
In her free time, Brenna enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and her dog, Bennie. You can find her out on the lake boating and camping, cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes, out on the trails running, or binging true crime series on Netflix with Bennie.
Brianna is a legal assistant who assists our paralegal's with requesting medical records for clients.
Originally from Crystal, Minnesota, Brianna received her bachelor's degree in hospitality management from Southwest Minnesota State University.
In her spare time, she enjoys trying new truffle flavors for her side business making desserts! She also loves to scrapbook, play golf, horseback riding, travel and spending time with family and friends.
Celene is a bilingual legal assistant in our Workers' Compensation practice group who helps requests medical records, draft correspondences and E-filing for our clients.
Originally from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, she received her Bachelor of Individualized Studies in Communications, Spanish, and Chicano/Latino Studies.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, listening to music, photography and spending time with family and friends.
Chase grew up in Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, where he earned a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in History and Social Change & Development.
He attended Mitchell Hamline School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor while working full time in the mortgage industry helping first time home-buyers.
Chase joined Fields Law Firm because he is passionate about helping others in their time of need. He enjoys taking on challenges and is committed to guiding you through the various complex legal problems that arise with disability and work injury claims. He will listen to all of your concerns, not just legal concerns, to ensure he is always advocating on your behalf. He focuses his legal practice on disability, workers' compensation, and personal injury cases.
Mr. Hedrick is admitted to practice in the United States District Court of Minnesota and Minnesota State courts. He is also a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
In his free time, Chase enjoys spending time with his family, helping his dad on the family farm and also enjoys golfing, camping and listening to music.
Eric Schwab grew up in Albert Lea, Minnesota. He obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota graduating with majors of Entrepreneurial Management and Marketing. After graduating, Eric began working in retail management. This is where Eric was first introduced to the workers' compensation system through his own work injury. Through this injury he learned how challenging the workers' compensation system can be to navigate alone.
Once he recovered from his work injury Eric began working as an adjuster for the largest administrator of disability and workers' compensation benefits in the country. In this role, Eric learned all the strategies and tactics insurance companies use to dispute claims. This means he knows how the insurance company and its attorneys will look at the case and knows how they will fight against an injured person.
During his years of work as an adjuster, Eric attended Mitchell Hamline School of Law part-time, graduating cum laude. He then began his legal career practicing in workers' compensation defending insurance companies at a downtown Minneapolis law firm.
Eric brings his years of experience as an injured worker, adjuster, and defense attorney to help injured individuals. He is excited to be able to benefit real people rather than insurance companies and big business.
Eric is admitted to practice in the Minnesota State Courts and the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Eric lives in Inver Grove with his wife and two small children. Outside of work, Eric enjoys spending time with his family and watching Minnesota sports teams, particularly the Minnesota Vikings. Eric can often be found rooting hard for the Vikings, no matter their record.
Gloria Lam grew up in New York City. After earning a bachelor's degree in English from Temple University, she worked as a marketing assistant and then as a paralegal for a Personal Injury law firm in Philadelphia. Gloria continued her education at New York Law School in New York City, obtaining her Juris Doctorate.
During Law School, Gloria was a Financial Services Extern at Cadwalader, Wickersham, & Taft, and served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Judge David Kirschner and the Honorable Richard Lee Price at the Bronx County Criminal Court. She was also a member of the Wilhelm C. Vis International Moot Court and the NYLS Trial Team, where she was nominated as the 2nd highest scoring advocate at the Intramural Trial competition.
Upon graduating law school, Gloria joined a real estate firm, where she had the opportunity to represent clients and hold sellers, banks, debtors, and companies accountable when they tried to collect debt and create unfair sales and mortgage contracts. Gloria then joined Fields Law Firm, where she currently practices in Long Term Disability and Consumer Rights.
Gloria is passionate and committed to working for her clients to obtain the best outcome. She knows that as an attorney, she has the opportunity and privilege to provide a voice for her clients in their time of need. She works hard to help clients understand and navigate through various complex legal problems and strives to make it a positive legal experience.
Ms. Lam is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey State Courts and the Southern District of New York. She is a member of the New York City Bar association.
When not working, Gloria enjoys running, biking, reading, baking, cooking, traveling, and exploring new eateries and places.
Jodi Lichtenberg is a paralegal at Fields Law Firm, where she ensures Social Security Disability cases are ready for hearings. Jodi's attention to detail and willingness to collaborate with her fellow legal staff helps clients get the benefits they need. She serves as a contact for current and potential clients, gathers medical evidence for clients, and helps with appeal applications.
A Minnesota native, Jodi grew up in Fergus Falls. She went on to earn her Associate of Applied Science degree from Globe University. While pursuing her degree, she earned a place on the honor roll with perfect attendance and completed an internship with a Minnesota personal injury law firm.
Karla Terry is a Legal Assistant with the Long Term Disability team at Fields Law Firm and plays an important role in the claims process; ensuring claim files are accurate, complete and timely to provide clients with the best chance for success as they begin the appeal process.
Originally from North Dakota, Karla moved to Minnesota in 2006. She has always had an interest in the legal field and enjoys interacting with her coworkers and the diverse culture of working at a law firm.
Outside of work, Karla enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Karly Herrewig is a legal assistant in our Social Security Disability practice group who assists our paralegals and clients with Social Security Disability claims.
Originally from St. Michael, Minnesota, Karly enjoys playing Sand Volleyball leagues, spending time with her four children, watching hockey and being up north with family and friends in her spare time.
Job Titles:
- Intake Specialist
- Specialist for Our Consumer Law Practice Group
Mark is an intake specialist for our Consumer Law practice group. He is very passionate with helping our future clients who have been harmed by their mortgage lender start the process to become our clients.
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mark is currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota on advancing his degree. He is also active with the local school district and the animal rescue movement as an adoption screener and fundraiser.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, 3 children and their dog. He also enjoys going to dog parks, a good book, watching Judge Judy and good game of cribbage.
Matthew grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota. After earning a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota, he worked in various customer service, analyst, and managerial roles. He later earned a Juris Doctor from St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. While in law school, Matthew served as a research assistant, clerked at the office of a renowned attorney and mediator, and excelled in the areas of mediation and negotiation.
Matthew practiced insurance law in Texas where he gained experience representing homeowners who suffered property damage. He took on the large insurance companies and is proud of his work helping homeowners get the money they deserved to repair their homes.
Matthew believes that as an attorney he has the good fortune to serve others in their time of need. He became an attorney to help people retain dignity and get back to their day to day life. Matthew is friendly, approachable, and a great communicator. He works hard to make the legal experience a positive one for his clients. He focuses his legal practice primarily on consumer, insurance, and disability cases.
Mr. Forsberg is admitted to practice in the United States District Court of Minnesota, Minnesota state courts, New Jersey state courts, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and Texas state courts. He is a member of both the Minnesota State and Hennepin County Bar Associations.
Outside of the office, Matthew loves spending time with his wife and two young children. He also enjoys baseball, talking movies, writing, and playing golf.
Merrick started his career as a lawyer working for one of Minnesota's top injury attorneys. He learned that through dedication and hard work, momentous results can be achieved for his clients. He enjoys the court room and has litigated numerous cases in Minnesota.
Caring and aggressive are hallmarks of his practice. He understands the fear and anxiety every day, ordinary, people feel when forced to face the intimidation and immense resources of a giant insurance company. He'll carefully explain and simplify complex legal issues so you can make the most informed decision about your claims. At the same, time he'll take an aggressive approach to dealing with the insurance company to ensure the maximum result and recovery for you.
Merrick was raised out west but came to Minnesota in the mid-90s to attend law school at William Mitchell College of Law. Since his arrival, he has grown to love the beauty of Minnesota and its culture, and now, proudly, considers himself a Minnesotan.
Unique to his life experiences, Merrick lived in Taiwan for two years and learned to read, write and speak Mandarin Chinese. Most significantly, he spent months living in small villages where agriculture was the sole means of sustenance and people struggled to survive. He witnessed, first-hand, the true meaning and value of hard work, and what it takes to survive in the face of a bad crop or a natural disaster. This experience deepened his appreciation for the difficulties good people experience despite efforts to improve their lives.
Mr. Williams is admitted to practice in the Minnesota state courts and United States District Court of Minnesota. He enjoys membership with the Minnesota Association of Justice, Minnesota State Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association and American Association for Justice.
When not working, Merrick enjoys hanging out with his kids. He loves the Gophers, Vikings, Twins and yearns for the day when the T-Wolves bring home an NBA title.
Michael Johnson has over 7 years experience at all levels of workers' compensation practice, including at the Department of Labor & Industry, the Office of Administrative Hearings, the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, and the Minnesota Supreme Court. He has extensive experience handling all sorts of claims, including complex orthopedic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Michael has honed his advocacy and litigation skills representing insurance companies and comes to Fields Law Firm eager and excited to bring these skills to the benefit of real people, rather than large insurance companies.
Michael is the son of a plaintiff's personal injury attorney and learned first hand from his father the satisfaction that comes with helping real people get justice for their injuries. His knowledge of defense practice makes him an ideal attorney for injured persons - he knows how the insurance company and its attorney will look at the case and how they will try to deprive an injured person of the compensation the injured person deserves.
Michael was named a Rising Star by SuperLawyers for 2021 and 2022, a distinction awarded to only the top 2.5% of all lawyers in Minnesota under the age of 40.
Michael is a graduate of Cretin-Derham Hall and went on to study political science and history at Saint John's University, graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, All-College Honors, with distinction in political science, successfully defending an Honors Thesis regarding the objective measurement of judicial activism.
Michael went on to attend The George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. During law school, Michael was a student attorney before the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings, representing clients in cases involving housing benefits. This provided Michael with an early practical experience in the practice of administrative law, including how to interpret and apply administrative rules, very similar to the application of such rules in workers' compensation cases.
Prior to and during law school, Michael worked a variety of jobs, including as a union airline ground worker, construction laborer, landscaping laborer, and sports official. He understands hard work and difficult and dangerous working environments and is committed to getting the best results for workers faced with these challenges.
Michael is also a published author, co-authoring a published law review article regarding and comparing workers' compensation in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Michael is admitted to practice in all Minnesota State Courts. He is a member of both the Minnesota State Court and Dakota County Bar Associations.
Michael lives in Eagan with his wife and two small children, where he also serves as Chair of the City of Eagan Airport Relations Commission. Outside of work, Michael enjoys reading biographies and historical fiction, college football, and spending time with his family, particularly on the lakes in the summer.
Miranda is a legal assistant in our Consumer Law department. She helps gather all necessary pre-litigation documents for the attorneys, contacting clients for information, drafting and sending dispute letters.
Originally from Blue Earth, Minnesota, Miranda enjoys Yoga, cooking and being with her dog, Stanley.
Roxanne Steinke is a kind and hardworking individual who grew up and currently lives in Blaine, Minnesota. She graduated from Metropolitan State University with her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Human Resources.
In her spare time Roxanne enjoys being outside, camping, fishing, hunting, golfing, going for walks, playing video games, playing the piano, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Samantha is a legal assistant in our Long Term Disability practice group and helps with data entry, claim files and correspondence.
Originally from Plymouth, Minnesota, she enjoys hiking, reading, hanging with friends, listening to music and visiting museums in her spare time.
Sarah is a legal assistant in our Consumer Law Practice area and is responsible for collecting data, drafting documents and organizing cases for clients.
Originally from Crystal, Minnesota, in her spare time she enjoys painting, reading, fire spinning, camping and hanging with her cat, Sriracha.
Scott Ferriss comes to Fields Law from a prominent workers' compensation defense firm where he spent four years representing large insurance companies and employers in workers' compensation claims. Through this experience, he gained knowledge of the way the insurance companies handle claims and their tactics to delay and deny claims.
His insight into the way insurance companies handle claims is invaluable for his clients. Scott knows the approach of the defense and helps guide his clients through all the hoops and hurdles the insurance companies make the injured go through. His compassion and ability to communicate effectively make him a strong advocate for his clients.
Scott spent his first year of college at Colorado State University studying civil engineering. However, he quickly learned that the math involved in engineering was not as interesting as his political science class. Upon transferring to Augsburg College in Minneapolis, he began his studies in political science and economics. Scott was then selected to continue his studies at American University in Washington, DC for a year before returning to Augsburg.
Following his undergraduate studies, Scott served as Legislative Assistant to a United States Congressman in Washington, DC covering legislative issues that included transportation, education, environment, healthcare, and telecommunications. After nearly five years of working for the Congressman, Scott and his then betrothed, Kristen, decided to go to law school and attended William Mitchell College of Law.
Scott is admitted to practice in all Minnesota State Courts and the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association.
Outside of helping people through his work, Scott currently serves as the President of his homeowner's association and is passionate about golf, railroads, hot peppers/sauces, and The Beatles. When he is not golfing, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two daughters, and two cats, Ringo and Eleanor Rigby.
Serena Seashore grew up in Plymouth, Minnesota and Buffalo, Minnesota. She moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of North Dakota and subsequently, and her Juris Doctorate from the University of North Dakota School of Law. After 7 years of living in Grand Forks, she decided it was time to move back to the Twin Cities.
Serena was a legal intern for the Community Violence Intervention Center in Grand Forks and clerked for the City Attorney. Serena began her legal career outside of law school practicing chapter 7 and chapter 13 bankruptcies at a bankruptcy law firm in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Working in such a field taught her the value of remaining understanding and compassionate, while guiding people through the complexities of the bankruptcy legal process.
For as long as she can remember, Serena has had a desire to help people when they have nowhere else to turn and no other options to pursue. Incidentally, Fields Law piqued her interest to expand the fields she practices in to continue helping those who need assistance through Long-Term Disability, Social Security Disability, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Serena is licensed to practice in the Minnesota State Courts and United States District Courts for the District of Minnesota.
When Serena is not working, she enjoys trying new breweries with her fiancé, Matt, and being outside with their dog, Harley. Serena loves to be at the cabin, obsessively paints her nails, and has really been enjoying becoming an auntie to her nephew.
Steve Fields began his law career as a personal injury lawyer by helping injured people in Minnesota. After establishing his reputation representing personal injury clients, he founded Fields Law Firm in 2001. Since then, Fields Law has grown into one of the largest work injury law firms in Minnesota.
The firm now handles all types of cases, including Workers' Compensation, Social Security disability, long term disability and personal injury. Steve understands the problems his clients face after getting hurt at work or if they are disabled and unable to return to work.
Steve grew up in Kasson, Minnesota, just outside of Rochester where he learned the value of hard work and spent time doing a variety of jobs before heading to college in Mankato.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Minnesota State University (Mankato State University). While in college Steve worked nights and weekends for four years. He earned his law degree at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota while at the same time working for a personal injury law firm.
Mr. Fields is admitted to practice in the United States District Court of Minnesota and Minnesota state courts. He is a member of the American Association for Justice and the Minnesota Association of Justice.
When he isn't working, Steve spends time with his wife and two kids, heads up to the Boundary Waters (favorite outfitter - Piragis), reads, and plays the guitar.
Zachary Erickson began working to help individuals navigate the legal system while he was still in law school. He strives to be an aggressive advocate who can provide honest, common sense advice when dealing with insurance companies.