Attorney Profiles

Barbara Nilva Nevin has practiced law since 1979, and practiced law with Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A. since 1987. Her practice focuses on family law, bankruptcy, employment law and personal injury. She practices extensively in the Minnesota Court of Appeals and within the last few years she twice reversed the district court's rulings, In Re the Custody of A.V.A., involving grandparents seeking third party custody of their young grandchild whose parents were tragically killed in a truck collision. Ms. Nevin is a Judge of Conciliation Court in Hennepin County. She enjoys volunteering in high schools and is active in the Blue Star Moms, where she is the Chaplain and Patriotic Officer. Her son Edmund Nevin has served in the United States Marine Corps and served two tours of duty in Iraq. Ms. Nevin is the current Chair of the Seniors' Commission for the City of Chanhassen, Minnesota. Ms. Nevin has also been named a Minnesota Superlawyer for over seven years. Ms. Nevin was a plaintiff in the case of Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P.A., et. al. v. United State of America which successfully narrowed portions of the Bankruptcy Reform Act (BAPCPA of 2005) on First Amendment grounds in a case before the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Nevin has lectured at numerous continuing legal education programs throughout the U.S. on bankruptcy and family law.

Milavetz Gallop, & Milavetz, P.A., is rated AV by the respected, nationwide Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. The ratings are developed by obtaining confidential opinions from lawyer adversaries and judges before whom the lawyer has appeared. Ability rating categories are A, B, C, and no rating. An "A" rating is the "very high to preeminent" category, the highest rating possible. It signifies that the lawyer has reached the heights of professional excellence, recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity. The "V" rating is the highest for adherence to ethical standards, reliability, and diligence.

Named as 2009 Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer

Areas of Practice

• Adoption
• Age Discrimination
• Alimony & Spousal Support
• Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employee
• Arbitration
• Bankruptcy
• Child Support
• Childrens' Rights
• Complex Litigation
• Custody & Visitation
• Debt Discharge
• Disability & Illness Discrimination
• Divorce
• Domestic Violence & Neglect
• Ethics
• Foreclosures
• Garnishment
• Legal Malpractice
• Mediation
• Medical Malpractice
• Motor Vehicle Defects
• National Origin Discrimination
• Paternity
• Pharmaceutical Products
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Professional Responsibility
• Qui Tam
• Race Discrimination
• Religious Discrimination
• Sex Discrimination
• Sexual Harassment
• Sexual Harassment -- Employee

Litigation Percentage

• 70% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota, 1979
• U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1980

Education

• Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota
  J.D.
  
  
• University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  B.A.
  Honors: Honors Participant
  Major: English
  
  

Published Works

• Milavetz Gallop and Milavetz P.A.'s Challenge to the Ill Conceived and Poorly Written "Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.(BAPCPA).", 2010
• How to Argue a Case Before the MN Supreme Court Family Law Forum, 11, 2002
• Resolve Fee Disputes Efficiently Through Arbitration, 70, 2001

Representative Cases

• Kayachith vs Athakhanh, 683 N.W.2d 325 (MN App 2001)
• In Re SF, 482 N.W.2d 500 (MN App 1992)
• Joel vs Wellman, 551 N.W.2d 729 (Minn. App. 1996)

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Milavetz v. U.S. - Implications for Practitioners, MCLE WebCast, 2010
• Effects of Bankruptcy on Personal Injury Claims in Recessionary Times, 2010 AAJ Winter Convention, 2010
• Third Party Custody, Minnesota Bar Association, Family Law Section, 2005
• Guest Speaker, Grand Parent Rights, William Mitchell Law School, 1996

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Hennepin County Bar Association, 1995 - 2002
  Chair Local Fee Arbitration
  
  
• Hennepin County Bar Association, 1987 - 2005
  Member
  
  
• Hennepin County Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1979 - 2005
  Member,Ethics Committee
  
  
• Minnesota Bar, Family Law Section
  Member
  
  
• Minnesota Bar, Bankruptcy Section
  Member
  
  
• American Trial Lawyer's Association
  Member, Vioxx Sub Committee
  
  

Pro Bono Activities

• Volunteer Speaker Hennepin County Bar Speakers Bureau at Various High Schools, 1993 - 2005
• Chair of the Senior's Commission for the City of Chanhassen, May 1, 2006 - Present
• Blue Star Moms Member, March 1, 2006 - Present

Languages

• French
• Hebrew

Birth Information

• 1950, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America