James J. Seifert

James's Bio

Cultivating relationships is not the bedrock principle for most law practices, but for Jim Seifert’s practice, this approach is fundamental. As an accomplished attorney and executive with a rich and diverse background in business strategy and ethics, Jim addresses his clients’ issues with savvy, sophisticated, and sound business judgment. He has been practicing for over 30 years and his career has regularly focused on manufacturing and technology.

Jim is the head of FMJ’s Manufacturing practice group and a Shareholder in the General Corporate & Business and Mergers & Acquisitions groups. He has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border transactions, sophisticated financings, intellectual property, litigation, board governance, and risk management. He is also recognized nationally for creative approaches to resolving litigation outside the traditional litigation process and has a deep knowledge of global regulatory, safety/health/environmental, and government relations operations.

Before joining FMJ, Jim was an in-house attorney with five public companies, Assistant General Counsel at American Hoist and Derrick, Assistant General Counsel at The Toro Company, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at The Tennant Company, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Bemis Company, and most recently, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Ecolab, Inc. He attended the University of Notre Dame as an undergraduate and received his Juris Doctor from Creighton University. He also has a Master of Science degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering in Manufacturing Systems and earned a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Minnesota in May of 2019.

Jim is also a tremendous asset to the state of Minnesota. He has served on the Humphrey School of Public Affairs Advisory Board, TPT – Twin Cities PBS Board, and in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He is currently a Board Member of Nuvera, Inc., a public telecommunications company, where he chairs the Governance Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee.