The Women in Law & Leadership Summit [Virtual]: Minneapolis

Sukanya Momsen is Associate Corporate Counsel at Best Buy. She works closely with Geek Squad Services on advertising compliance and third-party contract negotiation. Sukanya has also worked as an employment attorney at Nilan Johnson Lewis, and as a judicial law clerk on the Minnesota Court of Appeals for the Honorable Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman. Sukanya graduated Order of the Coif, magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, and summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Nicole Cameli is the Associate General Counsel for Emerson Automation Solutions. Prior to working in this role, she was the Senior counsel for Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions. Nicole acquired her Law Degree from Marquette University Law School.

Alona received an MBA in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas in 2000 and held various positions in the banking industry, including Business Banking Officer for M&I, Bank Officer and Financial Consultant for Wells Fargo, and Marketing Channel Manager for U.S. Bancorp’s First American Funds. Alona graduated from William Mitchell College of Law in 2008 and spent two and a half years at Anastasi & Associates, where she managed the firms real estate foreclosure practice and handled a variety of other general banking matters for her financial institution clients. Currently, Alona leads a team of attorneys who provide comprehensive legal and regulatory support to all U.S. Bank’s Consumer Default Management divisions, including Real Estate Foreclosures, Loan and Credit Card Collections, Loss Mitigation, Bankruptcy, Vendor Management and Customer Complaints. In addition, she advised various business lines on Credit Bureau Management issues. Alona serves on the Minnesota Women Lawyers (“MWL”) Board of Directors and Children’s Law Center (“CLC”) Board of Directors. She is a co-chair of the MWL Professional Parents Affinity Group and the MWL Programming Committee. In addition, Alona is a long standing volunteer with Volunteer Lawyers’ Network (“VLN”) and CLC.

Jaimala K. Pai is Senior Legal Director at Medtronic, where she is Chief Counsel of Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Services, which provides cardiac diagnostics and monitoring systems and services. Previously she led the Global New Business Models & Value-based Healthcare Legal Center of Expertise and provided legal support on U.S. Health law issues across the enterprise.  Jaimala and her team also provided legal support to the Office of Ethics and Compliance to mitigate enterprise-wide risks and maintain compliance across a broad range of laws including anti-kickback, payer and provider interactions, and conflicts of interest. Prior to joining Medtronic, Jaimala was Senior Counsel for Coloplast Corp. and spent several years as Senior and Associate General Counsel at UnitedHealthcare in the Medicare & Retirement division. She also served as corporate counsel at Northwest Airlines, Inc. and in worked private practice at Faegre & Benson, LLP. After graduating from the University of Denver and the University of Minnesota Law School, she served as a judicial clerk on the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

Kristy Fahland is an accomplished litigator and employment counselor in Messerli Kramer’s Business Litigation group. Kristy provides a wide variety of services as an employment counselor, drawing on her litigation experience and knowledge to help guide employers policies and procedures to prevent future disputes including:

Wage and Hour Counseling
Employee Discipline/Discharge
FMLA Compliance
Non-Compete Agreements and Enforcement

Amy S. Conners (formerly Amy Slusser) is an experienced litigator and has represented clients from global Fortune 100 corporations to individuals on a wide range of legal matters. Amy is observant, agile, and responsive, and works collaboratively with corporate counsel, business leaders and individual clients to find the most efficient way to mitigate risks and solve problems. She has experience in criminal defense, complex commercial litigation, class action defense, securities litigation and arbitrations, healthcare litigation, and intellectual property matters. In addition, she has advised clients regarding compliance in FCC, DOJ, SEC, and international regulatory investigations, and provided guidance on “know-your-customer” policies, FCPA compliance, anti-money laundering policies, warranties, advertising, marketing and promotional materials. A graduate of New York University School of Law, Amy began her practice in New York before returning to the Twin Cities.

Amy has served as Co-Chair of the statewide Minnesota Lavender Bar Association and has been recognized as a “Rising Star” (2012-2015) and “Super Lawyer” (2016-present) by Super Lawyers, as a member of the “Best LGBT Lawyers Under 40 – Class of 2012” by the National LGBT Bar Association (2012), as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (2012-present), and as an “Up and Coming Attorney” by Minnesota Lawyer (2011).

Tina A. Syring is a partner in the Minneapolis office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Labor & Employment and Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practices. As a former human resources director and inhouse counsel, Tina uses her experience to counsel employers on labor and employment issues with a business focus. She works with employers in addressing complex issues such as social media issues, executive terminations, allegations of harassment or discrimination, wage and hour strategies, whistleblower complaints, and long-term succession planning. Tina helps clients navigate through wage and hour audits by the Department of Labor and Affirmative Action program reviews by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

In addition to her labor and employment advice work, Tina regularly and successfully litigates on behalf of publicly traded and private employers throughout the nation. Tina’s litigation experience includes defending against federal and state discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. She also regularly handles non-competition and usurpation of trade secrets and confidential business information matters.

Tina also has extensive experience working with publicly traded and private companies on labor and employment matters associated with mergers or acquisitions. Her work includes providing guidance in the due diligence process for the transaction as well as handling executive compensation issues, including drafting and negotiating executive employment and/or severance agreements. She regularly advises compensation committees concerning both executive and board compensation. Tina also works with public companies on preparing whistleblower policies and enforcement of the same in conformity with Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank.

Tina earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and earned her law degree from Hamline University School of Law. Tina has also been ranked in Chambers USA since 2013.

Demeka currently serves as Counsel – Global Sports Marketing and Data Privacy for New Balance. In her current role, Demeka supports the Global Sports Marketing Department and negotiates and drafts sponsorship and partnership deals with individual athletes and teams across various sports including international football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. In addition, Demeka assists with managing company relationships with key stakeholders including the New York Road Runners organization, operators of the New York City Marathon. Demeka also helps to maintain the company’s compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other data privacy regulations.  

Before joining New Balance, Demeka served as Associate Counsel for the Minnesota Vikings, where she spearheaded and implemented the launch of the Sensory Room at U.S. Bank Stadium and led contract negotiations for the inaugural Summer Skolstice summer concert series and the Premier Lacrosse League Tournament to be held at TCO Stadium. She was integral in negotiations for several Vikings’ Super Bowl LII and NFL International Series agreements.  In addition, she provided business and legal support in the Chief of Staff capacity to the Chief Operating Officer and took part in strategic planning, speech writing, and acted as a liaison between the C-suite and other Vikings divisions and departments.

As an alumna of the Howard University, facilitating and managing the Minnesota Vikings participation in the HBCU Battle of the Brains, as well as other HBCU initiatives, were passion projects that Demeka was happy to see come to fruition.  Demeka was also a member of the Vikings Diversity Council, which focused on various initiatives that can help improve diversity and inclusion across the organization. Ensuring that underrepresented minorities have access to organizations such as New Balance, the Vikings and the NFL is an underlying mission as she navigates her career and creates pathways for her colleagues and peers. 

Prior to pursuing her law degree, Demeka worked for Ford Motor Company as a Marketing and Sales Zone Manager based in Memphis, Tennessee.  She managed and maintained relationships with Ford Motor Company and 13 independent dealerships ensuring they met sales goals, maintained customer satisfaction and aligned with brand strategies and practices.  During her tenure, she was awarded the Top Zone Manager for the Memphis, Tennessee Region. 

A military child who has lived in cities across the country and the world, Demeka received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University and her law degree from Tulane University’s School of Law.  

Ann Vanga is the Vice President of Legal at IDS, a global B2B software company headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Her areas of focus include international commercial law, M&A due diligence, data privacy and security, intellectual property, service organization control (SOC 2) reporting, and software as a service (SaaS) implementation and oversight. In her previous role, she was a global executive team member of a German manufacturing firm with Chinese ownership as the primary counsel for all subsidiaries in the Americas, Australia and India.

For the last 8 years, she has been the head coach of a Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team, taking students to Hong Kong and Vienna each year to compete against students from across the world. Ann received her BA from the University of Kentucky, her JD from Hamline University School of Law and her MBA from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota.

Laurie Young is Senior Intellectual Property Counsel and Data Privacy Officer at Katun Corporation, an international supplier and distributor of after-market printer and copier supplies. At Katun, Laurie manages all aspects of intellectual property, striving to ensure Katun does not infringe any third party’s intellectual property – anywhere in the world. Laurie also manages an international patent and trademark portfolio for Katun. 

Laurie also is the Data Privacy Officer for Katun. In this role, she advices the company on all data privacy matters – whether in the US, Europe or Latin and South America. She has created policies and procedures for Katun to ensure data privacy compliance with local laws and regulations.

Laurie earned her JD from William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline College of Law) in St. Paul, Minnesota and her BS in Mechanical Engineering from The George Washington University. Laurie also received a certificate in Data Privacy from William Mitchell College of Law. 

In her free time, Laurie enjoys baking cookies and updating her Instagram cookie-baking account (@baking_all_of_the_cookies), spending time with her family and most recently running. 

Anjie serves as the General Counsel for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, the largest school district in the state of Minnesota. Most recently Anjie worked as the Deputy General Counsel at Minneapolis Public Schools.  As General Counsel, Anjie provides support and advisement to senior leaders on complex legal matters, ranging from employment law and labor relations, to special education law. She is also responsible for contract negotiations and litigation. Anjie has a breadth of experience in both the public and private sectors, and particularly in education and employment. She has in depth expertise in employment law, business law, diversity and equity initiatives, and litigation strategy. 

Anjie works as an adjunct Law Professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where she teaches Client Advocacy and Trial Skills. She has a B.A. in English, M.A. in Organizational Management and Human Resources, and she earned her Juris Doctor degree from Hamline University School of Law.

Alexandria (Alex) Reyes is Senior Counsel in the Cards and Personal Loans Section of Wells Fargo’s Consumer Banking, Payments, and Wealth & Investment Management Division. In this role, she supports the Bank’s credit card businesses, with a focus on its co-brand credit card program. She provides legal and regulatory guidance related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices, and data privacy, with the goal of managing risk while supporting business objectives. Additionally, she reviews and advises the Bank and its co-brand partners on marketing, advertising, and training materials. Alex also has an active pro bono practice, with a focus on matters relating to immigration and housing.

In addition to her work at Wells Fargo, Alex is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, where she teaches an advanced practice-oriented civil litigation course. She is Co-President of the board of the St. Paul Central High School Foundation, where she leads the selection and fundraising committees for the Philando Castile Memorial Scholarship. Last year, Alex was named President-Elect of the Wake Forest University Alumni Council.  She was also a 2019-20 Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. 

Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Alex practiced at law firms in Atlanta and Minneapolis where she defended clients in financial and general commercial litigation matters. She has extensive litigation, trial, arbitration, and mediation experience, including as first and second chair, and has appeared in federal and state courts at both the trial and appellate levels.

Candy is currently part of the UnitedHealthcare Community & State legal team providing individual market legal support as well as providing support for National Strategy Initiatives (including clinical, pharmacy and regulatory initiatives) and procurements, bid protests, and bid defense.  Previously, Candy has served in various roles within UnitedHealth Group including support of Part D Product and Pharmacy Operations, Medicare Sales and Distribution and was part of the leadership team for a business within Optum’s suite of federal businesses.  Prior to joining the UnitedHealth Group enterprise, Candy was a litigator at a firm in Minneapolis. 

Candy was the former co-chair of UnitedHealth Group’s Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Diversity & Inclusion Council and currently serves as member of the Twin Cities Diversity in Practice Board of Directors. 

Laura Pfeiffer represents clients in employment matters, working to be a true counselor and provide practical yet creative solutions. Employment issues can feel very personal and stressful, and with her experience in both counseling and litigation, Laura has the perspective to advise not only on a course of action, but also how to prevent or handle litigation should it arise. Laura is also a qualified neutral, helping resolve disputes smoothly outside of the courts.

Poonam Kumar has extensive experience working on a wide variety of cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures corporate restructurings, as well as general corporate and commercial law matters.

Poonam’s recent work experience has focused on highly complex global corporate restructuring and integration transactions. She has advised large multinationals on the planning and implementation of various multi-jurisdictional transactions, including pre-acquisition planning, post-acquisition integration, divestiture restructurings, legal entity rationalization, supply chain optimization, cash repatriation and intellectual property planning and migration. She regularly advises on the general management and expansion of international operations through the establishment of foreign subsidiaries, branches, representative offices and liaison offices.

Poonam’s practice extends across a wide variety of sectors, with a particular emphasis on transactions in energy, manufacturing and the financial services industry. Her experience has made her particularly effective at directing and coordinating large teams of lawyers to assist clients in structuring, negotiating, implementing and closing international transactions. Poonam’s transactions regularly involve multidisciplinary cross-border teams that leverage the strength of the firm’s global platform.

Mikiesha Mayes is Senior Associate General Counsel at UnitedHealth Group, the largest health care services company in the world.  Kiesha partners with Company leadership to identify opportunities to leverage the law for strategic advantage and identify and mitigate risks in the human capital-employee relations space.  Having started her professional career in employee relations, Kiesha knows that being an effective in-house employment attorney is not about cleaning up messes (even if it is required from time to time).  It’s about relationship building and providing sound legal advice that is at the same time thoughtful and practical.  Kiesha guides clients through challenging and complex business and legal matters by helping them understand what is legal, but also what is right.

Before joining UnitedHealth Group, Kiesha was a private-practice attorney—including at the largest global employment law firm representing management exclusively. Kiesha also previously served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Minnesota.  Prior to beginning her legal career, Kiesha worked in labor and employee relations at Minneapolis Public Schools/Special School District No. 1.

Kiesha is a frequent speaker on emerging employment law trends and diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.  Kiesha is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minneapolis, MN).

Karen Wilkinson spent the first few years of her legal career as litigation counsel, where she learned a great deal about where you can end up if you don’t plan properly! She then went in-house to ADC Telecommunications, where she spent several years gaining experience drafting and negotiating commercial agreements and handling employment law matters.

Over the years, Karen has served other companies in Minnesota as an in-house lawyer, until she landed with her current employer, Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc., a railroad maintenance equipment and service provider, located in Hamel, Minnesota, in 2011. Loram sought Karen out for her German language skills in order to help manage a critical contractual relationship with a German customer. She quickly became involved in numerous other international commercial deals as a corporate attorney at Loram, in addition to handling a wide range of other corporate legal matters, including litigation management, intellectual property, regulatory compliance and employment law issues. In February 2017, Karen was promoted to General Counsel and Secretary, which is the role she currently occupies. Outside of her busy in-house practice, Karen loves to serve as a volunteer lawyer, travel, spend time with her growing family and participate in summer outdoor activities, especially boating.

Katie Lichty is Assistant General Counsel and Lead IP Counsel for Land O’Lakes, Inc. She has been with the company for nine years. As AGC she supports the animal nutrition business unit and advises on both domestic and international matters. As Lead IP attorney she is responsible for the company’s trademark and patent portfolios and associated licensing in addition to oversight of marketing and advertising legal compliance for the animal nutrition and crop inputs businesses. Before joining Land O’Lakes, she spent time as an in-house attorney at a marketing and advertising agency in Minneapolis and started her practice as an associate attorney at a civil litigation law firm. Katie is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School.

Jennifer Johnson is a partner in the Corporate practice group and has extensive experience representing clients on significant business transactions for companies in a wide range of industries including renewable energy, distribution, healthcare, telecommunications, forestry and other service industries. Jennifer has experience in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial transactions and contracts, and antitrust regulatory compliance. Jennifer also advises clients in forming, capitalizing and maintaining domestic and foreign entities. As a former corporate counsel and legal compliance manager for Cosentino, N.A., a leading global manufacturer of natural stone surfaces, Jennifer has a particular appreciation for the business needs of in-house legal departments and company executives.

Melissa is a Partner and former Chair of Dorsey’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. From routine policies to highly sensitive litigation, and from novel issues of law to sometimes outrageous fact patterns, Melissa uses a deft touch and an eye on the long term to find solutions to her clients’ employment law challenges.

Kristin Jones Pierre advises management nationwide on complex workplace matters, including identifying long-term strategies and best practices to reduce employment-related legal risks while meeting business needs. She represents employers of all sizes, including public and private companies, emerging businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

Alex Stanley is Assistant General Counsel for Collins Aerospace, serving as lead attorney for the company’s Sensors & Fire Protection portfolio. As a business partner, Alex ensures the delivery of high-quality legal advice on a range of topics affecting the global aerospace industry. An experienced litigator versed in managing internal investigations, she is a vocal and visible advocate of the company’s core commitments to product safety and ethical decision-making, regularly engaging all levels of the organization through individualized counseling and tailored training efforts. 

Immediately prior to joining Collins Aerospace, Alex worked in the commercial building sector as an attorney for Carrier Corporation. Earlier in her private practice career with a large Boston law firm, Alex represented firm clients in the prevention and resolution of complex construction disputes. She holds admissions to the state and federal bars of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Alex hails from the Green Mountains of Vermont, now making her home in Minneapolis. She finds immense satisfaction fostering work-life integration through the pursuit of many interests, including gardening, travel, plyometric yoga, and spending time with her husband Chris and two cats Pearl and Lucy. 

Ji Hae is a Director Counsel, Employee Relations at Target, where she provides legal support to the company’s supply chain processes and initiatives and advises on employee relations issues.

Prior to that, she worked at Paul Hastings as an employment attorney, representing Fortune 500 companies in single-plaintiff and class action discrimination and wage and hour lawsuits.

She serves as co-chair of the Minnesota Women Lawyers, Awards and Recognition Committee and is active on the board of the Minnesota Korean American Bar Association. 

Ji Hae received her JD from Georgetown Law and graduated from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service.

Christina (Chris) Corsac is Associate General Counsel at Patterson Companies, a $5.6B value-added distributor focused on providing best-in-class products, services, technology and experiences to the dental and animal health markets. Chris partners with business leadership to drive execution of practical action plans consistent with business goals and legal obligations, and with external counsel to obtain positive results in disputes. She advises C-level executives on critical matters impacting company assets, products and market reputation. She has deep expertise with all phases of complex legal strategy development and execution, as well as with advising executives on legal risk identification and mitigation.

Before joining Patterson in 2018, Chris managed complex, highly contentious global disputes across all business units for SABIC, a $50B global manufacturer and distributor of chemicals, agri-nutrients, metals and specialty materials with operations in 50+ countries. Chris began her in-house career with General Electric’s Plastics division (acquired by SABIC in 2007), where she managed a large caseload of disputes spanning a wide spectrum of substantive issues. She has worked as outside litigation counsel with firms in both New York and Philadelphia, where her practice focused on complex commercial disputes, securities fraud, antitrust, trademark infringement and breach of contract matters.

Katie Gettman is a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Corporate Practice. She provides legal and business guidance to corporations, executives, and business owners primarily by acting as their outside general counsel. Many of Katie’s clients are businesses looking to grow and she advises these companies on acquisitions and financing strategies. She counsels and guides corporations, executives, and business owners in mergers, stock sales and asset acquisitions, private placement offerings, and subscription agreements. She also represents investors, handling all aspects related to the private placement and investment of funds and purchase of securities.

Katie counsels clients on general business matters, including vendor and customer contract negotiations, operations and project financing, management concerns and competitor disputes, software license agreements, master services agreements, statements of work and other intellectual property, and web-based services agreements.

Public companies rely on Katie’s experience to support them with board governance and counseling, SEC, and exchange rule compliance, Rule 144 and other stock transfer restrictions, registered offerings, drafting and review of press releases, 8-Ks, 10-Qs, 10-K-s, and other periodic reporting.  

Having worked in business in a variety of roles, including as a member of the executive team of a highly acquisitive public company, Katie brings practical aspect to her approach with clients. This approach allows Katie to provide legal counsel that is appropriate and actionable, taking into account both business and legal considerations.

Katie earned both her B.A. and B.B.A., cum laude, from University of Minnesota. Katie earned her M.B.A., with honors, and her J.D., cum laude, from Willamette University.

Tamara O’Neill Moreland advises clients on complex litigation involving land use, environmental issues, construction, real estate and appellate advocacy. For over 20 years, she has litigated cases to successful conclusions against city and state agencies in state and federal court and successfully handled a wide variety of appeals. Tamara is a Minnesota State Bar Association Board-Certified Real Property Specialist, was named to Best Lawyers in America in 2020-present for Land Use and Zoning Law and has been chosen by her peers as a Super Lawyer for many years. At Larkin Hoffman, Tamara serves as the firm’s Ethics Counsel, a member of the Board of Directors, Chair of the Professional Development Committee and, previously, as founder and Chair of the Diversity Committee.

Jennifer A. Nodes is a Principal in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She devotes her practice exclusively to counseling management in a wide variety of employment matters and litigating employment claims before administrative agencies and state and federal courts.

Ms. Nodes’s litigation practice includes the defense of employers in single and multi-plaintiff actions in state and federal court on claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, breach of contract, retaliation, non-competes and protection against unfair competition, family medical leave laws, wrongful discharge and other employment compliance matters.

In her counseling practice, Ms. Nodes regularly advises employers on issues such as best practice employment policies, employment agreements, including non-compete, trade secret and confidentiality agreements, disability and leave administration, performance management and separations, and compliance audits.

Ms. Nodes is a frequent speaker before business and employer associations, including the Society for Human Resource Management.

Maggie Lassack is Privacy & Cybersecurity Counsel at Polaris Inc. in Medina, MN, where she counsels on global privacy and data security issues, including the implementation of new privacy and data security laws, and issues related to vehicle connectivity and data collection.  Before moving in-house, Maggie was Of Counsel at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), where she defended clients in investigations conducted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other regulators concerning privacy, data security, and marketing practices. 

Maggie joined WSGR from the FTC, where she investigated and prosecuted deceptive and unfair practices related to data security, privacy, and marketing practices, and litigated both federal-court and administrative enforcement actions, including the FTC’s first administrative data security enforcement action.  Before entering public service, Maggie spent four years as an associate with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York and Washington, D.C., where she focused on antitrust, litigation, and regulatory investigations, including those related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Maggie began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable James L. Ryan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and she earned her J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School.

Nikki Odom Dibley is an experienced Senior Counsel with a demonstrated history of working in the chemicals, paint and manufacturing industries. Currently, Nikki serves as Employment Counsel with 3M, a multinational conglomerate with approximately $31 billion in revenue and 91,500 employees world-wide. Nikki handles a wide variety of employment law matters that cover 3M business groups, plants, staff functions, centers of excellence and specialist assignments. Last year, Nikki implemented a sustainable process.

Prior to joining 3M, Nikki was Senior Employment Counsel with Akzo Nobel Inc., a Netherlands- based multinational chemical and coatings company with €14.9 billion in revenue and 45,600 employees world-wide. There, Nikki was responsible for U.S. and Canadian labor and employment matters, benefit plan and ERISA compliance issues, as well as some U.S. compliance and commercial matters.

Nikki is currently the Secretary of the Association of Corporate Counsel Employment and Labor Law Network. Nikki is also an American Bar Fellow and an editor for the American Bar Association Section of Litigation Journal.

Nikki is a two-time Marquette University graduate where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Finance and earned her Juris Doctorate (JD) degree. In addition, Nikki is a certified Professional in Human Resources and a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional.

Kari Berman is a partner in the Minneapolis office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Complex Business & Commercial Litigation Practice. With over 20 years of experience in commercial litigation, Kari has significant experience in corporate governance, complex business transactions, contract negotiations, internal investigations, investigations by government agencies, merger and acquisition including due diligence and related issues, and advising clients’ senior executives on legal issues as they arise. She has successfully represented clients in SEC and FINRA investigations and frequently represents companies and their governing boards with both litigation and corporate strategic issues.

Kari routinely represents clients in shareholder disputes, contractual disputes, restrictive covenants, trade secret violations, intellectual property issues, fiduciary breaches, and other similar matters. Additionally, she advises companies on lawsuit avoidance by ensuring compliance with various federal and state laws, including but not limited to unlawful employment practices prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act(ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Fair Labor Standards Act(FLSA), (HIPAA), (False Claims Act), (Stark Law), and other state and federal laws.

Kari also serves as FDA counsel for medical device manufacturers and advises them on regulatory matters internationally.