In the Community

Attorneys Patrick Spott and Kay Biga recently completed the Social ENE raining and the Financial ENE training offered by Susan Stevens Chambers . They are now on the roster in the Sixth Judicial District for Early Neutral Evaluators, in addition to being Rule 114 Qualified Neutrals experienced in civil and family mediation.

Kay Biga presented on the topic of Law Office Technology: How Do We Make This Stuff Work at the February 12, 2019 meeting of the Minnesota Women Lawyers in Duluth, Minnesota

Kay Biga is serving as the team captain for the Eco 25 Dragons. It is a collaboration between the Duluth Superior Eco Rotary Club, Rotary Club # 25 and the Harbor City Roller Dames. The Dragon Boat Festival is held on August 25^th at Barker’s Island.

Kay Biga will serve a three year term as one of the Rotary District 5580 Assistant District Governors. She will be working with four Rotary clubs in the area: Cloquet, Club #25, Northshore and Eco Rotary.

Kay has been a Rotarian for nineteen years and is a founder of the Duluth Superior Eco Rotary Club. Eco Rotary meets at Blackwoods on London Road from 4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. on the 1^st, 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays of the month. Guests are always welcome.

Mediator and attorney Kay Biga started her year as President of the Duluth Superior Eco Rotary on July 1, 2017.  Biga was a founding member of the Club in 2008.  The Duluth Superior Eco Rotary Club is a service organization committed to enhancing and preserving our region's natural beauty and resources through hands-on service projects.  The Club offers a great opportunity to network with and meet fun, energetic community leaders who have a passion for the environment and improve our region, meeting the first, second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 4:45 pm to 5:45 pm at Blackwood's on London Road.  

Mediator and business attorney Kay Biga has been promoted to Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin Superior.  Biga has taught at the University of Wisconsin Superior since 1998, teaching a variety of management and business law classes.  She has also published a number of journal articles, including "Smart Hiring in the Hospitality Industry: Legal and Business Perspectives" in the American Journal of Management.  Her articles are available through Google Scholar.

Business attorney and mediator Patrick Spott presented on vocational opportunities in law to high school students as part of the 2017 Mentoring Day.  Mentoring Day is a local version of the National Disability Mentoring Day which is organized by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).  It has occurred regionally as “Rocketing into the Future”, under the leadership of the Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative (NLSEC) since 1992.   In October of 2008, with a grant from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the NLSEC was asked to host Minnesota Disability Mentoring Day at the DECC.  The 2008 event was so successful that the AAPD made the 2009 event their 10th Anniversary National Kick-off event.  More than 800 students, parents and teachers from regional schools as well as more than 70 area businesses participated in that event.

Business attorney and mediator Patrick Spott helped design and is teaching a graduate coure in conflict resolution, coaching and negotiation at the College of St. Scholastica in Spring 2017.  The course is titled MGT 6310 Conflict, Negotiation, and Coaching the Client Group and is part of the College's Master in Business Administration in Leadership and Change.  The outcomes of that MBA program include the following:

Exercise critical thinking and high level reasoning through effective oral and written communication skills.
Identify competing values, behaviors, and assumptions that are relevant to the effective implementation of proposed change initiatives.
Analyze, design, and deliver effective change-based interventions and strategies in an ever-changing global environment.
Describe and explain to the client system the cultural context that affects a proposed change initiative.

Business attorney and mediator Patrick Spott recently completed an advanced Organization Development Course entitled MGT 6405 Wholeness, OD, and Everything taught by Bob Hartl and Dr. Alla Heorhiadi.  The course is part of the College of St. Scholastica's Master of Business Administration in Leadership and Change program.  Spott is enrolled in that MBA program.  This training will build on Spott's previous experience and training as a mediator and allow him to more effectively advise business clients.

Business attorney and mediator Patrick Spott took and eight week Communicating Across Cultural Boundaries course from Bob Hartl at the College of St. Scholastica.  This course prepares students to develop and direct employees using culturally sensitive interpersonal communication. The course incorporates theory with practice and helps students develop the awareness and skills necessary to manage effectively across cultures in both the domestic and global workplace.  This training will build on Spott's previous experience and training as a mediator.