Attorney Profile: Susan M. Coler
Susan M. Coler litigates class and collective actions on behalf of consumers and employees, individual employment discrimination cases, and False Claims Act or Qui Tam cases prosecuting entities that defraud the government. “I am most energized by the courage and perseverance of our clients. They make corporations accountable for creating workplaces that are fair and inclusive, and for treating consumers fairly and without economic exploitation. It is a privilege to bring these cases on behalf of our clients, get them relief and create systemic change.”
Susan currently represents a relator in a qui tam case alleging illegal sales of the anti-seizure drug Depakote. Abbott Laboraties has set aside $1.5 billion for a potential settlement of the case, which is projected to be one of the top three pharmaceutical False Claims Act settlements in United States History. She was one of the primary attorneys at her prior firm who litigated a class action age discrimination case, Whitaker v. 3M Co., projected for final settlement approval in December 2011. That multi-million dollar settlement includes company-wide programmatic relief designed to level the playing field for older employees at the company.
Susan is a Labor and Employment Law Specialist, certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association. She has been designated a “Super Lawyer” in Minnesota several times, including 2011, and has been rated as AVⓇ-Preeminent by the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review.
Susan has spoken at local, regional and national legal conferences on class action and employment law issues. She is President of the Minnesota chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association and Members Liaison for its Class and Collective Action Committee. She also is a member of Taxpayers Against Fraud, a national group of attorneys who litigate False Claims Act or qui tam cases, as well as the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
A graduate of Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois, Susan served on the Northwestern Law Review, worked in the Legal Clinic, and graduated cum Laude and Order of the Coif. She then served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert G. Renner in the United States District Court, District of Minnesota.
Contact Information:
Susan M. Coler
Direct Line: 612-548-5284
Email: coler@halunenlaw.com
Practice Areas:
- Consumer Law
- False Claims Act (Qui Tam)
- Employment Discrimination
- Harassment
- Severance Agreements
- Whistleblower Protection
- Wage and Hour Violations
- Class and Collective Actions
Education:
- Northwestern University School of Law, J.D. cum Laude, Order of the Coif
- Loyola University, M.P.S., Pastoral Studies
- University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, M.M., Music History
- Mundelein College, B.A., Music, summa cum Laude
Selected Presentations:
“Ethical Issues in Class Actions,” NELA’s National Convention, 2010
“Family Responsibilities Discrimination: New Resources and another Lens for Analyzing and Winning Gender and Caregiver Discrimination Cases,” Minn. NELA Monthly Meeting, 2009
“Attacking Mass Layoffs,” NELA’s National Convention, 2009
“Representing Immigrant Workers: The Intersection of Employment, Immigration and Human Trafficking Law,” Minn. NELA Monthly Meeting, 2008
“High-Caliber Litigation of Employment Cases in an Ever Expanding E-World,” NELA Eighth Circuit Conference, 2008
“Rethinking Remedies: Effective Approaches to Changing a Discriminatory Workplace,” Strategic Conference on Title VII Class Actions, Impact Fund 2007
“Attacking Releases and Waivers: A Plaintiff’s Perspective,” Employment Law Institute, Minnesota CLE, 2007
“Class Actions: Do Big Cases Against Big Defendants Get a Small Office, Big Money, Big Problems or Both?” NELA Eighth Circuit Conference, 2006
“Handling Class Actions Under the ADEA,” Impact Litigation: Representing Workers in Class, Collective & Multiple Plaintiff Actions, NELA, 2005
“Developments in Minnesota Whistleblower Law,” MSBA Mid-Winter Labor and Employment Section Lunch Meeting, 2005
“Punitive Damages After Kolstad,” Employment Law Institute, Minnesota CLE, 2002
“Resisting and Limiting Defense Access to Medical and Other Private Information,” NELA National Convention, 2001
Publication:
Susan Coler, Laurie A. McCann, Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, “Handling Class Actions under the ADEA,” Employee Rights and Employment Law Journal (Chicago-Kent College of Law/Illinois Institute of Technology) Vol. 10, Number 2/ 2006.
Past Employment:
Sprenger & Lang PLLC, 1991-1997, 2001-2009
Messerli & Kramer PA, 1997-2000
United States District Court, District of Minnesota, 1989-1991
Prior to her legal career, Susan held teaching and administrative positions at Mundelein College in Chicago, Illinois