Agricultural Law

Nebraska has long been a leading producer of livestock and other commodities. But today the State agricultural economy is changing from small, family owned farms and ranches to larger operations, managed to meet goals of feeding a hungry world while protecting the land for future generations.  The Knudsen Law Firm formed its Agricultural Law Practice Group to better serve our agricultural clients in this new environment.

To meet these challenges our Agricultural Law Practice Group is a collection of professionals with broad and diverse expertise. They know real estate, insurance, asset protection, lending, business planning, water law, land use planning, permitting, estate and succession planning, bankruptcy, and litigation—legal issues facing farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses in today’s agricultural economy.

Call 402-475-7011 or 800-714-3439 for an appointment

Practice Group Attorneys:

For over 30 years as a trial lawyer with the Knudsen Law Firm, Rodney Confer has handled many suits involving agriculture and agribusiness for farmers, ranchers, banks, natural resources and irrigation districts, insurance companies, the State of Nebraska, and animal pharmaceutical and feed manufacturers. His cases have involved a wide range of agricultural problems: crop insurance, feedlots and hog confinement operations, ag loans, Nebraska’s anti-corporate constitutional provision, water law, irrigation, drainage, county and township zoning, animal feed and supplements, veterinary medicine, and damage to crops, pastures, poultry and livestock. Rod’s record of success has led to being named a Super Lawyer of the Great Plains, and receiving the highest rating in Martindale-Hubble, the most widely recognized legal directory in the country.

Richard R. Endacott has been active in the livestock industry for 40 years. He owns and manages a purebred Charolais herd that has produced top-gaining bulls at test stations, the Nebraska Beef Cattle Improvement Association's Sire of the Year and Grand and Reserve Grand Champion bulls at Nebraska’s largest beef cattle show. He has been an officer and on the board of the Nebraska Charolais Association and belongs to the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association. Richard has applied his hands-on experience during 43 years as a trial attorney in cases running the gamut of livestock problems. He incorporated the first Maine-Anjou Cattle Association and a national hybrid cattle association, represented one of the Midwest’s largest semen sales companies, and even the American Goat Society. Richard's rare combination of legal experience and livestock knowledge allows him to represent livestock breeders competently and aggressively. He's one lawyer who won’t give you a blank stare when you mention A.I., EPD’s, or Gomer bulls.

Jeanelle R. Lust gained her first familiarity with the ag economy growing up in rural South Dakota. Today she’s an experienced trial lawyer and Managing Partner of the Knudsen Law Firm whose clients come from all over the State. Jeanelle has done extensive study of crop and livestock lien protection in Nebraska. Some of her notable verdicts include a $3.5 million judgment arbitration arising from a feedlot embezzlement and $5.7 million against a lender for fraud in the downfall of a custom cattle feeder. Jeanelle was one of the first lawyers to become a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

Trev E. Peterson has practiced in real estate law, business planning, commercial litigation and bankruptcy since he joined the firm nearly 30 years ago. He lectures extensively on real estate, commercial loan documentation and bankruptcy. A lifelong Nebraskan, Trev has represented agricultural lenders and producers through the upswings and downturns that are all too common in the agricultural economy, and he brings practical insight to agricultural issues. Trev can help farm owners take advantage of corporations and other legal entities to limit their personal liability and aid in succession planning. He provides advice in farm purchases and sales, boundary disputes, adverse possession matters, and leasing. Farmers and ranchers may also profit from Trev’s bankruptcy expertise in reorganizing their operations, where his extensive experience in representing lenders provides an invaluable contribution.

Richard C. Reier focuses on commercial and real estate lending and has extensive experience in agricultural loans, representing both lenders and borrowers across Nebraska. Rick is familiar with loan and security structuring and documentation, farm leases, and real estate sales and purchase agreements. He has extensive experience in advising confined livestock operations on problems including permitting, zoning and environmental matters. Rick has done extensive work structuring agricultural businesses to comply with Nebraska’s Initiative 300, which restricted corporate farming before being declared unconstitutional.

For nearly 25 years LeRoy W. Sievers has represented farmers and ranchers, irrigation districts, political subdivisions and the State of Nebraska in water and environmental law matters, such as water rights, challenges to federal agency and state actions, inverse condemnations and land use planning. LeRoy has practiced at every level of state and federal court including the U.S. Supreme Court and he has worked with farmers and ranchers from Mitchell to Tekamah and from the Niobrara to the Republican River. As part owner and active operator of a tree farm himself, LeRoy has personal experience with issues that face ag producers: boundary issues, hunting rights and chemical migration problems.

Related Articles
The Workers’ Compensation Law - A Trap for Agriculture

Printer-friendly version of this page