Jannelle Steger Combs

Shareholder

P 701.221.8603 F 701.221.8601

Jannelle Steger Combs is a shareholder in the firm’s Bismarck, North Dakota, office, where she manages many matters of varying types relating to North Dakota. Jannelle has a broad background in real estate, general business and estate planning law. With her ability to work in person with North Dakota businesses and government, Jannelle relies on the broad spectrum of attorneys in our other offices to maximize their unique and specialized knowledge to serve clients with any business legal need they may encounter. She assists operators and non-operators in oil and gas litigation and transactional matters, including conducting oil and gas title examinations, advising on title (ownership) rights and preparing drilling, division, mortgage and acquisition title opinions. She works closely with the firm’s energy attorneys in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. Jannelle has also appeared before the North Dakota Industrial Commission.

Jannelle helps land owners, leaseholders and energy developers identify ownership stakes in the minerals far beneath the earth’s surface. These ownership determinations involve not only the owners of the surface land and the owners of the minerals beneath it, but also within the layers of each of the various mineral formations, creating a three-dimensional ownership puzzle requiring complex mathematical equations to calculate ownership interests in land parcels. She also assists mineral owners with actions or documents to cure title defects found from title examination, as well as assisting surface owners with their rights.

Previously a clerk to Judge Jack Pearson in the Seventh Judicial District in Minnesota, Jannelle began her career as a city prosecutor in Moorhead in northwest Minnesota, litigating as many as nine jury trials in less than a year’s time. She worked as a Mahnomen city prosecutor when she joined the Thorwaldsen Law Firm in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, where she also managed cases in family law, probate and personal injury matters. She also was the Chief Deputy Clerk with the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Prior to joining Leonard, Street and Deinard, Jannelle ran a solo practice in Fargo and Bismarck, where she provided oil and gas drilling title opinions for energy developers in North Dakota, Denver and Houston, as well as assisting non-operators in their business transactions.

Jannelle was honored with the 2004 Advocacy Achievement Award by Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota in recognition of her outstanding legal contributions to the disadvantaged. She regularly volunteers as a judge for high school speech and debate competitions and was named North Dakota State Debate Coach of the Year in 1999. North Dakota Business Watch, 2011, has named Jannelle among the top 40 business and civic leaders under the age of 40.

Professional and Civic Activities

State Bar Association of North Dakota
Minnesota State Bar Association
Wyoming State Bar Association
Landman’s Association of North Dakota
American Association of Professional Landmen
North Dakota Petroleum Council
Order of the Eastern Star
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation

Publications

Jannelle was featured in “In North Dakota, too few lawyers for the work,” The National Law Journal, December 2012
Jannelle was featured in “Local law firm puts together N.D. oil event,” St. Cloud Times, September 2012
Jannelle was featured in “Oil boom boosts law firms, too,” Star Tribune, August 2011
Jannelle was featured in “Leonard, Street and Deinard opening North Dakota office,” Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, March 2011

Presentations

Presenter, “Special Issues in North Dakota Real Estate Law: Including Oil and Gas Matters,” Minnesota CLE Webcasts (forthcoming May 2013)
Jannelle was featured on “Inside Business with Jim Christianson,” Channel 5 KFYR-TV, January 2012