Alexandria, MN

David W. Schneider

Hailing from Willmar, MN, David attended Gustavus Adolphus College, then the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, from which he graduated with honors in 1995. David is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Minnesota Association for Justice, the Minnesota State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He has been ranked among the top personal injury lawyers in Minnesota and named a "Super Lawyer" several times by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. David is a frequent contributor and lecturer for "Parents Forever," sponsored by the University of Minnesota. He is also a Certified Civil Trial Specialist.

Derek A. Trosvig

Derek is a skilled and compassionate lawyer dedicated to providing individual attention and exceptional service to his clients. Derek joined our firm in 1993 and focuses on family law, custody, divorce, personal injury, and other civil disputes, as well as creditor remedies. He is recognized as a Family Law “Super Lawyer” by Thomas Reuters® through a peer review selection process. He has also received a “Very High Rating” in both legal ability and ethical standards from Martindale-Hubbell®, a leading directory for lawyers and law firms. Derek graduated cum laude from Hamline University in 1989, and received his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1993. Derek is a member and past president of the Douglas County Bar Association, and member of the Minnesota Bar Association. He is admitted to practice law before all state courts in the State of Minnesota, the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, and the United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is widely involved in community affairs as a past president of the Alexandria Evening Lions Club, member of the Board of Directors and past president and treasurer for the Cardinal Athletic Foundation, past member of the Board of Directors and past treasurer for the Alexandria Area YMCA, past member of the Knute Nelson Board of Directors and Grand Arbor Board, and past Girls Hockey Coordinator and Coach for the Alexandria Area Hockey Association. Derek and his wife Julie have two adult daughters, and enjoy boating, the outdoors, traveling and hockey in their spare time.

Thomas A. Jacobson

Tom has been helping people navigate the complex maze of employment law for over thirty years. His passion for employment law is grounded on the belief that our work is more fulfilling and rewarding when employers and employees act within the bounds of the law and that we spend too much time at work to act otherwise. Tom has been certified as a Labor and Employment Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. The certified specialist credential must be earned. Attorneys who are certified specialists have met the exacting standards established by the MSBA and approved by the Minnesota State Board of Legal Certification. Fewer than three percent of all registered attorneys in Minnesota are certified specialists in their field. A frequent speaker on employment law topics, Tom is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, a charter member of the West Central Minnesota Chapter of SHRM, and a co-founder of the annual West Central Minnesota Employment Law Update. In addition to his employment law practice, Tom handles personal injury cases and business disputes, and he serves as the city attorney for the cities of Alexandria, Starbuck, Parkers Prairie, and Henning. Tom is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and North Dakota and has served as the president of the Douglas County and Seventh District Bar Associations. He has been listed as a Thomson Reuters Super Lawyer annually since 2016.

William B. Madsen

William's practice areas include personal injury, automobile, bicycle, and motorcycle accidents, head injuries, no-fault disputes, dog bites, wrongful death, workers' compensation, property law, and insurance policy disputes. After a career as a claims adjuster for a major insurance company and time in the United States Navy, William attended Southwest State University and the University of South Dakota School of Law, where he graduated in 2005. William is a member of the Minnesota Association for Justice and the Minnesota Bar Association and has also served as an investigator for the 5th District Ethics Committee. He has also served on the executive board of the Minnesota Inventors Congress.

Greg joined our firm in 2014. He handles civil litigation in a variety of areas including corporate litigation and contract enforcement, landlord/tenant issues, and personal injury. Greg also handles a variety of criminal defense cases as well as criminal prosecution for the City of Alexandria. Before starting with the firm, Greg served as a law clerk for the Honorable Ann L. Carrott in Alexandria. Originally from New Jersey, Greg has spent a majority of his life in the Midwest. He graduated cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois with a double major in music and business administration. He earned his juris doctorate in 2012 from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana, where he served as a Notes and Comments Editor for the Indiana Law Journal and was active in the Sherman Minton Moot Court Competition. Greg is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and in the Federal District of Minnesota. He is a member and past-president of the Douglas County Bar Association and a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association. He is involved locally as a board member for the Viking Sportsmen and is the Concertmaster, and past-president of the board for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra. He is also active with the Alexandria Rotary.

Katelyn Steffel Spangrud

Katelyn Steffel Spangrud is an Associate Attorney for the Swenson Lervick Law Firm. Her primary areas of practice include employment law and personal injury. In addition to her private practice, she also serves as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Alexandria prosecuting criminal matters and enforcing municipal ordinances. As part of her employment law practice, Katelyn regularly presents for the West Central Minnesota Society of Human Resource Management and participates in training seminars on issues related to harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Born and raised in Alexandria, her professional and personal philosophy includes giving back to the community. Katelyn is a firm believer in being a person of high integrity, and listening and learning from others. Katelyn’s drive, integrity, and dedication to her clients and the community is consistently demonstrated by her involvement and leadership in various community organizations including the Douglas County Domestic Violence Taskforce, Lakes Area Professional Women and the Alexandria Area High School Citizens Academy Mock Trial. In 2020, Katelyn was named as a Top 5 Professional Under 40 by the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and the Echo Press and is a Leadership Alexandria graduate. Katelyn has a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Philosophy from the University of South Dakota and received her Juris Doctorate from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her professional interests include trial advocacy, civil rights, employment law, health care compliance, and non-profit governance.

Thomas J. Pappenfus

Thomas J. Pappenfus joined the Pappenfus Law Firm in 1991, specializing in representing auto accident victims. He is an active member of the Minnesota Association for Justice and has tried many cases to jury.