Nov. 12, 2019

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Andrew Nelson, a new associate attorney at Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith PC.

Name: Andrew Nelson

Age: 26

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What keeps you in Sioux Falls: Having been born and raised in Sioux Falls, it has always held a special place as my home. Additionally, most of my family is here or nearby, and many of my friends have settled down here as well. After three years in Minneapolis for law school, I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to join a well-respected law firm in a city offering exciting potential for launching a meaningful career, so I jumped at the opportunity to get back home.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

I enjoy the opportunities a career in transactional law provides me to meet people and build meaningful relationships. It also provides me the ability to work closely with some of the incredibly hard-working small-business owners, health care providers and many others who each play an integral role in shaping the economy and who ultimately make the United States such a special place.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I got connected in the legal industry primarily through friends of my parents at church who are attorneys in Sioux Falls and were very generous to invite me to observe their work. However, my initial interest in the legal profession came from Mike Thompson, a professor at my alma mater, the University of Sioux Falls. Mike piqued my interest in the law in an undergrad business law class he taught; he also urged me to consider going to law school and generously advised me throughout my law school experience.

Describe Woods Fuller in three words.

Passionate. Advocates. Professional.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

For years, I have yearned for Chick-fil-A to set up shop in Sioux Falls. I hope it becomes a reality soon!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Predicting where I will be in five years is tough, but I would like to think I will be in Sioux Falls, hopefully still working alongside the talented attorneys at Woods Fuller.