Email: dan@tuftlaw.com
Phone: (651) 771-0050
Fax: (651) 771-0850
Download: vCard
Named the 2015 Minneapolis Area Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” and the 2021, 2018 and 2016 Minneapolis Area Family Law Mediation “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America, Dan O’Connell has been guiding clients through the legal system for 35 years. Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year”. He helps his clients overcome the fear and uncertainty of divorce. He works hard to help his clients achieve a fair and amicable settlement, but if there is not a fair settlement to be had, Mr. O’Connell is a skilled trial attorney who is Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a family law trial advocate.
Dan helps clients make marriage dissolution decisions out of their highest aspirations instead of their worst fears and impulses. Dan is also a State of Minnesota licensed CPA, so is able to understand, negotiate, and litigate complex financial and tax issues, business valuations, retirement, executive compensation, intellectual property, and other business issues, as well as non-marital asset issues. He has handled pre-marital and post-marital agreements, as well as cohabitation agreements. He represents clients in stipulated divorce, uncontested divorce, child custody, parenting time, grandparent visitation, and third-party custody/parenting time matters.
Dan’s calming demeanor and empathetic manner help him assist clients and lawyers toward amicable and dignified resolutions through ADR. Dan has been appointed by the courts to act as a neutral evaluator in dozens of cases involving financial issues and custody and parenting time issues. He is an arbitrator and CSM (private judge). He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and a member of the Collaborative Law Institute and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. He is a past president of the Minnesota Chapter of the AAML and a past president of the Ramsey County Bar Association. Dan practices law regularly in Ramsey, Hennepin, Washington, and Dakota counties, but has had cases in many other counties throughout Minnesota.
He mediates both civil law and family law disputes. He has represented lawyers, doctors, dentists and other professionals in licensing and ethics matters for over twenty-five years.
Current Employment Position
- Shareholder/Attorney
- Rule 114 Qualified Neutral
Bar Admissions:
- Minnesota, 1981
- U.S. Tax Court, 1983
- U.S. District Court (Minnesota), 1984
- U.S. Court of Appeals (8th Cir.), 1984
Education:
- William Mitchell College of Law, MN, J.D, 1981
- University of St. Thomas, MN, magna cum laude 1977
Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers 1992-present
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 2004-present
- Minnesota Chapter President 2011-2013
- Minn. Board of Managers 2006-2010; 2011-2019
- MN Strategic Planning Committee Chair 2010-2011
- Collaborative Law Institute 2004-present
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts 2007-present
- MSBA 1984-present
- Council 2003-2006
- Assembly 2003-2006 & 1991-94
- Governance Committee Chair 2004-2006
- Multijurisdictional Task Force 2004-2006
- Operations Committee 1992-2004
- Assn. Governance Task Force 2003
- Co-chair 2001and 2006 MSBA Conventions
- Multidisciplinary Practice Task Force 1999-2002
- Family Law Section 1985-present
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Section 1995-present
- RCBA 1984-present
- Past-President 2002-2003
- President 2001-2002
- President-Elect 2000-2001
- Vice President 1999-2000
- Secretary/Treasurer 1995-98
- Personnel Committee Chair 2002-2003
- Family Law Section 1985-present
- Memorial Committee 1986-present
- Strategic Planning Committee 1998-2001 (Co-chair 2000-2001)
- Minnesota Association of Justice 1985-present
- Academy of Attorney – CPA’s 1991-present
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants 1979-present
- Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants 1979-present
- Association for Conflict Resolution 1991-present
Honors and Awards:
- Named to list of Best Lawyers in America® since 2008
- Minneapolis Area Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” 2015
- Minneapolis Area Family Law Mediation “Lawyer of the Year” 2016, 2018, 2021
- Selected as a Minnesota Super Lawyer since 1996
- Named to the Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyers® list since 2012
- 2006 Recipient of the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award of the Ramsey County Bar Association
- Rated AV (the highest possible rating in both ethical standards and legal ability) by Martindale-Hubbell, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected attorney listings
Volunteer/Pro Bono Activities:
- Member of Ramsey County Pro Se Litigant Program 2000-present
- Recognized as a North Star Lawyer by the Minnesota State Bar Association for his pro bono work in 2014
- Represents clients for Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services
- Conducted mediations for the former Catholic Charities Mediation Program
- St. Pascal’s School Baseball Coach 1995-2012 and 2008-2012
- Church of St. Pascal Baylon Men’s Club Christmas Tree Sales 1996-2012
- Maplewood Athletic Association. Baseball Coach 1991-2000
- Maplewood Parks and Recreation Department Soccer Coach 1991-1997
- Leadership St. Paul (Graduate 1996)
