Kyle Johnson

PARTNER

Kyle attended law school at William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline) in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was active with the Marshall Brennan Literacy Project and Marshall Brennan Moot Court.  Kyle was also involved in the college’s club hockey team, the Fighting Eelpouts.  Upon graduation, Kyle received the William Mitchell Student Award of Merit, which is given to one graduating student from each class for contributions to the college and the community.  Before law school, Kyle attended college at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.  Kyle grew up and attended high school in Stillwater, Minnesota, where he met his wife, Danielle.  Kyle and Danielle currently live in Afton, Minnesota with their two kids.  In his free time, Kyle enjoys spending time with his kids, golfing, following his Minnesota sports teams, and traveling to the family cabin in Wisconsin. 

Contact
Phone: 651-756-7588
Email: kyle@johnsonbealka.com

John Bealka

PARTNER

Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans
John has extensive experience working with institutional lenders to address their SBA financing needs, including documenting, loan structuring, due diligence review, eligibility determinations, and assisting with loan closings. Over his career, John has been responsible for:

• Assisting with the closing of over 400 Permanent and Interim loans made under the SBA 504 Loan Program; and

• Assisting with the closing of over 600 loans made under the 7(a) loan program (including Express, CAPLine, and small loans), including asset and stock changes of ownership (full and partial), ground up construction, franchise based lending, leasehold improvement, and start-up loans.

Conventional Commercial Lending and Loan Documentation
In addition to his SBA loan documentation practice, John also assists lenders with their conventional commercial loan documentation needs, including construction and real estate loans, syndicated loans, and complex asset-based loans.

John attended law school at the University of Iowa College of Law, where he was a board member of the Journal of Gender, Race & Justice, a writer on the Journal of Corporation Law, and President of the Sports Law Society. Before law school, John attended college at The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he was the President of the University’s club hockey team. John is a native of Circle Pines, Minnesota. He enjoys spending time at his family’s cabin, golfing, exercising, and trying new restaurants in the Twin Cities area. John resides in Woodbury with his wife, daughter, son, and dog.

Contact
Phone: 651-788-9425
Email: john@johnsonbealka.com

Wayne Spangler

PartNer

Wayne has substantial experience representing bank and non-bank lenders in a wide variety of commercial and real estate lending transactions, including SBA 7(a), SBA 504, USDA, and conventional loans. Wayne has assisted lenders with structuring, documenting, and closing hundreds of lending transactions throughout his career, and he also has experience representing commercial and private equity borrowers in various debt finance transactions. Wayne attended law school at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and prior to that, he attended Seattle Pacific University in his hometown of Seattle, Washington. In his free time, Wayne enjoys traveling, playing golf, performing with his cover band, and keeping up with his favorite Formula 1 teams.

Contact
Phone: 651-968-1299
Email: wayne@johnsonbealka.com

Abby Jacobson

Associate Attorney

Abby assists lenders in successfully documenting and closing commercial loan transactions, both conventional and government guaranteed lending. Abby’s attention to detail and representation of clients in real estate and construction transactions throughout her career has provided her with the necessary tools to guide lenders through any issues that may arise in the documentation and closing process. Abby attended law school in St. Paul, Minnesota, at William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline). During law school, Abby was active in the Minnesota Justice Foundation and taught legal rights to students in St. Paul through its Street Law program. Abby was also a member of the Veteran’s Assistance Clinic, Community Development Clinic and a board member of the Civil Litigation society. Abby grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa and prior to law school, attended the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, where she competed in varsity basketball and softball. Abby currently resides in Bloomington with her husband, Matt, and goldendoodle, Lucy. In her spare time, Abby enjoys spending time on a lake, traveling, and staying active by participating in golf, basketball and volleyball leagues.

Contact
Phone: 651-528-7296
Email: abby@johnsonbealka.com

Elizabeth Kratochwill

Associate Attorney

Elizabeth has spent her career supporting financial institutions. After receiving her bachelor's degree from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University), Elizabeth worked in the banking industry for over ten years, with a primary focus on documenting and servicing conventional and government-guaranteed loans. Motivated by her desire to provide more comprehensive support to financial institutions, Elizabeth pursued a legal education at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. While in law school, Elizabeth participated in the Bankruptcy Litigation Clinic and co-founded the Law Student Parent Association. Elizabeth’s firsthand experience in the banking sector, combined with her legal education, provides her with a holistic perspective on banking law and loan transactions. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys trivia and logic puzzles, testing out new recipes, going on dates with her husband, and chasing her two kids who seem to never stop moving.

Contact
Phone: 651-243-8999
Email: elizabeth@johnsonbealka.com

Education

University of St. Thomas School of Law
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Juris Doctor, concentration in Organizational Ethics and Compliance, 2023, magna cum laude

College of St. Catherine
St. Paul, Minnesota
B.A., Political Science, Oral Communications, and Women’s Studies (minor), summa cum laude

Activities and Affiliations

• Minnesota State Bar Association, Member

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota

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