The law firm of Neils, Franz Chirhart, Hultgren &Evenson, P.A. traces its history to 1974, when it was started by Jim Hoolihan. Roger Neils, who had been practicing law in St. Cloud since 1973 joined Jim Hoolihan in 1976. In 1979, the firm moved to our present location in the Executive Plaza Building. Tim Chirhart joined the firm in 1979, and Neil Franz joined in 1981. Drew Hultgren joined the firm as an associate in 1996 and became a partner in 2000. In 2004, the firm hired JoAnn Evenson, who had been practicing in the St. Cloud area for seven years. She became a partner a year later. In 2005, the firm hired Julie Fisk, and in 2010, the firm hired Betsey Lund, a Sauk Rapids native.
Over the years, our firm has had several opportunities to grow and expand into a much larger organization. We have chosen to maintain a size that is large enough to service the needs of our clients, yet small enough to develop personal relationships. By deliberately remaining small, we feel that we can offer our clients a friendly environment and provide personalized concern and attention to their legal and professional needs.
At the same time, we also value and enjoy our ability to spend time with our families and with our public service activities. Our attorneys are real people, with real lives outside of our law practice. The small size of our firm has allowed us to place a priority upon our personal and community commitments. We have volunteered much of our time and energy in a variety of organizations and causes in the St. Cloud area. Members of the firm have held leadership positions in the following organizations: St. Cloud Charter Commission, St. Cloud Zoning Board of Appeals, St. Cloud Christian School, Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program, Central Minnesota Builders Association, Sertoma, Rotary, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, United Way, Boy & Girls Club of Central MN, the Stearns County Mounted Reserve, and various church leadership positions and activities, among others.
We specialize in many areas of law including:
- Business and Employment Law
Corporations
S Corporations
Limited Liability Companies
Partnerships
Limited Partnerships
Limited Liability Partnerships
Business Contracts and Documents - Real Estate Law
Commercial Developments
Residential Developments
Purchase Agreements
Protective Covenants and Restrictions
Easements and Rights of Way
Residential and Commercial Leases
Title Examination and Opinions - Family Law
Divorce
Legal Separation
Paternity Actions
Child Custody
Child Support - Estate Planning
Wills
Trusts
Powers of Attorney
Health Care Directives
Probate - Alternative Dispute Resolution
Mediation
Arbitration
Early Neutral Evaluations

Andrew D. Hultgren
Roger D. Neils
Timothy H. Chirhart
Neil C. Franz
JoAnn W. Evenson
Julie L. Fisk
Betsey Lund