Frances E. Baillon practices exclusively on behalf of plaintiffs in the area of employment law. Ms. Baillon has litigated cases in state and federal court. She has also argued cases before the Minnesota state and federal district courts, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has co-authored articles published by MTLA and Fordham Urban Law Journal. Ms. Baillon has previously been named in the Rising Stars list in Minnesota Law & Politics magazine. Prior to becoming a founding partner of Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP, Ms. Baillon was a Senior Attorney at Halunen & Associates, where she was a member of the management committee and led the firm's appellate practice.
Contact Frances at [email protected] or 612-252-3570
Practice Areas
- Employment Law – Employee
- Labor and Employment
- Civil Rights
- Litigation and Appeals
- Sexual Harassment
- Consumer Rights
- Class Action
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota, 1998
- U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1999
- U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 2000
Education
- William Mitchell College of Law, St Paul, Minnesota, Juris Doctor
- Honors: Competitor and Board Member of Rosalie E. Wall Moot Court Competition
- Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, 1995, Bachelor of Arts
- Major: English
Notable Cases
- Bahr v. Capella University, 765 N.W.2d 428 (Minn.App. 2009) cert. granted (June 18, 2009) (setting standard for statutorily protected conduct in retaliation cases under Minnesota Human Rights Act),
- Frieler v. Carlson Marketing Group, 751 N.W.2d 558 (Minn. 2008) (establishing standard of liability for supervisor sexual harassment)
- Hayes v. Dapper, 2008 WL 4301018, No. A07-1878 (Minn. Ct. App. 2008) (reversing dismissal of whistleblower case because a report need not be formal to constitute protected conduct and questions of fact remained whether the report was made in good faith)
- Kaufenberg v. Schwans Home Services, Inc., 2009 WL 234014, No. A08-0214 (Feb. 3, Minn.App. 2009) (worker’s compensation retaliation case) (cert. denied)
- Moore v. Epperson Underwriting Co., 2007 WL 2332755, No. Civ. 06-2563 (D.Minn. Aug. 15, 2007) (successfully defeated motion for summary judgment in disability and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA))
Published Works
- “The First Amendment: Churches Seeking Sanctuary for the Sins of the Fathers,” Fordham Urban Law Journal, Vol. 31, 2004
- “When Clergy Fail Their Flock — Innovative Strategies for Prevention, Healing and Justice,” American Trial Lawyers Association, 2003
- “Sexual Harassment Law and Practice,” Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association Employment Law Handbook, 2001
Honors and Awards
Named a “Rising Star” by Minnesota Law & Politics 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Minnesota State Bar Association, 1998 – Present
- National Employment Lawyers Association, 1999 – Present
- National Employment Lawyers Association, Minnesota Chapter
- Board Member 2001-2–4; Member 1999-present
Past Employment Positions
- Reinhardt & Anderson, Associate/Senior Associate, 1999 – 2003
- Reinhardt, Wendort & Blanchfield, Senior Associate, 2003 – 2006
- Halunen & Associates, 2006-2011