Biography

About Shawn

Shawn J. Wanta is dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers and employees and is recognized for his handling of complex legal matters. A founding partner of Baillon Thome Jozwiak & Wanta LLP, Shawn leads the firm’s class and complex litigation practice group. He ardently represents individuals and groups in and out of court to enforce laws that protect individual rights.

Shawn has consistently been named to the list of Minnesota Rising Stars in class actions/mass torts since 2012, was named to the list of Minnesota Super Lawyers in 2022, and has been named as a Best Lawyers in America© since 2021. He has been appointed to a number of executive committee memberships and as lead counsel in national class cases. Shawn is active in board and committee work for both consumer litigation and employment law sections and formerly served on the Governing Council for the Minnesota State Bar Association's Consumer Litigation Section.

Education

William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN, J.D.
University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, B.A.

Admissions

Minnesota Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

Professional Memberships

National Employment Lawyers Association, Minnesota Chapter
National Association of Consumer Advocates
Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter Member and Pro Se Project Volunteer Attorney
Employee Lawyers Association of the Upper Midwest, Past Secretary-Treasurer
Minnesota Association for Justice
Minnesota State Bar Association, Consumer Litigation Section
Minnesota State Bar Association, Solo & Small Firm Section
Minnesota State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
Sedona Conference® Working Group Series Member

Honors and Awards

Super Lawyers® Super Lawyer, Class Action/Mass Torts, 2022
Super Lawyers® Rising Star, Class Action/Mass Torts, 2012-2021
Best Lawyers in America©, Consumer Law, 2021-2023; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action-Plaintiffs, 2023

Publications and Presentations

Who’s the Boss? The ever-shifting landscape of Independent Contractors, Misclassification and Joint Employers, Minnesota State Bar Association, Co-presenter with Zaylore Stout and Gina Janeiro, February 17, 2021
Whistleblower, Reprisal, Retaliation, Minnesota CLE, Presenter, Sept. 16, 2019
Consumer Law 101, MSBA Consumer Litigation Section, Moderator, Feb. 21, 2019
Maine Bakery Drivers Lawsuit Will Become Class Action, Portland Press Herald, Interview, Feb. 1, 2019
Are Political Texts Legal? And How Can I Stop Them? NBC KARE 11 News, Interview, Oct. 24, 2018
Practical E-Discovery Strategies for the Plaintiff's Lawyer, Eighth Circuit National Employment Lawyers Association Conference, Panelist with Bert Braud and Rebekah Bailey, Apr. 6, 2018
"How Do Lawyers Get Paid by a Class of Plaintiffs When There is No Fee Shifting Statute?," Mitchell Hamline Law Review, Author, Apr. 5, 2018
E-Discovery for the Solo and Small Firm Attorney: The Basics of Doing More with Less, Minnesota CLE Solo and Small Firm Conference, Co-presenter, Aug. 7, 2017
Wisconsin Company Offers Optional Microchips for Employees, Al Jazeera, Interview, Aug. 2, 2017
Judge Adds Protections for N.C. Workers in Employee Lawsuit Against Bakery, The Charlotte Observer, Interview, Feb. 19, 2016
Lepage Bakeries' Parent Company Challenges 'Class Action' Ruling, Maine Business Journal, Interview, Apr. 9, 2015
Class Actions: Enter the Consumer Lawyer, Minnesota Lawyer, Co-written with Chris Jozwiak, Mar. 16, 2015
Consumer Arbitration Agreements, NBC affiliate KARE 11, Interview, 2015
Cost-Effective Discovery of Electronically Stored Data CLE series, Employee Lawyers Association of the Upper Midwest, Presenter, 2015
Wage and Hour Battles on the Rise, Minnesota Lawyer Article, Commentator, June 19, 2014
Social Media Discovery, 8th Circuit NELA Conference, Panelist, 2014
Developing Trends in Wage and Hour Cases in Minnesota, Minnesota-NELA, Presenter, 2014
CBS Minnesota WCCO Radio, Discussion of Minnesota and Federal Consumer Protection Laws, Interview, Feb. 22, 2012
Wage and Hour Law, The Legal Journal Radio Show, Interview, 2012
Class Action Lawyers Target Groupon Over Expiration of Daily Deals, Crain's Chicago Business, Interview, Apr. 23, 2011
Minnesota Lawsuit Alleges Deception in Groupon Business Model, Minnesota Public Radio, Interview, Mar. 24, 2011
Gift Certificate Laws in Minnesota, Class Action, Consumer Rights, Interview, 2011
Minired BP Carwash Voucher Sets Off $5 Million Class-Action Suit, Pioneer Press, Interview, 2011

Representative Cases

Class Counsel in Noll et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 1:15-cv-00493-JAW (D. Me.) (class certification granted in class action brought by distributors of Flowers Foods, who are challenging their classification as independent contractors, rather than employees)

Lead Plaintiffs’ Counsel for In re Life Time Fitness, Inc. Telephone Consumer Protection Act Litigation, MDL 2564 (class action settlement awarding a maximum of $15 million for class members who received unsolicited text messages in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act); settlement affirmed (8th Cir. 2017)

Class Counsel in Rehberg et al. v. Flowers Foods Inc. et al., No. 12-cv-00596 (W.D.N.C.) (class action settlement for distributors who challenged their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)

Class Counsel in Carr et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 2:15-cv-06391-LS (E.D. Penn.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)

Class Counsel in Noll et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 1:15-cv-00493-JAW (D. Me.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)

Class Counsel in Rosinbaum et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 7:16-cv-0023-FL (E.D.N.C.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)

Class Counsel in Neff et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 5:15-cv-00254-GWC (D. Vt.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)

Class Counsel in Coyle v. Flowers Foods Incorporated, et al., 2:15-cv-01372-PHX-DLR (D. Ariz.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)

Class Counsel in Dennings v. Clearwire Corporation, No. C10-1859 (D. Wash.)

Class Counsel in Yarbrough v. Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc., No. 11-cv-02144 (M.D. Pa.)

Class Counsel in Low v. San Diego Union Tribune, No. 11-cv-01090 (S.D. Ca.)

Class Counsel in Chavez v. West Side Comm. Healthcare Svcs., Inc., No. 14-cv-00207 (D. Minn.)

Class Counsel in Gulbankian et al. v. MW Manufacturers, Inc., No. 10-cv-10392 (D. Mass.)

Class Counsel in Hartshorn et al. v. MW Manufacturers, Inc., No. 2012-cv-30122 (D. Mass.)

Class Counsel in Harrison v. Legal Helpers Debt Resolution, LLC et al., No. 12-cv-02145 (D. Minn.)

Executive Committee Member and Co-Chair of the Discovery Committee in In re HardiePlank Fiber Cement Siding Litigation, MDL No. 2359 (D. Minn)

Executive Committee Member for Wright et al. v. Owens Corning, No. 09-cv-01567 (W.D. Pa.)

Ketty v. Parkinson’s Specialty Care, LLC, No. 14-CV-04849, 2016 WL 3034158 (D. Minn. May 27, 2016) (final court approval of collective action settlement awarding a group of certified nursing assistants unpaid overtime premium pay and full liquidated damages pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act)

In re IKO Roofing Shingles Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2104 (C.D. Ill.)

Pagliaroni v. Mastic Home Exteriors et al., No. 12-cv-10164 (D. Mass.)

In re CertainTeed Fiber Cement Siding Litigation, MDL No. 2270 (E.D. Pa.)

Orieux v. CertainTeed Corporation, No. 11-cv-00234 (E.D. Pa)

Davis et al. v. SOH Distribution Co., No. 09-cv-237 (M.D. Pa.)

Egtvedt et al. v. West Publ’g Corp., No. 19HA-CV-09-1660 (Dist. Ct. Minn. 2009)

Cruz et al. v. Lawson Software, Inc., No. 08-5900 (D. Minn.)