Archive for category: NEWS

Halunen Law provided expertise and insight at the Minnesota House Subcommittee on Workplace Safety and Respect and we are closely tracking the proposed amendment to change current sexual harassment policies. We wholeheartedly agree with the Star Tribune editorial board and believe it is time for Minnesota lawmakers to step up and do away with the unfair “severe or pervasive” standard for sexual harassment cases. Time’s up!

Read the recent StarTribune editorial.

An employee writes a memo on the natural abilities of women; the memo makes the front page of the New York Times. A supervisor carries the White Man’s Bible to a rally; he is broadcast on CNN. What are an employer’s legal considerations when an employee’s speech becomes a lightning rod for controversy?

Halunen Law employment attorney Emma Denny joined a distinguished panel on Apirl 19 to address situations pulled directly from recent headlines. The presentation, “Insightful or Inciteful – When Employee Speech and the Employer’s Reaction to It Become the News,” featured a group of experts evaluating real-life cases and implications under the National Labor Relations Act Title VII, state laws protecting political speech, and employer codes of conduct.

Joining Denny on the panel were Sandro M. Garofalo, Director and Labor Relations Counsel for Target Corporation, Joseph G. Schmitt, Shareholder at Nilan Johnson Lewis PA, and Tyler Wiese, Attorney at NLRB, Region 18.

“This is such an important, timely topic,” said Denny. “In these complex, highly-charged times, the rules of what is and isn’t protected workplace behavior can be unclear. I was honored to be a part of this esteemed group and hope by sharing our insights and expertise we provided useful direction for the employment attorneys and others who attended the presentation.”

Emma Denny is relentless in her pursuit of justice for clients who have been wronged by their employer. Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star and as one of the Top Women Attorneys in Minnesota, has successfully litigated cases in state and federal court and negotiated favorable resolutions for clients facing discrimination, whistleblower, harassment, FMLA, ERISA, disability and religious accommodation, wage, retaliation, contract agreements and a host of other disputes.

Learn more about attorney Emma Denny.

Susan Coler, Halunen Law Partner and Chair of the False Claims Act Practice Group, recently spoke on a panel – “False Claims Act 101: What’s a Whistleblower to do? – as part of the Eighth Circuit Conference of the National Employment Lawyers Association.

In recent years, False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuits have dramatically increased in courts across the country. The FCA allows whistleblowers to share the government’s recovery of damages from entities who knowingly present a false or fraudulent claim for payment to the government, but there are many traps and unique procedures to be aware of in the pursuit of an FCA case. 

Presenting an overview of the FCA that was useful to employment lawyers, the panel focused on the basics, on the potential hidden pitfalls, and most important, on how to advise employee whistleblowers about their options if they have uncovered fraud against the Government. The panel addressed who qualifies as a proper qui tam plaintiff, how qui tam cases are presented to the government, how cases are filed by private counsel and how are they are handled by the Department of Justice, what types of “false claims” give rise to FCA liability, and what damages are recoverable under the FCA.

The other panelists were David Fuller from the Minnesota office of the Department of Justice, Robert Collins, an attorney from Olathe, KS, and the moderator was Sarah Brown, an attorney from Kansas City, MO.

Said Coler, “False Claims Act cases are both challenging and satisfying. It was a pleasure to be on a panel with such knowledgeable practitioners.”

The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) advances employee rights and serves lawyers who advocate for equality and justice in the American workplace. Learn more about NELA and its work around the country.

A Partner at Halunen Law, Susan is Chair of the FCA/Whistleblower practice. She represents whistleblowers across the United States in many different industries who challenge illegal corporate conduct, including fraud against the government. As a Labor and Employment Law Specialist, Susan has also brought successful retaliation claims in connection with False Claims Act (FCA) /qui tam cases and as stand-alone actions.

Learn more about Susan Coler.

Halunen Law is pleased to announce that several of its attorneys were recently selected to the Minnesota Super Lawyers Top Women Attorneys and Rising Star lists.

Partner and chair of the False Claims Act practice group Susan Coler, along with partner and employment attorney Barbara Felt were selected to the Top Women Attorneys 2017 list. Additionally, consumer class action practice group chair and partner Melissa Weiner, and employment attorney Emma Denny were selected to the 2017 Rising Stars list.

This group of dynamic women set the standard for exceptional legal representation as they stand with whistleblowers, consumers, and employees in pursuit of justice and fairness. Halunen Law is proud to see their work acknowledged in such a prestigious manner.

See the complete list as it appeared in Mpls/St. Paul Magazine.

Learn more about these outstanding Halunen Law attorneys:

Emma Denny from our office provided expert testimony yesterday to the Minnesota House Subcommittee on workplace Safety and Respect. I have included the link (at start time) of her testimony below – and specifically discussed harassment in the work place.

https://youtu.be/-c1rNW9ulLE?t=1h13m50s

“There’s really only one way to end harassment in the workplace, and that’s to make sure that people are encouraged and empowered to come forward and report it when it happens.” – Emma Denny

She the describes four main mechanisms to make people feel empowered to come forward.

1. Ease of reporting the harassment
2. Fair investigation procedures
3. Prompt and adequate response is taken by the employer
4. Strong anti-retaliation polices

Emma Denny is an experienced, tough employment attorney, who is relentless in her pursuit of justice for clients who have been wronged by their employer. She has successfully litigated cases in state and federal court and negotiated favorable resolutions for clients facing discrimination, whistleblower, harassment, FMLA, ERISA, disability and religious accommodation, wage, retaliation, contract agreements and a host of other disputes.

Learn more about Halunen Law employment attorney Emma Denny.