Workplace Discrimination Attorneys in Minnesota

The Client: 3,000+ Financial Advisors
Approach: Larry Schaefer served as co-lead counsel in this gender discrimination class action successfully prosecuted on behalf of more than 3,000 financial advisors.
Solution: The case settled for $31 million and extensive injunctive relief that revamped the compensation and promotion system, imposed internal training, and specific complaint resolution procedure.

The Client: 200+ Female Technicians
Approach: Larry Schaefer acted as lead counsel in this class action gender discrimination claim involving female technicians at 6 CBS-owned stations.
Solution: After a class was certified, the case settled for more than $8 million in compensation and comprehensive injunctive relief involving distribution of overtime, assignments, training and reporting obligations on behalf of approximately 200 female employees.

The Client: Individual Race Discrimination
Approach: Larry Schaefer was trial counsel in an individual race discrimination case.
Solution: The jury awarded the plaintiff $380,000, including a $250,000 punitive damages award.

The Client: 150+ African-American Salaried Auto Manufacturer Employees
Approach: Larry Schaefer was lead alternative dispute resolution counsel in this race discrimination case representing approximately 150 African American salaried employees throughout the company’s U.S. operations.
Solution: Claims were successfully prosecuted and resolved in a comprehensive, negotiated ADR procedure involving mediation, discovery and trial phases.

The Client: 250+ Employees
Approach: Larry Schaefer was the lead counsel in this race discrimination class action consisting of more than 250 current and former employees.
Solution: The case was successfully settled for $3.1 million plus injunctive relief changing the method of evaluating, promoting and compensating class members and imposing extensive training obligations as well as a specific complaint procedure.

The Client: 1,000+ Employees of a Document Services Company
Approach: Larry Schaefer was co-lead counsel
Solution: Successfully prosecuted race, national origin and Fair Labor Standards Act – based class and collective actions involving claims of more than 1,000 employees.

The Client: 2,000+ Railroad Employees
Approach: Larry Schaefer participated in the successful prosecution of this race discrimination class action involving all terms and conditions of employment affecting certain hourly employee and all management employees.
Solution: Obtained settlement of more than $24 million in compensation and comprehensive injunctive relief for more than 2,000 employees.

The Client: 400 Bank Employees
Approach: Larry Schaefer participated in the prosecution of this successful age discrimination collective action on behalf of almost 400 terminated bank employees.
Solution: The case settled for $58.5 million, establishing one of the largest per capita recoveries for any case in this field.

The Client: 300+ Terminated Employees
Approach: Larry Schaefer participated in the prosecution of this successful age discrimination collective action representing more than 300 terminated employees.
Solution: Obtained a $28.5 million settlement.

The Client:  Terminated African-American baggage handler at large local airline with 10 year track record of good performance
Problem:  Client terminated for positive drug test after alleged “reasonable suspicion” justified request for drug testing, under circumstances which suggested racist manager was behind this.
Approach:  Larry Schaefer prosecuted race discrimination claim to jury in federal court.
Solution:  Jury returns liability verdict which includes full back pay, emotional distress damages, and $300,000 punitive damage award. Case settled on appeal with award to client and fees paid by airline.

The Client:  Executive Vice President of HR
Problem:  Complains of sexist hierarchy, breach of promise to award her promotion to parent company, as well as sexual harassment.
Approach:  Larry Schaefer presented facts and detailed analysis of legal claims in letter to Chairman.
Solution:  Negotiate significant exit severance package including multiple years of compensation, voluntary resignation, reference letter, outplacement services paid by company, and client is now serving in similar capacity in another company.

The Client:  Director-level executive a major multinational insurance corporation selected for termination in alleged RIF
Problem:  Standard RIF package provided less than year of compensation, imposed full non-compete/non-solicitation obligations, and diminished stock option rights.
Approach:  Larry Schaefer presented a detailed factual recitation of how RIF selection was age-biased and criteria were subjective and flawed, demonstrate how alleged performance issues were example of “papering file” in an effort to justify termination selection.
Solution:  Engaged directly with Assistant General Counsel in charge of employment matters and negotiate severance to over two years pay, accelerated vesting of options and other benefits, termination changed to voluntary resignation, and non-compete waived and non-solicitation limited to one year (from two). After one-year period Client is now competing effectively and retaining most of past clientele base.

The Client:  Asian Engineer with Numerous Patents
Problem: Terminated as a result of national origin discrimination.
Approach: Drafted confidential settlement letter raising potential legal claims and reached mediated settlement.
Solution: Increased severance by over 150% and negotiated non-compete to allow him to immediately accept position with new company.

The Client:  Human Resources Executive in his 50s
Problem:  Terminated during a merger of two companies
Approach: Filed EEOC charge and engaged in mediation.
Solution: Over doubled his initial severance offer from the company.

The Client:  48-year old Executive
Problem:  Harassed and terminated by new board members because of religious beliefs
Approach: Aggressively pursued litigation against former employer
Solution: Achieved settlement in an amount that satisfied the client

The Client: 55 year-old IT Consultant
Problem: Fortune 500 company terminated employee due to client’s cancer diagnosis and his missing work due to cancer treatment
Approach: Analyzed strengths and weaknesses of potential case and negotiated directly with company
Solution: Privately negotiated over 600% increase in severance offered by company

The Client: 57- and 58-years old Truck Driver & Warehouse Manager for a manufacturing corporation
Problem: Terminated after nearly four decades with employer after new leadership took over company and began to instate a younger workforce.  Clients were not offered any severance beyond an insulting one month of health care.  Company claimed that jobs were eliminated but there was evidence to suggest their job duties were taken on by new younger hires.
Approach: Strategically approached company pre-litigation
Solution: Negotiated and quickly secured substantial settlement, thereby allowing one client to transition into retirement and allowing the other to conduct a comprehensive and ultimately successful search for a new position without the pressure of having to accept the first thing that came his way.

The Client: 63-year old, female Director of large corporation
Problem: After over four decades of outstanding performance for corporation, client began to receive sham negative performance reviews and was subjected to ageist comments by younger boss.  Client suspected that leadership was setting her up to fail in order to replace her with someone far younger.
Approach: Approached corporation’s in-house counsel directly while client was still employed.
Solution: Secured substantial six-figure severance package, including full retirement benefits, allowing client to comfortably transition into retirement.

The Client:  Senior Human Resources executive with a large consulting firm
Problem:  Was denied promotion to head of HR after being promised the job.
Approach:  Sent proposal letter to company and later filed EEOC Charge and engaged in mediation.
Solution:  Obtained more than a year’s severance pay for client.

The Client:  Staff architect at large nationwide architectural engineering firm
Problem:  Was terminated, supposedly as part of a staff reduction, but actually because of gender bias.
Approach:  Sent proposal letter to company and engaged in direct negotiations through counsel
Solution:  Obtained settlement that more than covered the compensation client lost while looking for a new job.