Greg Fontaine is a shareholder in Leonard, Street and Deinard’s Regulated Industries and Corporate Departments, where he focuses his practice on serving clients in agriculture and agribusiness with their transactional, finance, lending, regulatory and environmental needs.

Prior to joining the firm, Greg was in private practice for more than a decade, and then served as General Counsel for a livestock production and management business that was among the top 15 largest companies in the United States in that sector during his tenure. Most recently, Greg was the Chief Executive Officer and member of the boards of directors of two companies specializing in pork production and related facilities/real-estate management, where he provided leadership from corporate formation and start-up through strategic asset sales and restructuring.

His corporate and business practice at Leonard, Street and Deinard focuses on complex financing and commercial lending transactions, development of new businesses, restructuring of existing businesses, asset purchases and sales, mergers, acquisitions, and regulatory and environmental advice.

Greg received his J.D. degree magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, and after graduation was a law clerk for the
Hon. Gerald W. Heaney of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. 

Professional and Civic Activities

• Member, Minnesota State Bar Association
• Past member, Board of Directors, Minnesota Land Trust
• Past member, Environmental and Natural Resources Committee, City of Bloomington
• Past member, Economic Development Commission, City of Savage
• Former partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, 1989-2001
• Former general counsel, Bell Farming Group, 2001-2003
• Frequent lecturer and author of numerous articles on agricultural and environmental law
• Former adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota Law School and William Mitchell College of Law

Education

• J.D., magna cum laude, University of Minnesota Law School, 1981
       Order of the Coif
       Research editor, Minnesota Law Review
• B.A., with distinction, Economics and Urban Studies, Northwestern University, 1978

Admissions

• State of Minnesota
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota