Michael S. Divine, Esq.
Michael S. Divine joined Arnold Rodman & Kretchmer in February of 2018. Mr. Divine is an internationally published legal scholar, has assisted with private transactions totaling well over a billion US dollars, and was an adviser to the Department of Defense. He is passionate about the law and enjoys assisting clients with a broad range of business and financial matters.
Trust and Estate
Mr. Divine’s trust and estate experience includes planning for estates ranging from the insolvent to those valued at many hundreds of millions. He has successfully assisted hundreds of Minnesota families with services including:
- Revocable / Living Trusts
- Special Needs Trusts
- Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts
- QTIP Trusts (useful for blended families and/or second marriages)
- QDOT Trusts (useful when one spouse is a noncitizen)
- Cabin Trusts
- Wills
- Health Care Directives
- Powers of Attorney
Mr. Divine also advises fiduciaries and beneficiaries in probate, trust administration, and guardianship matters.
Business Services
Mr. Divine assists businesses with a wide range of transactional matters including, but not limited to; sales, mergers, and acquisitions; financing; founder, employee, and stock agreements; and business succession. Mr. Divine’s diverse business experience includes serving as General Counsel at a successful company in Silicon Valley, working as Chief Legal Officer at an MIT-based start-up, and assisting some of the Twin Cities’ most well-known companies. An entrepreneur himself, Mr. Divine has worked on teams at some of the most prestigious accelerators in the country, including Y-Combinator, MIT Delta V, and Harvard Innovation Labs.
Biography
Mr. Divine was born and raised in the Twin Cities. He holds degrees from Harvard University and the University of Minnesota and studied non-degree coursework at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Divine worked as a line cook in the 15 years before he became an attorney, and still enjoys cooking in his spare time.
Education
Harvard University, Master of Liberal Arts, Finance (2018).
University of Minnesota, Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude (2012).
University of Minnesota, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude (2008).
Admissions
Minnesota Supreme Court
U.S. Federal Court, District of Minnesota (lapsed)
Awards
University of Minnesota Human Rights Law Award.
North Star Attorney Award.
Minnesota Justice Foundation Public Service Recognition.
Articles/Presentations
Presenter, Estate Administration from Start to Finish: Complex Issues in Estate Administration, National Business Institute (2017).
Presenter, Planning for Disabled Beneficiaries, National Business Institute (2016).
Co-Presenter, Scenario Planning and Drafting for Trusts & Estate Attorneys, Minnesota State Bar Association (2016).
Co-Presenter, Let’s Get Digital: How the Law is Playing Catch-Up, Elder Law Institute (2016).
Author, Planning for the Care of Minor Children in Minnesota, Epilawg (2016).
Presenter, Powers of Appointment in Estate Planning, National Business Institute (2015).
Co-author, Unprotected by Law, in Theorizing Noncitizenship (Routledge) (2015).
Co-author, The Human Rights of Migrants, in Foundations of International Migration Law (Cambridge University) (2012).