Bernhart, William R.

Kari is a shareholder in the firm of Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association. She is a member of the Business Litigation Section and has been practicing law since 1995. Her experience has involved a broad range of business issues, including all types of contractual disputes, environmental issues, employment law, ERISA, SEC litigation, products liability, tort claims and appellate representation.

Prior to joining Briggs and Morgan, Kari served as president of a boutique law firm she founded, handling a variety of commercial disputes. These matters included contractual disputes; shareholder, partnership and limited liability company ownership disputes; real property issues; franchise issues; business tort claims; and other related legal matters.

Kari’s past work experience also includes work as a resolution attorney for The St. Paul Companies, where she was responsible for monitoring and auditing outside counsel.

Kari has been named a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics. She also received a Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery (SOAR) award by The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. In 2004, Kari completed a fellowship from the Hubert Humphrey Institute Policy Forum in public policy at the University of Minnesota.  She is also on the advisory committee for the William Mitchell College of Law's National Security Forum.

Kari is admitted to practice in Minnesota state and federal courts. She is a member of the Hennepin County, Minnesota and American Bar associations. Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently named Kari one of seven governor-appointed members of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, an appointment she will hold until Jan. 3, 2011.

In September 2003, Gov. Pawlenty also appointed Kari as a commissioner of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC); she was reappointed in 2005. In this role, Kari and her fellow commissioners were responsible for overseeing and managing the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, as well as its six reliever airports.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kari received a B.A. in English literature from Columbia University in New York. She received her J.D. from Hamline University School of Law, where she was recognized on the Dean’s List. Kari joined Briggs in 2006.