History

Our firm history dates back to 1883 when William L. Parsons and James A. Brown became partners. They ran a very successful practice which became known as Parsons & Brown. William L. Parsons was appointed judge of the 7th Judicial District in 1914. James A. Brown continued to practice law on his own until 1920 when Roger L. Dell joined forces with James A. Brown, and the partnership became known as Brown & Dell. In 1929, James A. Brown passed away, and Roger L. Dell partnered with Chester Rosengren, and the firm became known as Dell & Rosengren. In 1948, Gerald S. Rufer joined the partnership, and it soon became Dell, Rosengren & Rufer. Roger Dell was appointed chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1953, and the firm became Rosengren & Rufer. In 1953, Robert O. Blatti joined the firm of Rosengren & Rufer, and in 1955, it became known as Rosengren, Rufer & Blatti. In 1958, Richard Hefte joined the firm and partnered with Rufer and Blatti, and the firm became known as Rosengren, Rufer, Blatti & Hefte. In 1960, Richard L. Pemberton joined the firm, as did James L. Schulze in 1965. Chester Rosengren, like Parsons before him, was appointed judge of the 7th Judicial District in 1965. A few years later, the firm became known as the law firm of Rosengren, Rufer, Blatti, Hefte & Pemberton, and this name continued until 1968 when it was changed to Rufer, Blatti, Hefte, Pemberton & Schulze. In 1968 Oscar J. Sorlie joined the firm. In 1970, Robert O. Blatti passed away, and the firm became Rufer, Hefte, Pemberton & Schulze. In 1974, the firm hired another attorney, Gerald Rufer's son, Stephen F. Rufer. In the years to come, this would become a family tradition - three generations of Rufers who have worked with the same firm. In 1971, the firm became the Rufer, Hefte, Pemberton, Schulze & Sorlie law firm. In 1976, H. Morrison Kershner came to work for the firm, and in 1980, the firm hired Robert W. Bigwood. In 1982, the firm became known as the Rufer, Hefte, Pemberton, Schulze, Sorlie, Sefkow & Kershner law firm. In 1985 Michael T. Rengel joined the firm.

The firm continued to grow at an increasing rate by hiring Kent D. Mattson in 1993, Kristi A. Hastings in 2001, and, in the years following, Nicholas J. Heydt, Katrina I. Wass, Chad R. Felstul, and Joshua M. Heggem. The firm is very well known and is now titled Pemberton, Sorlie, Rufer & Kershner, PLLP.

Not only has this firm grown in the number of attorneys we have available, but, in the last few years, we have open several new offices in the surrounding area. In 2004, the Carlisle Law Office in Wadena, Minnesota, which houses two attorneys, Dan Carlisle and Sue Ann Lind, merged with the Pemberton Law Firm. In 2007, the Hummel Law Office in Detroit Lakes, Minnestoa, which houses three attorneys, Lynn Hummel, Sam Rufer (the third generation Rufer to work with the firm), and Charlie Seuntjens, merged with the Pemberton Law Firm. In 2007, the Pemberton Law Firm also opened a new office in Alexandria, Minnesota.

Pemberton, Sorlie, Rufer & Kershner, PLLP, currently employs 17 attorneys, an office administrator, an office manager, and 22 staff members. Our firm spans over 125 years of history and offers expertise in several areas of law. Many of our attorneys are licensed to practice law in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.