Chad H. Arnesen

As a senior attorney in the firm’s St. Paul office, Chad Arnesen concentrates his practice on municipal and labor and employment matters ranging from negotiation to litigation, including:

• Labor contracts, grievances, and bargaining unit determinations
• Personnel performance and conduct, fitness-for-duty, and data practices matters
• Mediation, arbitration, public employment agency, administrative, civil service, veterans preference, unemployment, and court proceedings
• Employment policies and procedures
• Pay equity, wage, and benefit analysis, systems, and compliance
• Workplace investigations, management trainings, and organizational reviews
• Advice on complying with labor and employment laws

Chad has extensive experience in both written and oral advocacy, as well as practical knowledge of public agency operations and the legal needs of public entities to succeed in effectively serving their citizens. He brings a unique combination of passion for integrity and public service, an unwavering respect for the citizens of whom the public serves, and the professional skills to deliver objective results for his clients.

Before joining Flaherty & Hood, Chad served as a Chief Civilian Attorney for the Department of the Army where he directly supervised a civilian attorney staff for a civil law office focused primarily on employment litigation, labor management relations, procurement fraud, and federal administrative law. Chad also previously worked for a national civil litigation firm in Minneapolis, where he defended product manufacturers in warranty and catastrophic product liability claims ranging from automotive crashes to toxic exposure cases. Chad is also a Judge Advocate Officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard with more than 15 years of service.

Chad grew up in Sartell, MN, by way of Seoul, South Korea. He currently resides in Blaine with his wife, son, and their two rescue dogs Minnie and Goldy. Chad describes himself as a nerd who loves video games and a passionate (a.k.a. masochistic) Minnesota sports fan. When Chad is not assisting his clients in providing the best possible public service, he enjoys traveling with his family, food culture (but nothing beats Korean BBQ), and watching professional wrestling. He is particularly proud of his experience as a former Zamboni driver, which he insists is an art as much as it is a science.