We are pleased to announce that Adrian Herbst and Leslie Herbst-Saporito have joined Bradley Hagen & Gullikson as partners. They will join Mike Bradley in his telecommunications practice at the firm. Both are coming from the well-respected municipal telecommunications law firm of Baller Herbst Stokes & Lide.

"I am so pleased to have Adrian and Leslie join our team," said Mike Bradley. "No one in Minnesota has more municipal telecommunications legal experience than Adrian Herbst. It is a real honor to have him join us." Adrian brings over 30 years of municipal telecommunications legal experience to the firm. He served as the City Attorney for the City of Bloomington for many years before going into private practice. He has been a leading attorney in municipal cable franchising, rights-of-way management, and municipal broadband planning. Indeed, Adrian negotiated many of the initial cable television franchises in the Twin Cities.

Adrian has also been a leader in many municipal organizations.  Adrian has served as President of the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association and Vice President of the League of Minnesota Cities.  He is a charter member of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), as well as various other legal organizations including the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA), the Federal Communications Bar Association, and the Telecommunications Committee of the Minnesota State Bar Association. Adrian is a member of the State Bar of Minnesota.  Like Mike Bradley, Adrian holds the highest AV rating with Martindale‑Hubbell.

Leslie, Adrian's daughter, is an emerging municipal telecommunications attorney in her own right. She has assisted local governments throughout the country on all aspects of cable service franchising and telecommunications rights-of-way management issues. She is experienced in drafting, negotiating and enforcing cable and telecommunications franchises and revising right-of-way ordinances.

"I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Leslie," said Adrian Herbst proudly. "I have known and consulted with Mike for many years on municipal telecommunications issues. I'm excited about the synergies of our practices."

Most recently Leslie has been working on competitive cable franchises for municipal clients in Minnesota.  "Our firm has been a leader in helping cities negotiate competitive cable franchises resulting in wire-line cable television competition for the first time ever in the Twin Cities," said Bradley, "Leslie's experience will build on that success."

In the coming months and years, local governments will be challenged to ensure their residents have access to adequate broadband services. This issue particularly affects rural areas. Many cities are also facing a rise in cell tower applications as mobile phone companies look to increase their coverage and bandwidth for consumers. This increase in demand coupled with recent changes to the law require local governments to reassess its current approach to cell towers. According to Leslie, "it's an exciting time to be representing local governments on telecommunications issues with recent developments, such as competition in cable, cell tower and broadband planning. I think the firm is in a great position to help local governments navigate successfully through these issues."

Bradley Hagen & Gullikson is a Twin Cities based law firm located in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Leslie Herbst-Saporito

Adrian Herbst

Mike Bradley