Category: NEWS
DHS Whistleblower Case Settled
The whistleblower case filed on behalf of Paul Olson, a high level employee of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has settled for $295,000. Olson had alleged that the DHS had ostracized him and removed all meaningful responsibilities from his position after he refused his managers’ demands to violate a statute to give a financial …
Two Cases Headed for Trial – The Trane Goes Forward
Halunen employment attorney Ross Stadheim argued two discrimination cases in front of United States District Court Judge Michael Davis, and both are now headed to trial. In two opinions recently issued [Opinion 1;Opinion 2 ] Judge Davis found that two financial analysts who were terminated by Trane U.S., Inc., under the guise of a reorganization …
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Whistleblower Awarded Nearly $1 Million after Exposing Globe University
Weber was fired after bringing evidence to members of the executive leadership at Globe about illegal and deceptive claims being made by the school in its student recruitment advertising materials. A Minnesota district court judge ruled that the for-profit Globe University must pay more than $500,000 in attorneys’ fees and related costs to Heidi Weber …
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IKO case update – Judge Denies Class Certification
On January 28, 2014, Judge Harold Baker denied Plaintiff’s Motion for Class Certification. In his ruling, Judge Baker reasoned that the evidence provided to the Court was insufficient to support a finding that Plaintiffs have each experienced the same type of damage. In particular, Judge Baker disagreed with Plaintiffs’ attorneys that the damages experienced by …
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Whistleblowers Help Curb Corporate Fraud
Click link to view video: Whistleblowers Help Curb Corporate Fraud
Cat’s Paws and Employment Law
“Pratfalls, Cat’s Paws, and Fact Questions” was the title of a July 16, 2013 Webcast in which H&A attorney Susan Coler was a presenter. The broadcast provided employment attorneys’ with updated information about retaliation statutes and legal theories to maximize success when litigating employment claims. What is a Cat’s Paw? It’s a theory where a …
Susan Coler Named One of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Minnesota
Besides being named as a 2013 Super Lawyer, Halunen Law Partner Susan Coler was named on the list of the top 50 women attorneys in Minnesota. “It is an honor to be included,” says Coler. “I so respect the many women attorneys in Minnesota who have blazed legal trails and represented their clients with great …
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Employer Held Liable for Intentionally Misleading Employee, Inducing Him to Turndown Competitive Job Offer
The Minnesota Court of Appeals recently handed down a victory for employees in Sletten v. Crop Production Services. The Court of Appeals ruled that an employer could be liable for damages when it made false promises to an employee that caused him to turn down a more lucrative job offer. Halunen attorneys represented the employee, …
Susan Coler Interview – Whistleblowers and the False Claims Act
Ross Brindle, host of the Legal Journal on Business 1570, interviewed Halunen attorney Susan Coler about Whistleblowers and the False Claims Act (FCA). Ms. Coler discussed on the air how the FCA works, what types of fraud typically fall under the act, what people need to know if they are aware of fraud against the …
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Minnesota Whistle-Blowers to Share in $84M in Fees
Susan Coler is a Minneapolis attorney representing a Minnesota resident who was a whistle-blower in a case against Abbott Laboratories Inc. The company recently settled a civil and criminal case against it for $1.5 billion. The Minnesota Lawyer article discusses the Abbott Labs whistle-blower case, and the $84M (15% of civil recovery) shared among the 6 whistleblowers.