Brian Flakne has been practicing law in Minnesota since 1981. During that time, he has concentrated his practice in the areas of family law, criminal defense, and real estate development. Brian has also been involved in complex civil cases, business planning, and general litigation.
Dedication to the full range of client needs has been the hallmark of Brian’s 43 years as a lawyer. Brian has tried cases in both state and federal court. He has argued cases to the Minnesota Court of Appeals and represented clients in front of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Brian has the distinction of having represented plaintiffs in three successful class actions.
For many years, Brian was a panel member and investigator on the Ethics Committee for the Fourth District, working to ensure that lawyers in this community observed the highest standards of professional behavior.
In addition to his private law practice, Brian is General Counsel for Lupe Development Partners, LLC. In 2023, Brian was awarded the In-House Counsel of the Year for his work with Lupe. As General Counsel, Brian directs contract negotiations, environmental review, financial and insurance underwriting, and the professional and governmental compliance aspects of these real estate development companies.
Brian’s extensive legal background has been a significant asset for various real estate projects that have been developed over 1500 living units in the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, including the Stone Arch Apartments (221 units), Stone Arch 2 Apartments (90 units) Mill City Quarter (140 units), East Side Apartments (114 units) Lake Street Dwelling (124 units), The Lago (140 units), the Flats at Malcom Yards (120 units) and many others. Many of these projects include tax credit-based affordable housing for underserved communities
A lifelong resident of the Minneapolis area, Brian graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1981. Brian is active in many state and national legal associations and various community organizations within the City of Burnsville. He has been involved as an advisor in numerous political campaigns at both the local and state levels. He is a past member of Shattuck-St. Mary’s Board of Trustees, past President of Bloomington Fine Arts Council, and past member of the Minnesota Council for Arts Education.
From 2000 to 2010, Brian was the Commissioner of Competitive Soccer for the City of Burnsville, and from 2010 to 2012, Brian was co-chair of the Savage Dome Task Force, a citizen-driven initiative, which was instrumental in the building of the Savage Sports Dome Complex at Community Park. Since 1988, Brian has been a proud third-generation member of Torske Klubben, the Norwegian fellowship club, and is currently a vice president of Svenska Sallskapet a Swedish fellowship club.
For over 34 years, Brian has been married to Victoria Rico, and they have two children—Kathryn, a 2012 graduate of Augsburg College, married to Levi and parents of Kallan and Kiera, and Cameron, a 2014 graduate of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, married to Marta. Cameron also has a degree in business management from the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, and currently works with Lupe Development Partners, LLC and Brian on real estate matters.
Brian and Victoria are long-time members of the Hope Church in Richfield, Minnesota. Brian is a leader in the Bible Study Fellowship Ministry in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Brian’s hobbies include upland game hunting with “Leo” the family springer spaniel, downhill skiing, gardening, yoga, and pickleball.
