Rumors, like leaves in the fall, can sometimes really fly around a small town.

And, with a for sale sign in front of their building on Highway 169, lawyers Bruce Sellers and Joe Bromeland have been hearing a lot of rumors about their law practice, Wendland, Sellers & Bromeland, lately.

Some are true, most are not, the two say.

The truth? Attorney Bromeland is leaving the firm. And the building is indeed for sale.

Not true, however, are rumors the firm is closing its doors, or that the reason for the sale is the two had some sort of fight.

“We have been good friends as well as partners,” says Sellers. “The changes going on have nothing to do with our relationship.”

Bromeland agrees.

“I am moving on to work at the Maschka, Riedy & Ries law firm in Mankato,” Bromeland says. “That doesn’t have anything to do with me being unhappy here. I’m not unhappy. But, it is an opportunity for me to go do just civil litigation, the part of law practice I truly enjoy doing.” Sellers says while he selfishly would like Bromeland to stay, he is happy for his friend and partner.

“Joe is an excellent attorney,” Sellers says. “And he is very, very good at civil litigation, so I am glad he will be able to focus on that area of law practice.”

Bromeland says he is working two days a week in Mankato for the time being, but plans on going there full time after the first of the year.

He lives in Jackson, where his wife, Jennifer, is the city administrator, and plans to remain living there.

“Working on litigation cases means I will be traveling around southern Minnesota a lot,” he says. “I won’t always be at the office in Mankato. And, I can do some work from home.”

As for Sellers, he plans on keeping the office in Blue Earth just not in the same building.

“I have been here for 13 years,” he says. “And I love the city and the people here. I have gotten to know a lot of the people of Blue Earth and the surrounding area.”

But, the current building is way too large for one attorney, and he plans on finding smaller office space when and if the building sells.

“If it doesn’t sell, I guess I will just stay put here,” he adds with a smile. “But I want people to know I have no plans on ending the law practice here.”

It was in January of 2006 that Sellers came to Blue Earth and entered into an agreement to buy Arvid Wendland’s law practice.

Wendland had started the practice in 1990 when he lost the county attorney election. After Sellers arrival he cut back and phased himself out of the law practice over the next couple of years. He passed away in 2015.

In early 2007, Bromeland, a Blue Earth native, returned to his hometown and went into partnership with Sellers.

For a while, the Wendland, Sellers & Bromeland law firm also had two satellite offices.

“We opened up an office in Jackson, after I moved there,” Bromeland says. “We had it in a rented building. We just closed that office around the first of September.”

And the law firm had a branch office on Main Street in Mapleton for a while. But they had moved that office from Main Street to Seller’s home.

“I still maintain an office in my home,” Sellers says. A native of Mapleton, Sellers lives north of that town. “My wife works at Mankato West High School, so we live in between our two work places.”

Bromeland says he is already feeling a bit sad to leave Blue Earth.

“I have family here and love the town,” he says. “I am hoping to still stay as involved in the community as much as I possibly can.”