Education: University of Minnesota Law School
Degree: JD
Year: 2001
Honors: cum laude

Key Practice Experience

• Discrimination and retaliation claims
• Defamation claims
• Disability and medical leave issues and claims
• Non-compete agreements
• Trade secret issues and claims
• Wage and hour issues and claims
• Employment handbooks and policies
• Unfair labor practice claims

Key Industry Experience

• Retail
• Restaurant and Hospitality
• Airline
• Financial Services

Representative Cases/Transactions

• EEOC v. X Corporation: Defending against a nationwide directed investigation alleging age discrimination in hiring.  This matter is still in confidential proceedings.
• Martin et al v. ING: Participating in the defense of putative nationwide class action race discrimination lawsuit against eight ING entities. This matter is still in litigation.
• EEOC v. FMI, et al: Defending North Dakota Applebee’s franchisee against EEOC class action sexual harassment lawsuit.  This matter is still in litigation.
• Gomer v. ValueVision Media, Inc., Defending against FMLA and disability discrimination claims.  This matter is still in litigation.
• Williams v. Delavan, Inc.:  Defending against FMLA claim.  This matter is still in litigation.
• Just et al. v. Conndo, Inc.:  Defended North Dakota Little Caesar’s franchisee in FLSA action and obtained favorable settlement.
• EEOC v. Target Corporation:  Defended Target against a 64-person class claim by the EEOC alleging racial discrimination in hiring and promotion.  Obtained summary judgment on the EEOC’s individual and class claims from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  The Seventh Circuit reversed a portion of the grant of summary judgment pertaining to four individual claims, which were then resolved.
• Stusse v. Von Maur, Inc.:  Obtained summary judgment for employer in disability discrimination claim.
• Reed v. Home Depot USA, Inc.:  Obtained summary judgment for employer in race discrimination claim, which was affirmed on appeal.
• United States ex rel. Kinney v. Stoltz:  Obtained dismissal of qui tam action under the False Claims Act.

Selected Publications/Presentations

• Courts Split on Class Action Fairness Act Question, Minnesota Chapter of Federal Bar Association Bar Talk (May 2010)
• 2009 Amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act, Highlights of the 2009 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (August 2009)
• Trade Secrets Add Economic Value if They are Guarded, UpSize Magazine (August 2004)
• Retaliatory Harassment against Employees by Employees: Should the Employer be Liable?, Labor Lawyer (2001)
• Protecting Employees from Employees: Applying Title VII’s Anti-Retaliation Provision to Coworker Harassment, Journal of Law and Inequality (2001)

Professional Associations

• Federal Bar Association (Communications Committee Member)
• Minnesota State Bar Association
• North Dakota State Bar Association
• Hennepin County Bar Association
• Minnesota Women Lawyers (Board Member)
• Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association
• ALFA International Hospitality Practice Group

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota and North Dakota State Courts
• United States District Court of the District of Minnesota
• United States District Court of the District of North Dakota
• Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

Professional Recognitions/Honors

• Law Clerk for the Honorable Paul A. Magnuson, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
• · 2000 Student Writing Competition Winner for The Labor Lawyer, publication for the Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association

Other Education

• B.S. in Aeronautical Studies, University of North Dakota
• B.B.A. in Airport Administration, University of North Dakota