Meet The Attorneys
Meet Your Attorneys in Austin, MN
Of Counsel
Adams, Rizzi & Sween, P.A. is an all-purpose law firm serving all of southern Minnesota. The firm is over 125 years old; dating back to 1887. Our seasoned attorneys can assist you in areas of law ranging from general in-office advice to week-long jury trials. We offer the experience you need with understanding and compassion. Almost all cases will involve more than one area of law and Adams, Rizzi & Sween P.A will be able to guide you through all of them.
Of Counsel
Gary E. Leanard
graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1963 and is admitted to practice law in the states of Minnesota and Iowa. He joined the firm in 1963. He is active in the community and is a Past President of the Board of the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce and First Methodist Church of Austin.
Paul V. Sween
Paul V. Sween
Paul V. Sween has more than 45 years of legal experience in a general law firm setting after joining the firm in 1972. Paul has expertise in agricultural law, corporate and business law, real estate transactions, banking law and trust and estates. Not only has Paul gained this knowledge through his law practice but also through his personal involvement in the dairy and hog industry and his real estate development in Mower County.
In addition to his practice, Paul has been active in the Westminster Presbyterian Church, having been the chairman of the building fund drive and serving on the Board of Elders. Paul was one of the founders of Pheasants and Habitat of Southeast Minnesota and was the Mower County Chairman for Ducks Unlimited for twenty years. Paul has been active in many community affairs and is a past president of the Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Education:
University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. 1972
St. Olaf College, B.A. cum laude, 1969
Admissions:
District of Minnesota
Minnesota
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
Professional Affiliations:
American Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Mower County Bar Association
Steven T. Rizzi, Jr.
Steven T. Rizzi, Jr.
Steven T. Rizzi, Jr. joined the Adams, Rizzi & Sween. P.A. firm in 1983. Steve is a general practitioner who works in several areas including: school law, labor law, employment law, business and corporate law, estate planning and real estate law. He has experience in several matters including: contract drafting and disputes, employee matters (employee relations, employment issues, labor negotiations, wrongful issues, labor negotiations, wrongful discharge), estate planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney), government data practice questions and compliance, public bodies and public meetings, incorporation, limited liability companies, sales and acquisitions, collective bargaining, and contracts.
Steve is active in many professional and civic activities. He currently serves as Secretary for The Hormel Foundation Board of Directors. Previously Steve served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys and twice served as the Council's Chair. Steve's teaching experience prior to attending law school provides him with a unique perspective in the area of school law.
In addition, Steve is Past President of the following organizations: Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, Austin Early Risers Kiwanis Club, Minnesota Riverland Technical Foundation, Austin Public Education Foundation, Inc., Parenting Resource Center Board of Directors, and Mower County Bar Association. Steve is also a graduate of the Blandin Community Leadership program.
Education:
University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. 1983
University of Minnesota-Duluth, Bachelor of Science, 1977
Admissions:
District of Minnesota
Minnesota
Professional Affiliations:
American Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Mower County Bar Association
Dean K. Adams
Dean K. Adams
Dean K. Adams joined the Adams, Rizzi & Sween P.A. firm in 1990. Dean is a general practitioner who works in several areas including: workers' compensation, personal injury, civil litigation, family law and real estate.
Dean is active in many professional and civic activities. He is Past President of the Mower County Bar Association, Austin Noon Lion's Club, Austin Public Education Foundation, and the Parenting Resource Center. He has served on the Board of Directors of numerous organizations here in Mower County.
Education:
University of Iowa College of Law, J.D. 1990
University of Minnesota, B.A. 1985
Admissions:
District of Minnesota
Minnesota
Professional Affiliations:
American Bar Association
Minnesota State Bar Association
Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association
Mower County Bar Association
Adam J. Houck
Adam J. Houck joined the firm in 2012. Adam is a general practitioner that practices largely in business and corporate law, labor and employment, estate planning, real estate, civil litigation, criminal defense, and probate. Adam also has legal experience at the National Labor Relations Board, Hennepin County District Court, and the Neighborhood Justice Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Adam is very active in the Austin community. He has served on the Boards of several organizations including the Austin Jaycees, Salvation Army, Noon Kiwanis, Austin Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Hormel Historic Home.
Education:
University of Minnesota Law School, J.D. 2012
University of Minnesota, M.Ed. 2007
University of Minnesota, B.S. 2004
Admissions:
Minnesota
District of Minnesota
Professional Affiliations:
American Bar Association
Minnesota Bar Association
Tenth District Bar Association
Brooke D. Hamilton
Brooke D. Hamilton
Brooke D. Hamilton
Brooke D. Hamilton joined the firm in November of 2020.
Ms. Hamilton is a 2019 graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law. Though Ms. Hamilton ventured to another state to obtain her law degree, she is a local having grown up in Adams, Minnesota. While at law school, Ms. Hamilton was chosen to fulfill the year-long student internship for the Defender Aid program from 2017 to 2018. Ms. Hamilton was then offered a position in Baghdad, Iraq as the executive director from May 2018 to December 2018. Upon returning to the United States, motivated by security purposes, Ms. Hamilton continued with her juris doctorate and was able to assist the Wyoming County Commissioner's Association with educating and passing Workers' Compensation bills and policies.
Ms. Hamilton has taken an interest in her grassroots passion of agricultural law, real property transactions, tax law, estate planning, bankruptcy, debtor-creditor law and litigation.
Education:
University of Minnesota -Crookston, B.S. 2013
University of Wyoming College of Law J.D. 2019
Admissions:
Minnesota
District of Minnesota
Emily G. Toland
Emily G. Toland is licensed in both Minnesota and Wisconsin and focuses her practice on estate planning, elder law, guardianship and conservatorship, probate, and trust administration, among other areas. Emily regularly presents to both local and national audiences on estate planning and elder law topics. She received her juris doctorate, with honors, from Marquette University Law School. Prior to going to law school, Emily spent nearly a decade working in the Wisconsin State Legislature where she gained expertise in legal analysis and policy development.
Emily enjoys giving back to the community and to the legal profession. She is a member of the Austin Area Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the Austin Rotary Club, along with volunteering for the planning committee of the annual Albert Lea/Austin Walk to End Alzheimer’s and the Wills for Heroes Foundation. Emily was named to the 2022 Wisconsin Rising Stars list (an honor for lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice) and is a member of the Fellows of the Wisconsin Law Foundation. She is also the co-author of “Gray Tsunami: Advice for Planning with Elderly Clients”, which was published in the Journal of Financial Service Professionals.
Emily was raised in the Mankato area and moved back to Minnesota after beginning her legal career in Wisconsin. She is a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and lives with her family and two dogs in Austin.
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