Baillon Thome recently prevailed in a jury trial in the case of Terra Fields v. Strom Engineering Corporation. Ms. Fields alleged that a male supervisor at Strom fired her because she declined his sexual advances. The jury agreed and found that Ms. Fields was the victim of sexual harassment and awarded her damages for lost earnings and emotional distress. Significantly, the jury trebled her damages award, as allowed under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
Described as “The Nation’s Best Employment Law Conference,” the Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute is one of the largest employment law conferences in the nation. Attorneys Chris Jozwiak and Joni Thome were again honored to serve as faculty at this year’s event.
Class action attorneys Chris Jozwiak and Shawn Wanta were published in Minnesota Lawyer’s Due Dilligence – a quarterly feature that examines case law updates, changes in practice and procedure, and legal trends. Their feature, “Class Actions: Enter the Consumer Lawyer,” takes a look at the growing and changing practice area of consumer law in Minnesota.
Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP employment and consumer attorney Shawn Wanta was recently featured in a news story aired on Twin Cities NBC affiliate, Kare 11. The story, “Sen. Franken wages war against consumer contract clause,” focuses on a clause that is commonly written into consumer and employment contracts – often to the disadvantage of the consumer/employee. These clauses, called pre-dispute arbitration agreements, can be found in a variety of consumer contracts including credit card, cell phone and internet service contracts, and private student loans.
Attorneys Joni Thome and Frances Baillon recently won a reversal at the Minnesota Court of Appeals in an age discrimination case. In Ritter v. Auntie Ruth’s Furry Friends, Plaintiff alleged her employer discriminated against her on the basis of her age in violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The district court dismissed Ritter’s case but the appellate court disagreed and reversed the district court.
Frances Baillon and Joni Thome were recently featured in Attorney At Law. The article discusses Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP’s team-based approach to litigating employment discrimination and wrongful termination cases.
Super Lawyers has recognized six of our attorneys as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Each year, Super Lawyers identifies top legal talent based on their professional achievements and peer recognition in various areas of the law. The Super Lawyer distinction is awarded to only 5% of practicing lawyers in Minnesota, while no more than 2.5% of practicing attorneys in state are named Rising Stars.
Attorneys Frances Baillon and Christopher Jozwiak were certified as Labor and Employment Law Specialists. The certification program is administered by the MSBA and approved by the State Board of Legal Certification. Fewer than 3% of all licensed Minnesota attorneys have earned this achievement, providing assurance that the specialist has been found to possess the expertise, experience, and knowledge necessary to provide quality service to the public.
Attorneys Frances Baillon, Matthew Nolan and Shawn Wanta spoke at the 2014 Eighth Circuit National Employment Lawyers Association Conference “New Frontiers: The Fight for Employment Equality.” The two-day conference, designed for lawyers and professionals who represent employees, featured presentations and demonstrations by leading plaintiffs’ lawyers in the Eighth Circuit.
Joni Thome returned as a presenter at the 2014 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute. Described as “The Nation’s Best Employment Law Conference,” the Institute is one of the largest employment law conferences in the nation. The two-day conference provides educational programming and resources, including 100 sessions covering nearly every aspect of employment law.
Frances Baillon was again published in latest edition of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law E-Newsletter – Volume 27. This seasonal electronic newsletter contains updates and developments in employment and labor law.
Employment lawyer Joni Thome has again been selected as one of Minnesota’s Top 50 Women Lawyers. The elite list of honorees represents an impressive group of lawyers from a variety of practice groups. The selection process consists of nominations and evaluations by peers, research by committee and a blue ribbon review process. Thome was also awarded this honor last year and has been named on the Top 100 Women Lawyers list since 2007.