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In her roles as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Merchant &amp; Gould, Tracey concentrates on strategic planning and management. She directs day-to-day operations, supervises all administrative departments and personnel, and assists the firm's managing partner in making fiscally-sound business decisions. As a CPA, she also helps publicly-traded clients with budget estimates so they can provide accurate financial reports to the SEC.

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Tracey joined Merchant &amp; Gould in 1999 as a financial analyst. She was promoted first to financial analyst manager, then to director of finance, to CFO in 2006, and most recently to COO/CFO. She enjoys working with the firm's partners, staff, and clients, as well as the challenge of taking on new projects and the variety her job offers at a high level.

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Tracey has two children who keep her busy, and is an avid Iowa State fan. She rarely misses a Cyclones home football game.

University of Northern Iowa, B.A. Accounting, 1996

she / her / hers

Minneapolis

Merchant &amp; Gould was honored by the Children’s Law Center of Minnesota (CLC) with the Distinguished Service Award at its 26th Anniversary Virtual Benefit on Oct. 7.



The Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to one law firm or corporation whose work on behalf of CLC’s clients exemplifies the commitment and dedication to pro bono representation that is the foundation of CLC’s mission. &nbsp;According to Amanda Finman-Palmer, Development Director, and the CLC team, Merchant &amp; Gould was especially recognized for its “dedication and commitment to representing children and youth in foster care,” as well as the firm’s “immense impact on Minnesota children in need.”



Over the years, Merchant &amp; Gould attorneys and staff have engaged with CLC in many ways, including CLC board and committee leadership; philanthropy by employees and volunteers; sponsorship support for CLC’s Annual benefit; in-kind donations for CLC clients and operation; and hundreds of pro bono hours representing children and youth in foster care.



Minneapolis partner Tony Zeuli, CLC board member, accepted the Distinguished Service Award on behalf of Merchant &amp; Gould in a video while applauding the firm’s robust team of pro bono volunteers, including Karen Beckman, Eric Chad, Julie Daulton, Lindsay Hartman, Rachel Hughey, Bradley Kuxhausen, Anneliese Mayer, Elisabeth “Bette” Muirhead, Ryan Smith, Rachel Zimmerman Scobie, and Tracey Skjeveland.



CLC provides free legal advocacy for foster care youth in Minnesota. &nbsp;The organization advocates for foster children through systemic reform and provides free legal representation services to foster children. &nbsp;CLC also trains volunteer attorneys to represent foster children in court. &nbsp;Currently, CLC represents over 800 children per year. &nbsp;

Merchant & Gould Receives Distinguished Service Award from Children’s Law Center of Minnesota

Merchant &amp; Gould partner Tony Zeuli says volunteering with Children’s Law Center (CLC) to represent foster children in court is a rewarding experience for him and Minneapolis colleagues.



Zeuli, a CLC board member, accepted the nonprofit’s Distinguished Service Award on the firm’s behalf earlier this month.



Read the rest of the article <a href="https://minnlawyer.com/2021/10/21/breaking-the-ice-ip-attorney-colleagues-earn-pro-bono-recognition/">here.</a>

Breaking the Ice: IP attorney, colleagues earn pro bono recognition

Other Attorneys Recognized for Pro Bono Hours and CLC Distinction



Merchant &amp; Gould’s Pro Bono Committee announced the firm’s 2021 Pro Bono Awards to attorneys who have dedicated their time to helping their communities through pro bono legal services and their deep commitment.&nbsp;



A special congratulations goes to Sheila Niaz (Minneapolis) who performed more than 300 hours of pro bono legal work this year. &nbsp;Sheila’s pro bono work included preparing several patent applications in connection with LegalCORPS and assisting on the appeal of a criminal conviction. &nbsp;She is the sole recipient of Merchant &amp; Gould’s 2021 Pro Bono Award.



In addition, we want to recognize Rachel Hughey (Minneapolis) who has since been appointed as a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District; Bill Hughet (D.C.); Mike Erbele (Minneapolis); Joe Gess (D.C.); Rachel Scobie (Minneapolis); and Ben Tramm (Minneapolis) for dedicating more than 40 hours of pro bono work this year.



We also want to applaud our Minneapolis team of attorneys who received Children’s Law Center (CLC) of Minnesota’s “Distinguished Service Award” this year: &nbsp; Karen Beckman, Eric Chad, Julie Daulton, Lindsay Hartman, Rachel Hughey, Bradley Kuxhausen, Anneliese Mayer, Elisabeth “Bette” Muirhead, Ryan Smith and Rachel Zimmerman Scobie, Tracey Skjeveland and Tony Zeuli (CLC board member). &nbsp;Merchant &amp; Gould was recognized for its “dedication and commitment to representing children and youth in foster care,” as well as the firm’s “immense impact on Minnesota children in need.”



Congratulations to Sheila and all the attorneys who continue to help make our communities even better!

Merchant & Gould Congratulates Sheila Niaz as the Firm’s Pro Bono Award Winner

Congratulations to <a href="/people/tracey-r-skjeveland/">Tracey Skjeveland</a> on being nominated for CBIZ’s 2022 Minneapolis Women Transforming Business Award. The award identifies and honors financial leaders who have had a transformational influence within their organization in one of three areas: financial strength, innovation or culture. Tracey exemplifies all three areas at our firm.



Tracey continues to inspire all of us at Merchant &amp; Gould, as well as the community. Her nomination represents her hard work and the way she helps advance our firm on a daily basis.&nbsp; She attended an award ceremony on April 19 at The Minneapolis Club, where CBIZ celebrated and recognized her nomination and accomplishments.



Well done, Tracey!

Tracey Skjeveland Nominated for CBIZ’s 2022 Minneapolis Women Transforming Business Award

Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to announce that <a href="/people/heather-j-kliebenstein/">Heather Kliebenstein</a>, a Minneapolis partner who joined in 2004, has been named Managing Partner of Merchant &amp; Gould’s seven offices, effective Jan. 30, 2023. She joins <a href="/people/tracey-r-skjeveland/">Tracey Skjeveland</a>, the firm’s COO and CFO, and leads a three-person Executive Committee, including <a href="/people/andrew-j-lagatta/">Andrew Lagatta</a> and <a href="/people/william-d-schultz/">William Schultz</a>. Tracey will manage day to day business operations of the firm while Heather and the Executive Committee will lead the law firm and provide direction for long-range planning and growth. 



As an IP litigator with a technical background, Heather represents her clients in court and counsels those clients regarding other intellectual property portfolio strategies. She specializes in trademark, trade dress, copyright, advertising, unfair competition, breach of contract, patent, design patent and trade secret litigation, particularly with cases that intertwine multiple intellectual properties, contracts, and other federal or state claims. Heather is the former chair of Merchant &amp; Gould’s Litigation Practice.



Tracey joined Merchant &amp; Gould in 1999 as a financial analyst. In 2006, she was named CFO. In 2014, Tracey was named the firm’s COO. Throughout her career at Merchant &amp; Gould, Tracey has demonstrated effective, sound leadership and has been a mentor to many.&nbsp;

Heather Kliebenstein and Tracey Skjeveland Named to Lead Merchant & Gould’s Seven Offices

Heather serves as first female Managing Director of the 123-year-old IP law firm.



Merchant &amp; Gould is pleased to announce that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merchantgould.com/Professionals/Heather-J-Kliebenstein" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heather J. Kliebenstein</a>, a Minneapolis shareholder who joined in 2004, has been named Managing Director of Merchant &amp; Gould’s seven offices, effective Jan. 30, 2023. She joins&nbsp;<a href="https://www.merchantgould.com/Professionals/Tracey-R-Skjeveland" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tracey R. Skjeveland</a>, the firm’s COO and CFO, and leads a three-person Executive Committee.



Heather will remain client focused, while Tracey manages day-to-day operations. Heather and the Executive Committee will steer the firm and provide direction for long-range planning and growth.



Heather is the firm’s first female Managing Director in its 123-year-old history, reflecting Merchant &amp; Gould’s vision for the future and reaffirming the firm’s ongoing commitment to its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The Heather-Tracey duo is focused on a more modern and collaborative approach to leadership.



“Our industry is ready to increase the role of women in leadership &#8212; supporting the unique perspective and diversity of thinking for our clients, industry, and community. Inclusion and innovation are at the core of Merchant &amp; Gould’s principles and culture, and these values have never been more important,” said Heather.



As an IP litigator with a technical background, Heather represents her clients in court and counsels those clients regarding intellectual property portfolio strategy. She specializes in trademark, trade dress, copyright, advertising, unfair competition, breach of contract, patent, design patent and trade secret litigation, particularly cases that intertwine multiple intellectual properties, contracts and other federal or state claims. Heather is the former chair of Merchant &amp; Gould’s Litigation Practice.



Tracey joined Merchant &amp; Gould in 1999 as a financial analyst. In 2006, she was named CFO. In 2014, Tracey was named the firm’s COO. Throughout her career at Merchant &amp; Gould, Tracey has demonstrated effective, sound leadership and has been a mentor to many.&nbsp;



“We are becoming more process oriented and streamlined to allow us to grow our technology and innovation focus. More than ever, it has become abundantly clear that our platform is highly desirable in the IP legal market,” said Tracey.



Along with Merchant &amp; Gould’s Executive Committee and almost 100 attorneys, Heather and Tracey are working together to find important solutions for their clients, the firm, and the industry.

Heather J. Kliebenstein Named to Lead Merchant & Gould’s Seven Offices

By Jasmin Jackson



<a href="https://www.law360.com/pulse/articles/1585687/merchant-gould-names-1st-female-managing-director-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Law360 (March 14, 2023, 3:37 PM EDT)</a>&nbsp;&#8212; Merchant &amp; Gould P.C. has installed its first female managing director in its more than 120-year history, the firm said Tuesday.



Attorney Heather Kliebenstein will lead the intellectual property firm&#8217;s seven offices after two decades of experience guiding its clients through complex IP and technology litigation. Kliebenstein told Law360 on Tuesday that the appointment is &#8220;a combination of humbling, exciting and meaningful all at the same time.&#8221;



She added that it&#8217;s &#8220;extremely important&#8221; for her to show her two young daughters that &#8220;any opportunity is available to them.&#8221;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
&#8220;I believe that modeling what we want younger attorneys and younger people to achieve is massively important. … Having that representation at the top level can&#8217;t be replaced,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That&#8217;s actually one of the primary reasons that I decided to jump into the role.&#8221;
</blockquote>



She succeeds former Merchant &amp; Gould managing director Christopher J. Leonard, who joined Shook Hardy &amp; Bacon LLP as senior counsel last month. Kliebenstein stressed that she doesn&#8217;t intend to significantly change the firm&#8217;s direction. &#8220;In a nutshell, we want to elevate what already makes us great,&#8221; she said.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s easy for a new leader to come in and want to change things and shake them up, but when you have an institution that&#8217;s as old as Merchant, I think that the best path, and maybe the more challenging path, is to align who we are as a firm — our history and our culture — with the current trends of the legal market,&#8221; Kliebenstein said.
</blockquote>



Merchant &amp; Gould&#8217;s newest managing director will join forces with the firm&#8217;s chief operating officer, Tracey R. Skjeveland. While Skjeveland manages day-to-day operations, Kliebenstein will be largely client-focused.



Kliebenstein said she and Skjeveland make a &#8220;dynamic duo&#8221; and merge the &#8220;best of both worlds&#8221; — &#8220;somebody who understands the attorney side, the client service side, and Tracey, who really understands the processes and the efficiencies in the firm.&#8221;



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
&#8220;We want to be the best place possible to grow a career in IP and technology law with the brightest and best attorneys, but we also need to have the best support and processes for the practice of law,&#8221; Skjeveland said in a Tuesday statement to Law360. &#8220;And that&#8217;s where the combination of Heather&#8217;s client focus and my attention to day-to-day operations will help steer the firm.&#8221;
</blockquote>



Merchant &amp; Gould hired Kliebenstein in 2004. She was promoted to partner in December 2012.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
Kliebenstein told Law360 in an April 2015 interview — which covered a lack of gender diversity in IP boutiques — that when she was a young associate, &#8220;it was really hard to imagine myself as a shareholder or managing partner in the future because I didn&#8217;t see anyone in the boardroom that looked like me or had similar career goals.&#8221;



&#8220;When you don&#8217;t have those role models, it&#8217;s kind of easy to convince yourself that another career might be a better choice for you,&#8221; she said at the time.
</blockquote>



The firm said in a statement Tuesday that its selection of Kliebenstein reflects its &#8220;vision for the future&#8221; and reaffirms its &#8220;ongoing commitment to its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.&#8221;



Kliebenstein earned a bachelor&#8217;s degree in environmental science from Iowa State University and her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.



&#8211;Editing by Gemma Horowitz.

Merchant & Gould Names 1st Female Managing Director

COO/CFO

Tracey R. Skjeveland

Selected as one of Minnesota&#8217;s Most Powerful Business Leaders by Minnesota 500, 2020 
Selected as a Top Women in Finance honoree by Finance &amp; Commerce, 2016

Awards & Recognition

Association of Legal Administrators 
    Large Firm Retreat Committee (2018-2020; chaired in 2020) 
Association of Legal Administrators, Minnesota Chapter 
    ALAMN Board of Directors, Finance Director (2011-2015) 
    ALAMN Board of Directors, Communication Director (2013-2014) 
    Large Firm Committee Chair 2014-2018;2020 
    Finance Special Interest Group Chair 2008-2011 
University of Northern Iowa Accounting Alumni, Minneapolis Chapter 
TeamWomenMN 
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Professional Affiliations

Children&#8217;s Law Center of Minnesota 
   Finance Committee

Civic Leadership

Certified Public Accountant 
Certified Legal Manager

Tracey R. Skjeveland

Education

Awards & Recognition

Professional Affiliations

Civic Leadership

Professional Licensure and Certifications