Jason A. Lien
Partner
Selected Client Successes
Leadership & Community
- American Bar Association: Forum on Construction Law
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
- Federal Bar Association – Minnesota Chapter
- Minnesota State Bar Association: Construction Law Section
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- Hennepin County Bar Foundation: Board Member 2019-Present
- Maslon LLP: Governance Committee Member 2017-2019
- Minnesota State Bar Association: Military Pro Bono Program, Volunteer Attorney
- Minnesota Land Trust: Pro Bono Attorney Volunteer
- Assistant to the State Public Defender: Appeals, Pro Bono Attorney Volunteer
- Hamline University: Alumni Board, Past Member; Mentor
Overview
Jason Lien focuses his litigation practice on representing clients from the construction, real estate, financial services, and railroad industries. He appears in federal and state court on behalf of design-build firms, general contractors, architects, engineers, specialty contractors, suppliers, property management companies, real estate owners, and lenders. A portion of Jason's practice also involves representing a Class I U.S. railroad in disputes in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Prior to joining Maslon in 2002, Jason served as a Naval Officer with the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, where he litigated court-martial proceedings, administrative hearings, and military appeals.
Jason has been ranked every year since 2016 by Chambers USA for his work in construction law. In addition, Jason has been selected for the 2015-2024 Minnesota Super Lawyers® lists and prior to that was recognized as a Minnesota Rising Star. Jason was also named as a Thomson Reuters® Stand-Out Lawyer from 2024-2025 based on a survey of senior in-house counsel for client satisfaction, client advocacy, and legal skills.
In addition to his litigation practice, Jason has served as a member of Maslon's Governance Committee. Outside of the office, Jason is a three-time Ironman finisher.
Experience
Construction, Real Estate, and Financial Services
- Represented contractors, developers, design firms, property owners, lenders, real estate management companies, and nonprofit groups in hundreds of disputes involving:
- defective design, defective construction, and delay claims;
- insurance coverage claims involving property damage arising from defective construction, remediation, business interruption, and loss of use;
- mechanic's liens claims and surety bonds;
- government contractor claims;
- land use and zoning;
- annexations;
- landlord-tenant disputes;
- partitions, easements, conservation easements, and boundary lines;
- property tax appeals;
- eminent domain proceedings; and
- commercial foreclosures, receivership actions, and loan workouts.
- Represented national engineering firm in multi-party, consolidated litigation arising from natural gas explosion that occurred during the construction of underground utilities.
- Defended fire protection contractor in breach of contract claim alleging in excess of $5 million in damages.
- Represented stone cladding fabricator against design defect claim involving claims of construction and design defects of stone cladding installed on a 25-story condominium tower.
- Defended architect in dispute involving alleged construction and design defects to building enclosure of 26-story mixed-use apartment tower.
- Represented international bridge design firm in $80+ million dispute arising from claims made by bridge’s general contractor for additional compensation due, in part, to alleged design defects.
- Represented Fortune 500 company in $15+ million dispute arising from defective design and construction of data center's underground electrical feeder system.
- Represented national REIT in litigation regarding termination of purchase of agreement of real estate located in San Jose, California, valued at $30+ million.
- Defended general partner of low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) properties in dispute with limited partners over allegations of breach of limited partnership agreements and fiduciary duties.
- Defended architectural and engineering firm against alleged structural design defect claims involving a $30+ million municipal parking ramp.
- Represented engineering firm in multi-party litigation involving repair damages alleged by university caused by design and construction defects to waterproofing systems in new campus buildings.
- Represented international engineering, procurement, and construction company in multi-state jurisdiction insurance coverage and bad faith litigation that resulted in successful recovery of damages arising from $100+ million design and construction dispute.
- Defended international design-build firm in several disputes arising from an allegedly defective design and construction of ethanol plants.
- Defended major commercial aggregate and ready-mix concrete supplier in disputes regarding alleged concrete defects, insurance coverage, and land use and zoning.
Railroads
- Represented major U.S. railroad in various real estate litigation matters throughout Minnesota and North Dakota, including right-of-way disputes, administrative law proceedings, permitting matters, quiet title actions, condemnations, land use, and lease disputes.
Food, Drug, and Product Liability
- Represented food company in contract dispute with international food additive supplier involving product recall and application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG).
- Represented food manufacturers and restaurateurs in litigation involving contract, construction, commercial leases, and class action lawsuits alleging violation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA).
- Advised client on product recall and obtained multimillion-dollar jury verdict for client to recover recall costs and other consequential damages from supplier.
- Represented drug research and development corporation in contract dispute with service provider.
- Represented major medical device company in disputes to enforce non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements against former officers and employees.
- Assisted in obtaining injunction for minority shareholder to prevent controlling shareholders from taking actions to freeze out client from medical device manufacturing company, which ultimately resulted in multimillion-dollar buy-out settlement.
Healthcare
- Helped establish important legal precedent for healthcare industry on the admissibility of administrative disciplinary agreements in medical malpractice cases.
- Represented healthcare professionals in fraud investigations, licensing matters, contract disputes, non-competition agreement disputes, and misrepresentation claims involving the sale of medical practices.
- Represented healthcare service company in breach of fiduciary duty and fraud claim filed by minority shareholder.
Decisions
- Friends of the Rail Bridge v. North Dakota Dep’t of Water Resources, 2024 WL 480848 (N.D. 2024)
- Friends of the Rail Bridge v. North Dakota Dep’t of Water Resources, 995 N.W.2d 461 (N.D. 2023)
- In re Petition by Qwest Corporation for Resolution of a Dispute with BNSF Railway Company Over the Use of Railroad Right-of-Way Under Minn. Stat. § 237.045, 918 N.W.2d 578, (Minn. Ct. App. 2018)
- The Shaw Group, Inc. v. Zurich Am. Ins. Co., 2014 WL 6610010 (M.D. La. Nov. 20, 2014)
- Reed v. Insituform Tech., Inc., 2014 WL 359333 (D. Minn. Feb. 3, 2014)
- TheMLSonline.com, Inc. v. Regional Multiple Listing Service of Minnesota, Inc., 840 F. Supp. 2d 1019 (D. Minn. 2010)
- State v. Lombardo Bros. Mason Contractors, Inc., 90 A.2d 983 (Conn. Super. 2009)
- CFMOTO Powersports, Inc. v. NNR Global Logistics USA, Inc., 2009 WL 4730330 (D. Minn. Dec. 4, 2009)
- In re Buckmaster, 755 N.W.2d 570 (Minn. Ct. App. 2008)
- Dingxi Longhai Dairy, Ltd. v. Becwood Tech. Group, LLC, 2008 WL 2690287 (D. Minn. July 1, 2008)
- Aaron v. Crooks, 2006 WL 91454 (Minn. Ct. App. Jan. 17, 2006)
- Afremov v. Amplatz, 2004 WL 77851 (Minn. Ct. App. Jan. 13, 2004)
- State v. Windish, 2003 WL 22952735 (Minn. Ct. App. Dec. 16, 2003)
- Watkins, Inc. v. Lewis, 346 F.3d 841 (8th Cir. 2003)
- In re Foley Trust, 671 N.W.2d 206 (Minn. Ct. App. 2003)
- United States v. Ellis, 57 M.J. 375 (C.A.A.F. 2002)
- United States v. Oliver, 57 M.J. 170 (C.A.A.F. 2002)
- United States v. Williams, 57 M.J. 1 (C.A.A.F. 2002)
- United States v. Smith, 56 M.J. 271 (C.A.A.F. 2001)
- United States v. Adams, 65 M.J. 552 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App. 2006)
- United States v. Bell, 60 M.J. 682 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App. 2004)
- United States v. Starling, 58 M.J. 620 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App. 2003)
- United States v. Dezotell, 58 M.J. 517 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App. 2003)
- United States v. Quiroz, 57 M.J. 583 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App. 2002)
- United States v. Lilyblad, 56 M.J. 636 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App. 2001)
- United States v. Santiago, 56 M.J. 610 (N.M.Ct.Crim.App. 2001)
Honors
Recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Construction, Minnesota, 2016-2025
Recognized as Thomson Reuters® Stand-Out Lawyer, 2024-2025 (Based on Thomson Reuters® survey of more than 2,000 senior in-house counsel for client satisfaction, client advocacy, and legal skills.)
Recognized on Minnesota Super Lawyers® list, 2015-2024 (Minnesota Super Lawyers® is a designation given to only 5% of Minnesota attorneys each year, based on a selection process that includes the recommendation of peers in the legal profession.)
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2021-2025
North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2015 (North Star Lawyer is a designation that recognizes members who provide 50 hours or more of pro bono legal services in a calendar year.)
Recognized on Minnesota Rising Stars list as part of the Super Lawyers® selection process, 2006-2009, 2011-2012 (Minnesota Rising Stars is a designation given to only 2.5% of Minnesota attorneys each year, based on a selection process that includes the recommendation of peers in the legal profession.)
Recognized as a Top Lawyer, Minnesota Monthly, 2022-2023 (The research for the Top Lawyers list, created by Professional Research Services, is based on an online peer-review survey sent to all attorneys in Minnesota.)
Named JAG of the Quarter by the Navy Judge Advocate General and JAG of the Year for the region by the Commanding Officer of the Naval Legal Service Office Central, 2001
Corpus Juris Secundum Award, Civil Procedure, 1996