understand,” says Jim Schwebel of rival
personal injury firm Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben.
“He has an uncommon level of common
sense,” says Sieben.
But Carey’s success comes from more
than that, says Schwebel. “It’s about Jim’s
integrity. One of the best proofs of that is
that on many occasions he’s been selected
by both plaintiffs and defense counsel to
serve as the sole arbitrator to resolve a
case. That’s rare,” he says.
The courtroom can be a macho,
adversarial place. Carey can fight, but he
can also show compassion.
“Most lawyers have a hard time
expressing their feelings about these
things, but not Jim,” says Sieben.
He’s realistic about how much what he
does helps clients. “You’re talking about
exchanging money for someone’s loved one,”
Carey says. “It isn’t equal. If you think it is, you
don’t have a heart. We can help people get
their life back on track with compensation
Some lives do turn around. Take
Swarthout. He is thriving again, thanks
to ongoing physical therapy and smart
management of his settlement money. He
and his wife thank Carey. “I used to think
lawyers were all the same until I met Jim,”
Not every case works out. Take the case
of Kevin Harms. “That’s one that still keeps
me up,” Carey says.
Harms was a patient in a psychiatric
ward at Mayo Clinic when he went out for a
walk one night in 2009 and jumped to his
death from a parking ramp. Carey sued for
negligence. It was a civil case against Mayo
tried in Rochester—tough to win. And he
didn’t; Mayo was cleared of liability. But
Carey still thinks about it.
His opinion? “This was a relatively young
guy going through a bad bout of depression
and was let out of a secure ward when he
shouldn’t have been,” he says. “It sticks
in my craw because we should have won.
It’s the one case in my mind where I think
about some of my choices. Maybe if I had
done this a little different, the outcome
would have been different. That’s a hard
CAREY IS 55 AND HAS THREE KIDS OUT
of the house. He has the look of a
contented, proud family man—and the
look of a TV or movie dad.
Ten years ago, Carey and his wife packed
up their Edina house and moved into a
secluded area in Forest Lake, which reminds
him of his childhood. “It’s beautiful,” he says.
“We don’t have any close neighbors, probably
a quarter mile away, and we have wildlife,
Even though he’s now the managing
partner of the firm, a position granted him
four years ago in a decision Sieben says
was unanimous among the partners, he
still carries a heavy caseload. Carey has
between 80 to 120 files he’s working on,
and a whiteboard in his office with 14 cases
being prepped for trial. He works like he’s
making up for lost time.
HELPING PEOPLE IN THE GREATEST TIME OF NEED
Hunegs, LeNeave & Kvas for over 75 years
has devoted its law practice to representation
of individuals who are seriously injured and
families who have lost loved ones as a result
of the carelessness of railroads, bad drivers,
airplane crashes, unsafe products, nursing
home neglect, trucking accidents, and other
wrongful conduct. We take pride in helping our
clients put their lives back together and go on
to lead meaningful and productive lives.
HLK is a local law firm with a nationally
recognized reputation for proven results.
Results derived from experience, careful
planning, thorough preparation, and skill
as trial lawyers. HLK has helped the victims
of many of the largest train wrecks in the
country, including derailments, head-on
collisions, chemical and hazardous material
releases, and other catastrophic events.
Again this year, Richard G. Hunegs,
Cortney S. LeNeave, Randal W. LeNeave
and William Kvas have been named to
Super Lawyers. The firm’s attorneys have
obtained numerous multimillion-dollar
verdicts and settlements, including one
of the largest reported personal injury
settlements in Minnesota ($24 million)
involving a train derailment and explosion.
HLK lawyers have the knowledge,
dedication, ability and experience to help
those in greatest need. We are honored by
referrals from other lawyers and friends,
and we would consider it a privilege to
work with you.
HUNEGS, LENEAVE & KVAS, P.A.
1000 Twelve Oaks Center Drive, Suite 101
Wayzata, MN 55391
PH: (612) 339-4511 • FX: (612) 339-5150
hlklaw.com
STANDING (L TO R): Randal W. Le Neave*, Richard Carlson, William Kvas*
SEATED: Cortney S. Le Neave*, Richard G. Hunegs* *CHOSEN TO 2015 SUPER LAW YERS