Farm litigation, grounded in the operation
A dispute can put a farm’s assets, income or continued operation at stake. We welcome inquiries from farmers, farm owners, agribusinesses, lenders and others involved in substantial agricultural disputes.
The work starts with the operation itself: who owns the land and equipment, which agreements govern their use, how agricultural products reach the buyer, and where the proceeds go. That understanding informs the investigation, the legal claims and the practical resolution.
Explore agricultural finance and workouts and Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy.
Agricultural litigation with a substantial record
Establishing Minnesota’s grain-bin fixture test
In Lighthouse Management Inc. v. Oberg Family Farms, the Minnesota Court of Appeals adopted a fact-specific test for deciding whether grain bins are real estate fixtures or personal property. Matthew Bialick was counsel for American Federal Bank in the published 2021 appeal. The classification matters to farm-property rights and transactions as well as competing creditor claims. Read the grain-bin ruling
Grain ownership, sales and competing rights
Star Bank v. Anderson involved corn sold through a grain-fronting arrangement and a dispute over the buyer’s obligations. Matthew Bialick and James Magnuson represented Star Bank. The 2024 appellate decision affirmed enforcement of the bank’s security interest and is nonprecedential. Read the grain-fronting case
Livestock ownership and diverted dairy revenue
Matthew’s representation of Bremer Bank involved disputed cattle ownership, redirected milk payments and livestock-sale proceeds. The court granted summary judgment on contested fraudulent-transfer issues. The matter illustrates agricultural litigation requiring close analysis of ownership, financial records and transfers among related parties. Read the livestock and proceeds case
National speaking on agricultural litigation and finance
National CLE presentations · 2023 and 2026
Matthew Bialick has twice presented on agricultural litigation in national continuing legal education programs offered through Strafford and BARBRI–Strafford. His portions of the programs addressed farm litigation and workouts involving agribusiness and agricultural finance.
View the 2023 Strafford program
View the 2026 BARBRI–Strafford program
National conference · November 5, 2026
Matthew Bialick’s session at the American Bankers Association’s national Agricultural Bankers Conference in Minneapolis, “Who Really Holds the Risk? Managing Integrator and Concentration Exposure in Agricultural Lending,” addresses how integrator relationships, contract terms and counterparty concentration affect agricultural operations and lenders’ exposure.
Agricultural disputes we handle
- Farm and agribusiness contract and payment disputes.
- Agricultural trusts, beneficiary rights and disputes over control of farm assets.
- Grain sales, farm-product transactions and diverted proceeds.
- Livestock ownership, dairy revenue and sale-proceeds disputes.
- Grain bins, fixtures, farm equipment and competing property claims.
- Fraudulent transfers and agricultural asset recovery.
- Agricultural loan enforcement, workouts, receiverships and related appeals.
Farm trusts and family ownership disputes
A trust holding farmland can become the center of a disagreement over authority, beneficiary interests, income or the use of farm property. Those disputes require attention to the trust documents, applicable duties and the agreements through which the farm operates.
Matthew’s agricultural litigation practice includes trust-related disputes. We evaluate the legal interests involved, the available evidence and the effect of each proposed course on the property and the operation.
Agricultural litigation insight
When the Next Generation Disagrees: Trust Disputes Involving the Family Farm
A guide to trust authority, beneficiary rights, financial records and protecting farm operations during a dispute.
Read the guideAgricultural bankruptcy & Chapter 12
Karl Johnson is one of only three attorneys in Minnesota certified as a Business Bankruptcy Specialist by the American Board of Certification. He handles agricultural bankruptcies, including Chapter 12 matters, and represents debtors, creditors and trustees.
A farm restructuring may involve seasonal income, equipment, land, crop or livestock collateral, and obligations to several creditors. Karl evaluates bankruptcy options and contested issues alongside the farm’s operating needs. Chapter 12 is designed for eligible family farmers and family fishermen; eligibility and the appropriate route depend on the circumstances. Read the U.S. Courts overview of Chapter 12.
Karl has taught Chapter 12 and agricultural workout subjects to banking and legal audiences, including Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota, the Minnesota State Bar Association and the State Bar Association of North Dakota.
Read more about Chapter 12 eligibility, farm operations and restructuring.
Discuss a farm or agricultural dispute
Contact Matthew Bialick about a farm, agribusiness or agricultural trust dispute. Contact Karl Johnson about farm bankruptcy or Chapter 12. Tell us who is involved, the general nature of the dispute and any approaching deadline so we can arrange an initial discussion.