Associate Attorney

As an associate attorney in the firm’s St. Paul office, Chad Arnesen concentrates his practice on 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 in 2020, Chad 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. In lieu of his career as an attorney, Chad is a Judge Advocate Officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard with more than 15 years of service. Prior to his legal career, Chad worked in law enforcement with the Minnesota State Patrol and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

Chad grew up in Sartell, Minn. by way of Seoul, South Korea. He currently resides in Eden Prairie with his wife, son, and their two rescue dogs Minnie and Goldy. When Chad is not assisting his clients in providing the best possible public service, he enjoys playing ice hockey, trying new restaurants, and learning how to be a dad. 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.