Brad Wicklund, Monticello resident, loves his work. Ask him about his job, and his enthusiasm is apparent. He speaks highly of his colleagues; he loves his law firm’s camaraderie and culture; and he enjoys the intellectual challenge of the business. In case you had doubts, however, the proof is in the pudding. Brad Wicklund has worked at Lommen Abdo for 32 years. Brad was recently recognized as an Unsung Legal Hero for his work at Lommen Abdo by the publication, Minnesota Lawyer. He was nominated by Albertville resident Jeff O’Brien, a shareholder and board member of Lommen Abdo, for the award.
Attending the Unsung Legal Heroes luncheon event were (l to r): Keith Broady, president of Lommen Abdo; Brad Wicklund, office administrator (Monticello); Jeff O’Brien, Lommen Abdo board member (Albertville); Margie Bodas, vice president of practice management.
Wicklund began his work at Lommen in his 20s. When he started, the firm didn’t even have a fax machine. Today, Wicklund serves as the office administrator, running the firm and coordinating its operations across offices in three separate states. In this role, Wicklund’s duties run the gamut — from accounting to human resources to practice management. Wicklund explains that this diversity ensures that “no two days are the same. New problems pop up, and we solve them.”
One of this year’s challenges included moving the law firm from the IDS Center to the International Center over Thanksgiving weekend. Attorneys Margie Bodas and Jeff O’Brien marvel that everyone (except Wicklund and the IT staff) walked out the door on Wednesday afternoon, enjoyed the holiday weekend, and walked into new offices on Monday morning without a hitch. Wicklund seized the opportunity to encourage everyone to clean house, eliminating stuff that had accumulated over 24 years and moving the firm to a reduced-paper plan. When the move was complete, Wicklund organized an open house to welcome firm clients and friends to the new office. As a result of his hard work, his colleagues describe the massive undertaking as “easy.”
In addition to his administrative abilities, his colleagues applaud Wicklund’s grace and empathy. “He is always pleasant — an amazing quality for someone charged with running a hectic law business,” Jeff O’Brien said. “Brad takes care of several sets of ‘clients’ – our true Lommen Abdo clients, our vendors and all of our attorneys, paralegals, support staff and administration. Everyone depends on him to help them with their specific needs. He does a lot of things for us and does them all well…plus he coordinates the firm’s operations across offices in three separate states.”
The good feelings are mutual. Wicklund thanks everyone at his firm for this award noting that they have all contributed to his success. Here’s to the next 32 years, he added.