profile headshot of Kirsten E. Johanson

Specialties

My primary practice is representing individuals and families in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, and business succession. In this role, I assist my clients in necessary planning as they walk through various stages of life. I take every client relationship as an opportunity to provide peace of mind and clarity as to legal concepts which may feel foreign and overwhelming. Choosing an attorney and building a relationship with that attorney can be difficult and time consuming but I think you will get to know and respect me as a trusted partner in addition to being your legal adviser.

My Approach

I assist all clients with the development of individualized estate plans to facilitate effective wealth transfer and tax planning objectives. My interest and passion in these areas of the law stem from my personal experiences growing up in a multi-generational farming family where estate planning and business succession topics were discussed over the dinner table. As I work with you, my top priority is making these concepts accessible and engaging to you and your family so you walk away with certainty that you received the best legal advice and an outcome tailored to your unique situation.

More About Me

Prior to joining BrownWinick, I practiced at Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty & Bennett in St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Minnesota exclusively as part of the Trust, Estate & Charitable Planning practice group. I was admitted to the Minnesota bar in 2016 and the Iowa bar in 2017. I am currently a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, Polk County Bar Association, and Minnesota State Bar Association. I have also been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers® -Ones to Watch List in the area of Trusts and Estates.

In 2016, I received my J.D. from the University of Minnesota where I served as the Executive Editor of the Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology. In 2013, I graduated from Iowa State University, summa cum laude, with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Management and Agricultural Business with a third major in Economics.

My Specialties

  • Estate Planning
  • Estate and Trust Administration
  • Estate and Gift Taxation
  • Business Succession Planning
  • Charitable Planning
  • Trust & Estate Litigation

IRS Issues Revised Revenue Procedure for Late Portability Elections

08-8-2022 On July 8, 2022, the IRS issued a revised Revenue Procedure, Rev. Proc. 2022-32, providing for a late portability election to qualifying estates. The new procedure extends the time period in which the simplified method to make a late portability election can be filed. Rev. Proc. 2022-32 allows the simplified method to be used on or before the...
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Five BrownWinick Attorneys Rank in Chambers High Net Worth 2024 Publication

07-29-2024 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that five members of our Estate Planning team have been ranked in the Chambers and Partners - High Net Worth 2024 publication in the area of Private Wealth/High Net Worth Law in Iowa. Additionally, our Estate Planning practice as a whole was ranked Band 1 in Iowa. Ranked Attorneys Robert Hodges – Band 1 Christine...
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33 BrownWinick Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers® in America 2025 List

07-9-2024 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 33 of our lawyers have been included in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. BrownWinick would like to congratulate the following attorneys named to the 2025 The Best...
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BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2024 Best Lawyers® List

08-17-2023 BrownWinick is pleased to announce that 33 lawyers have been included in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. BrownWinick would like to congratulate the following attorneys named to the 2024 The Best Lawyers...
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Johanson Accepted into the Heart of America Fellows Institute

07-26-2021 BrownWinick is thrilled to announce that attorney Kirsten Johanson has been accepted into Class II of the Heart of America Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). The institute includes six sessions for lawyers who were nominated by an ACTEC Fellow and selected through a competitive application process. The...
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Assistant

Jenny Konior

515-323-8833

Undergraduate

Iowa State University

B.S., summa cum laude, Business Management, Agricultural Business and Economics, 2013

Legal

University of Minnesota Law School

J.D., 2016

Admitted

Iowa, 2017;

Minnesota, 2016

Memberships & Associations

  • Des Moines Estate Planners
    Member
  • Heart of America Fellows Institute
    Member
  • Iowa State Bar Association
    Member
  • Minnesota Bar Association
    Member
  • Polk County Bar Association
    Member
  • Polk County Women Attorneys
    Member