Minnesota Lawyer Names Bojan Manojlovic and Derek Zha ‘Up & Coming Attorneys’ for 2024

Minnesota Lawyer has named Stoel Rives’ associates Bojan Manojlovic and Derek Zha Up & Coming Attorneys for 2024. Manojlovic, Zha, and the other honorees will be profiled in the magazine’s “Up & Coming Attorneys/Unsung Legal Heroes” issue and honored during an awards luncheon on September 20, 2024, at The Luminare in Minneapolis.

The attorneys recognized are within their first decade of practice and are chosen for excellence in their field and adherence to the highest values of the profession. They are nominated by peers and selected as honorees by an independent panel.

Manojlovic, who practices in Stoel Rives’ Litigation group, represents clients in various industries in complex disputes in conjunction with litigation teams across the firm’s 10-office network. Recent wins include a successful defense of a start-up outdoor equipment manufacturer against allegations of trade secret misappropriation and a success on behalf of a national health insurance company in a bidder challenge for a large state health insurance contract.

In addition to his practice, Manojlovic has taken on significant leadership roles at Stoel Rives that contribute to the firm’s outlook for future success. In particular, he represents the Minneapolis office on the firmwide Coaching & Mentoring Committee, working to ensure that young attorneys receive career-advancing skills training, opportunities, and mentorship and build collegial solid relationships they will need to be fully engaged at the firm and achieve successful legal careers.

Zha, a rising star in Stoel Rives’ Corporate group, represents clients in a wide range of industries in M&A and financing transactions, with a primary focus on the renewable energy industry supporting growth in solar, wind, and battery energy storage projects in Minnesota and across the U.S. Experience gained in prior employment in the risk management and financial sector has given him exceptional business and financial analysis skills—invaluable to clients in negotiating complex transactions, accessing business conditions, and mitigating risks.

Zha is committed to advancing diversity at Stoel Rives and in the legal profession. Since 2021, he has served as a mentor and firm representative for the Emerging Leaders Group of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, a nonprofit association of more than 70 law firms and corporate legal departments dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive legal industry in Minnesota.