Experience That Spans Decades & Communities
Real People. Real Lawyers. Rooted in Minnesota.
We’ve been serving individuals and families throughout Minnesota with respect, clarity, and care for over 35 years.
Built on Trust, Focused on You
Since opening our doors in Minneapolis, we’ve remained committed to helping people navigate some of life’s toughest legal moments. Whether it’s a criminal charge, a personal injury, or an immigration issue, we treat every client with dignity and every case with focus.
Our firm reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. With a multilingual team and statewide reach, we connect with people from all walks of life and deliver legal support that’s direct, responsive, and rooted in real-world solutions.
Douglas E. Nepp
Douglas Nepp grew up in Austin, Minnesota the son of a pharmacist/drug store owner. He graduated with honors from Austin High in 1981. During high school he was a letter winner in baseball, basketball and football. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul where he was the captain of the football team. He had two majors at Macalester College; Economics and. Political Science. Doug graduated Summa Cum Laude from Macalester College in 1985. Macalester College is also where Doug met Barbara Ann Crist during the very first week of their freshmen year. Barbara and Doug were married after graduating from Macalester in 1985.
After graduating from Macalester College, Doug attended the University of Minnesota Law School. During law school he clerked at IBM in New York. In 1988, he received his Juris Doctor degree graduating cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School. He began practicing law in Duluth, Minnesota. While in Duluth, Doug represented insurance companies and businesses.
After five years in Duluth, Doug returned to the Twin Cities to be closer to family. His practice shifted to representing individuals and small businesses in many areas of the law including criminal, family, immigration, personal injury, worker’s compensation and commercial law. Doug has practiced law for over thirty-seven years. He has represented thousands of clients from all over the world and from all walks of life. He serves as an arbitrator in disputed cases. He is currently a shareholder in the law firm of Nepp & Hackert, LLC in Minneapolis. He has dedicated his time and resources to the non-profit, The Inner Hero, providing mentorship to at-risk youth since 2013.
He and his beautiful wife, Barbara Crist-Nepp, have celebrated 40 years of marriage. They live in Stillwater and have raised three children. They have two grandchildren. Doug enjoys golf, traveling, and cooking for friends and family. He and his family are avid fans and frequent attendees of Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, and Gopher’s games. He has enjoyed his past experiences teaching cooking to teenagers with his wife Barbara and coaching youth sports.
Thomas A. Hackert
Thomas Hackert grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota the son of an airline mechanic. He graduated from Hopkins High in 1992. During high school he was active in hockey and skiing. After high school Tom attended Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He majored in Business while at St. John’s. Tom graduated from St. John’s University in 1996.
After graduating from Saint Johns, Tom attended William Mitchell College of Law. During law school Tom clerked at personal injury and civil litigation firms. In 1999, he received his Juris Doctor degree graduating from William Mitchell College of Law.
Tom began practicing law in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been representing individual clients for 26 years. Tom practices in the areas of personal injury, workers compensation, criminal, and immigration. Tom has committed to representing individuals from all over the world. Tom has helped clients from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Ethiopia, France, England, Norway, Finland, Canada and many other countries. He has helped many families reunite here in the United States.
Tom is currently a shareholder in the law firm of Nepp & Hackert, LLC in Minneapolis. He devotes many hours of Pro Bono work and volunteers his time for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.
He and his wife, Sara, have celebrated 10 years of marriage. They live in south Minneapolis with their talented canine companion. Tom likes to run and enjoys hiking with his wife. They are particularly fond of the north shore of Lake Superior but have enjoyed many parks and trails over the years.
Serey Uk
Serey Uk has been working with attorneys Douglas Nepp and Thomas
Hackert for more than 25 years. Serey was part of the foundation when
Nepp & Hackert, LLC was established in 2005. Serey Uk is a highly valued member of the law firm.
Serey grew up in Cambodia. He immigrated to the United States in 1980.
He finished his high school education at Roosevelt and Northeast High
Schools in Minneapolis. Serey continued his education at Hennepin
Technical College.
Following college, Serey took a job in the trades. He was injured on the job.
This is what first exposed him to the law and the legal process; he was a
client himself. He became interested in the law and began working for the
lawyer who represented him. Serey has been a legal assistant and
marketing director for three firms before joining Nepp & Hackert, LLC. He has gained vast experience and many connections since he first began his journey in the legal field in 1992.
Serey has helped clients from all over the world especially individuals from
Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Serey is uniquely qualified to help our
Asian clients as he speaks the languages of Cambodia, Laos, and
Thailand. He has learned much about the cultures of our clients from
Vietnam, Mexico, Somalia, and our Hmong clients. Serey likes helping
people and he enjoys helping to immigrate people from all over the world
so they may reunite with their families here in Minnesota.
Serey is married with two children. He enjoys traveling with his wife
Melissa. Serey is an avid bike rider and fisherman.
Abdulkadir Ahmed
Abdulkadir Ahmed was born in Somalia and grew up in Minnesota. Abdulkadir is a dedicated Legal Assistant with a strong commitment to professionalism. Abdulkadir studied to become a Network Engineer at Saint Paul College. However, Abdulkadir developed a deep interest in the legal field which led him to pursue a career in law. Today, he combines his skills in technology with his legal knowledge to provide reliable support to our legal team.
Abdulkadir has extensive knowledge of legal procedures and excellent experience in managing case files. He is proficient in creating effective and accurate legal documents and correspondence. Abdulkadir’s background and life experiences bring a unique perspective to his work as a legal assistant, combining cultural insight with a strong work ethic.
Abdulkadir is fluent in both the English and Somali languages. He provides excellent assistance to Somali-speaking clients by providing translation and communication support. His ability to bridge language and cultural gaps ensures that clients feel understood, respected, and well-informed throughout the legal process. Abdulkadir is passionate about obtaining justice for our clients and helping others.
Yamilethzy Acosta
Yamilethzy Acosta (Yami) is a legal assistant at Nepp & Hackert. Born in Minnesota and now residing in Blaine, she spent much of her childhood in the Bloomington/Richfield area. As the eldest of three siblings and a first-generation Mexican American college graduate, Yami brings a strong work ethic and a deep sense of community to her role.
Yami earned her associate’s degree from the University of St. Thomas–Dougherty Family College (DFC) before transferring to Concordia University, St. Paul, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. During her time at DFC, she interned with the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) team at U.S. Bank—an experience that helped her develop valuable office and communication skills, which she now applies daily at the firm.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Yami plays a key role in assisting Spanish-speaking clients, particularly in the areas of criminal law, immigration, and auto accident cases. She also supports attorneys across all practice areas handled by Nepp & Hackert.
Since joining the team, Yami has enjoyed learning the behind-the-scenes legal processes that often go unseen—offering her a new perspective beyond what’s portrayed on TV. Outside the office, Yami enjoys spending time with friends and family, relaxing with coffee, and soaking up Minnesota’s short-lived summers (you’ll find her indoors all winter long).
Barbara Crist-Nepp
Barbara spent her youth in many places. Her father was a Master Seargent in the United States Air Force stationed at various bases in the United States and overseas. Barbara’s father met her mother while stationed in Iceland. Barbara spoke both Icelandic and English while growing up.
Barbara attended high school in Forest Lake, Minnesota. She played softball, was active in student government, and was a member of the dance team. Barbara graduated in 1981.
Barbara enrolled at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota because of the College’s focus on Internationalism and its diverse student body. While at Macalester, after years of learning Spanish in public school, Barbara decided to learn a fourth language. While studying German, she was able to study in Germany and at the University of Vienna in Austria for a semester. Barbara majored in Political Science and International Studies and graduated in 1985. Barbara met her husband, Douglas Nepp, during the very first week of their freshman year. Barbara and Doug were married soon after graduating from Macalester in 1985.
Barbara has a wealth of business and legal experience. She opened and operated her own daycare business. She has held management positions in retail coffee shops and in a retail grocery co-op. Barbara worked as a legal assistant when Nepp & Hackert was founded, then left to try other things. She is back and has combined her customer service work with her legal assistant experience to provide first-rate problem solving, research, and assistance to our clients. Barbara particularly enjoys meeting people from all over the world while working at Nepp & Hackert.
Barbara has volunteered with many organizations over the years. She served on the Board of Directors for the Duluth Children’s Museum, she was a Law Day Volunteer for many years, and chaired several fundraisers for the Junior Leagues of Duluth and St. Paul.
Barbara and Douglas are celebrating 40 years of marriage this year. They live in Stillwater and have raised three children, Ashley, Andrew, and Austen. They have two grandchildren. Barbara enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and family. She enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, traveling, and crafting. She can often be found googling “fun activities and crafts to do with toddlers.” Barbara particularly likes to travel to Iceland to visit family. Two of Barbara’s favorite jobs over the years were teaching a cooking class to teenagers and teaching young children to downhill ski.
