Mark Vyvyan is a real estate attorney at the firm Fredrikson & Byron.
From Union Grove, Wisconsin, Vyvyan grew up outside a small town where tourism was sparse, and residents needed to drive thirty miles north to catch a Brewers game.
“I was an extrovert, and so growing up in the country was tough,” says Vyvyan, the son of a teacher.
Throughout high school and college, Vyvyan stayed in Wisconsin, ultimately graduating cum laude from UW-Madison’s law school.
Vyvyan says he didn’t have any legal background, but during his junior year the then-Badger was told by a friend that in addition to being intelligent, he was also argumentative, two traits that seemingly would enable him to be a successful attorney.
“Yeah, he was right,” Vyvyan says of his friend, stifling a chuckle as we chat inside a Bloomington coffee house.
As Vyvyan pursued law, specializing in real estate just sort of, well, happened.
“I had taken real estate classes at law school, but I was more filling a need by going into real estate litigation,” he says, which is how he started his career at Fredrikson & Byron.
Yet, 28 years later, Vyvyan is still practicing real estate law, and very well one might add.
His client list is wide-ranging, from oil companies to folks living on Lake Minnetonka.
It also helps if prospective clients know a thing or two about how real estate litigation works.
“By the time we get to trial, I know the facts better than my clients do, but initially it’s always nice to have a good foundation to work off,” Vyvyan notes, then mentioning that a collaborative process between attorney and client is welcome.
Of note:
Vyvyan is well-versed in transactional real estate, which is something not all litigators in his industry can equal.
“That experience gives me an advantage over litigators who don’t have that background,” Vyvyan points out.
“Especially in trials.”
Ever the strategist, Vyvyan thoroughly enjoys representing his clients in a courtroom.
“Trials are my favorite thing,” he says.
“A good trial lawyer has the ability to adapt during litigation, because all trials are like roller coasters.”
Adds Vyvyan:
“With trials, one minute you’re up and the next you are down, and it’s a whirlwind of events that can be difficult to navigate if you don’t have the right mentality.”
For context, real estate litigation trials aren’t like the dramatized scenes you may see on Law & Order.
In fact, they’re much more subdued, and a camera is never being pandered to.
“I’m not a criminal lawyer, and I’ve never practiced in New York, but the idea of lawyers arguing at each other during trial, that doesn’t really happen,” Vyvyan explains.
A more appropriate example would actually be My Cousin Vinny, a film starring Joe Pesci that more accurately depicts the tumultuous nature of a jury trial.
Looking ahead, Vyvyan will continue to command courtrooms and do his part to ensure his clients real estate cases are resolved, and since he is licensed in multiple states, it’s possible Vyvyan may continue practicing law elsewhere.
“I never want to stop practicing, at least not for the foreseeable future.”
That being said, Vyvyan is partial to consistently warm weather, so he could one day rent a place in California, if circumstances allow.
“I don’t want another house payment, but I do want to play a lot of golf and tennis,” he says happily, which may mean we will one day see Vyvyan in San Diego or Palm Springs, his zip code different, but his approach to helping clients all the same. QS
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