The MSBA is honored to announce four newly certified legal specialists
Tyson Smith and Jessica Willes in real property law, Peter Johnson in criminal law, and John Casserly in civil trial law. These attorneys have demonstrated extensive knowledge and proficiency in their specialty areas.
Tyson Smith
A Grand Marais native, Smith returned to the North Shore to practice after working for firms in Cloquet and Minneapolis. Real estate litigation and real estate transactions account for roughly half his practice. As for the other half, he is one of a dwindling number of true general practitioners—maintaining a robust family law, business, criminal defense, personal injury, appellate, estate planning, probate, and general litigation practice. Subscribing to the principle that good lawyers must always be ready to defend their positions to the court, Smith has tried to jury verdict criminal cases as both a prosecutor and defense attorney and civil cases for both plaintiff and defense. Though it requires a great deal of time in the law library, he is always ready to extol the virtues of small-town practice in the North Country.
Jessica Willes
An experienced commercial real estate attorney at Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.
in Minneapolis, Willes earned her law degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Before that she spent more than a decade with a national title insurance company, where she gained extensive experience in title insurance, real estate, and transactional work. Balancing full-time work, raising three children, and attending law school, she developed a discipline and perspective that helped shape her practical, client-focused approach to problem solving. Willes values the variety and complexity of commercial real estate transactions and takes pride in finding creative, practical solutions to challenging issues to help her clients grow their businesses. Outside work, she spends most of her time with her children—attending gymnastics meets, exploring escape rooms, or playing board games at home. She also serves on the board of directors for Domestic Abuse Project, a local nonprofit.
Peter Johnson
Johnson is a founding partner at Johnson Erickson Criminal Defense, where he represents clients in a broad range of state and federal criminal matters. Before entering private practice, he served for more than a decade as a felony prosecutor in Washington and Hennepin Counties, trying numerous complex and high-level felony cases. He draws on extensive trial experience and a comprehensive knowledge of criminal law to advocate for clients across the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.
John Casserly
Casserly, who joined Geraghty, O’Loughlin & Kenney in 2004, represents health care providers in the state and federal courts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Although he has a special interest in obstetric and mental health issues, John has represented primary care providers, subspecialists, mid-levels, hospitals, nurses, and nursing homes in nearly every area of health care. Casserly also litigates complaints before professional licensing boards.
Interested in becoming a certified specialist?
Upcoming certification exams in all four areas are scheduled in 2026. For more information, visit mnbars.org/certify. Questions? Contact Legal Certification Director Kari White (kwhite@mnbars.org).
