By Messick Law, PLLC, a Minnesota firm based in Woodbury, has been recognized by Best Lawyers for 2027 in Litigation – Trusts and Estates and Family Law. Founder Steven Messick was also named to The Best Lawyers in America for 2027 in Litigation – Trusts and Estates. The firm says this is his fifth consecutive year on the list.
The firm announced the news on Facebook with a team photo and a thank-you to its clients, colleagues, and peers.
Messick Law Best Lawyers 2027 Recognition at a Glance
The table below places the 2027 honor next to the other peer-based credentials the firm and its founder hold.
| Recognition | How it is decided | Messick Law result |
|---|---|---|
| Best Lawyers 2027 | Confidential peer review | Firm: Litigation – Trusts and Estates and Family Law. Steven Messick: Litigation – Trusts and Estates |
| Super Lawyers | Peer nomination, independent research, and peer evaluation | Steven Messick selected 2021 to 2026, plus Rising Star in 2019 and 2020 |
| Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent | Peer rating of legal ability and ethical standards | Held by Steven Messick since 2016 |
How a Lawyer Earns Best Lawyers Recognition
Best Lawyers calls its approach Purely Peer Review. Anyone can nominate a lawyer, and attorneys who already hold the recognition evaluate the nominees. The central question is simple: if you could not take a case yourself, how likely would you be to refer it to this lawyer?
Researchers then review the feedback, and selected lawyers are checked for licensing and disciplinary standing. Best Lawyers states that lawyers cannot pay for inclusion, so the listing reflects what other attorneys say about the work. The full process is outlined on the Best Lawyers methodology page.
Practice Areas Behind the 2027 Honor
Trusts and estates litigation covers disputes over wills, trusts, estate administration, and the conduct of the people managing them. Family law covers matters such as divorce, custody, and parenting time. Both areas tend to reach a lawyer when a family is under pressure.
Messick Law lists both among its core services, alongside civil litigation, real estate, business law, elder law, and mediation. The firm’s Best Lawyers firm profile shows its recognition history with the publication beginning in 2022.
How Messick Law Built Its Reputation
Steven Messick opened Messick Law in June 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. By his own account, he started as a judicial law clerk for Judge Thomas M. Neuville and later became a partner at a southern Minnesota firm in Faribault before launching his own practice.
The firm serves entrepreneurs, small business owners, and their families. Minnesota Lawyer named Messick Law to its 2026 Up and Coming Law Firms list and reported a team of six attorneys who are encouraged to suggest improvements and pursue passion projects.
He is also active in his community. He serves on the board of the Minnesota Youth Ski League, volunteers with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, and has provided counsel to the Karen Organization of Minnesota. Those ties help explain why peers and clients know his name beyond the courtroom.
What Founder Steven Messick Says About Building the Firm
Steven Messick has spoken publicly about how he runs the firm. He wants Messick Law to be the first call a client makes when a legal issue comes up. When a matter falls outside the firm’s scope, he personally phones a trusted attorney and hands the client off with care. He describes the firm as focused on the connected legal needs of small business owners and their families rather than as a general practice.
He also described a firm culture built on flexibility and diversity, including in rural Minnesota communities. He has moved away from the idea that good lawyers must be at their desks by 8:00 a.m. and wants his team energized by the work. The firm’s stated mission is to create an inclusive environment “where all persons are treated with dignity and respect.”
Technology is part of that vision. He said clients adjusted to remote service during the pandemic, and some now prefer it, so he plans to use technology to serve people from wherever they are while keeping daily communication open inside the team.
What the Team Feels About the Award
The firm’s announcement opens with pride, but the tone is grateful rather than boastful. It credits the people behind the honor, the attorneys and staff who support clients every day, often during some of the hardest moments in a family’s life.
The closing note thanks clients, colleagues, and peers for their trust. That list matches how Best Lawyers works, since clients and contacts can nominate and fellow attorneys vote. For a small firm that began in 2020, the message reads as a thank-you to the community that helped it grow.
Why Best Lawyers Recognition Matters to Clients
People who need a trusts and estates litigator or a family law attorney often begin with a referral. A peer-based listing shows that other lawyers would send their own clients to this firm. It also gives families a quick signal of reputation when they are comparing several firms.
Recognition should not be the only filter. Verify the attorney’s license, ask about experience with your exact type of case, and meet with more than one lawyer. Ask how the firm communicates, how fees are structured, and who will handle your matter day to day.
Messick Law Best Lawyers FAQ
What did Messick Law receive?
Recognition from Best Lawyers for 2027 in Litigation – Trusts and Estates and Family Law.
Can a law firm pay for a Best Lawyers listing?
No. Best Lawyers states that lawyers cannot pay to participate or to be recognized.
Who is Steven Messick?
He is the founder and owner of Messick Law, a litigator licensed in Minnesota since 2009 who focuses on trust and estate litigation, among other areas.
Where is Messick Law based?
The firm is based in Woodbury, Minnesota, and serves clients across the Twin Cities metro and the rest of the state.
Last updated on: November 10, 2026