Donald C. Willeke

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

• United States Supreme Court, 1979 Minnesota Supreme Court, 1971
• United States Court of Appeals for the New York Supreme Court, 1969-2001
• District of Columbia, 1975 Illinois Supreme Court, 1966-2004
• Eighth Circuit, 1979 Iowa Supreme Court, 1965-2005
• United States District Court, 1973

LAW PRACTICE

Mr. Willeke is engaged in the practice of law with the firm of Willeke & Daniels in Minneapolis, specializing in the areas of corporate, partnership and general business law, acquisitions, and litigation of control and valuation issues amongst shareholders and partners.

After graduation from law school and prior to entry upon active duty with the United States Army, he clerked with the firm of Sidley & Austin in Chicago. Upon returning from serving as a U. S. Army Captain in Viet Nam, he was an associate for three years in the Wall Street firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. From 1971 through 1977, he was an associate and then a partner in the Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., firm of O'Connor & Hannan.

Since 1977, he has maintained his own practice, representing corporate and other business entities and the owners thereof, both American and European, and in work for public and semi-public institutions and foundations. He has lectured extensively in the Minnesota Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Program on corporate, partnership and other business topics and is the principal author and editor of a book on partnerships. He has also written numerous texts and articles on business and corporate topics, including franchising matters and corporate control and buy-sell agreements.

The firm of Willeke & Daniels represents several hundred business entities and a number of public and charitable institutions, including Minnesota's second largest public pension fund.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. Willeke is an Independent Trustee of the Wells Fargo Mutual Funds, a family of about 125 mutual funds with approximately $142 Billion in assets, and is Chair of the Trustees' Fixed Income Securities Committee, overseeing 26 funds. He formerly was Chair of the Trustees' Equity Securities Committee with 46 funds.

EDUCATION

• The University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa
• 1965 - Juris Doctor (Magna Cum Laude)
• Editor, Iowa Law Review, 1964-65
• Board of Editors, Iowa Law Review, 1964
• Writer, Iowa Law Review, 1963-64
• Senior Scholarship, 1964
• Order of the Coif, 1965
• Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
• 1962 - Bachelor of Science in Government

LEGAL PUBLICATIONS

• Text, Partnerships (Co-Author and Chair of CLE Conference based thereon), Minnesota Institute of Legal Education (1997 and 1998)
• Text, Business Law (Co-Author and Chair of three Annual CLE Conferences based thereon), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (the conferences have been held annually from 1995 through 2007).
• Text, Advanced Business Law (Chair of Annual CLE Conferences based thereon), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (held annually starting in 2004).
• Text, Solving Problems for the Small Business Client (Co-Author and Chair of CLE Conference based thereon), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (1991).
• Articles, Partnership Law; in Law Year, 1990, and Law Year, 1991, Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (1990 and 1991).
• Book, Partnerships (Editor and Principal Author), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (1983); revised 1987 and 1992.
• Text, Solving Medium-Sized Problems for Medium-Sized Corporations (Editor and Co-Author), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (1981).
• Text, Franchises and Other Product Distribution Systems (Co-Author), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (1981).
• Text, Minnesota Corporate Practice (Editor and Co-Author), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (1980).
• Text, Corporate Buy-Sell Agreements (Author), Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education (1979).

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• Minnesota State Bar Association The Selden Society
• Hennepin County Bar Association The American Society for Legal History
• Iowa State Bar Association

MILITARY SERVICE

• United States Army, 1966-68; Commanding Officer, 49th Signal (Crypto Distra Authority 4057), Viet Nam, 1966-67.
• Rank: Captain.
• Awarded The Bronze Star, 1967.

CIVIC AND BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

• Independent Trustee, Wells Fargo Advantage Mutual Funds and the predecessor Norwest Bank Advantage Mutual Funds (1995-___)
• Chancellor of the Cathedral (2003-05), Member of the Vestry (2000-03) and Chair of the Property Committee of The Cathedral Church of St. Mark (Episcopal) (2000-05); Chair of Stained Glass Committee (2002-03)
• President, American Forests, Washington, D.C. (1992-94)
• Director, American Forests, (1987-1997); Vice President (1991-1992)
• Chairman, National Urban Forest Council, Washington, D.C. (1990-1996)
• Member, National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. (1992-1995)
• Founding Chairman, Minnesota State Shade Tree Advisory Committee (1974-1990)
• Chairman of the Board and Director, Twin Cities Tree Trust (1976-1988), Vice Chairman and Director (1989-___)
• Chairman, Minneapolis Commission on City Tax Revenues (1974-76)
• Founding Director and General Counsel, The American Chestnut Foundation (1983-___);Vice President for Science (1995-1997), Secretary (1998-2005)
• Director and General Counsel, Nat'l Center for Landscape Plant Development (1990-98)
• Director, The Oratorio Society of Minnesota (1981-2003), President (1983-1987)
• Director, Exultate Choral Society (2004-05)
• Member, Minnesota Forestry Coordinating Committee (1988-2002)
• Member, Advisory Council to the Mayor of the City of Minneapolis and numerous other civic boards and committees, including Minneapolis City Tree Commission (2004-__).

AWARDS

• J. Sterling Morton Award (1992) and Joyce Kilmer Award (1988) of the National Arbor Day Foundation
• Award of Merit of the Minnesota Society of Landscape Architects (1988)
• Bronze Medal from the Minnesota Horticultural Society (1987)
• Award of Merit from the Minnesota Society of the American Institute of Architects (1986)
• Urban Forestry Medal of American Forests (1985); the Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture (1981)
• Distinguished Service Award of the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee (1991)
• Dr. Charles Burnham Medal of The American Chestnut Foundation (2006)