Joel is a litigator who represents employers in employment-related litigation, with a special emphasis on non-compete and trade-secret litigation.  He has worked on complex employment cases throughout the country and has won motions to dismiss, preliminary injunction orders, summary judgment orders, trials and appeals. 

Joel's experience includes:

• Counsel in a variety of non-compete cases in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota and Texas, both securing and defending against temporary and preliminary injunctions frequently involving expedited discovery and briefing.
• Lead trial associate on two jury trials resulting in winning results for clients, including a seven-figure jury verdict and a six-figure settlement on the second day of trial. 
• Successful defense of cases involving a variety of employment claims including promissory estoppel, fraud, tortious interference, breach of contract, all types of discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, whistleblower complaints, wages and commissions, and overtime.
• Defense counsel in collective-action lawsuits brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
• Extensive experience defending charges of discrimination before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state and local human-rights agencies.
• Securing Orders for Protection—by early settlement and evidentiary hearings—for battered women and children through the Tubman Pro Bono Safety Project.

Joel is also a member of the firm's e-discovery practice team and non-competition working group.  In addition to his litigation practice, Joel also counsels employers on a wide range of matters, including issues relating to social media usage, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, overtime, and non-compete and other employment contracts.

Prior to joining Faegre Baker Daniels, Joel clerked for the Minnesota Court of Appeals and was a litigation associate at another Minneapolis-based law firm.  During law school, he clerked for the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C.  Joel has lived abroad in Colombia and Spain.

Pro Bono

Honors

• Minnesota Rising Stars, Employment Litigation: Defense, 2011

Professional Associations

• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Hennepin County Bar Association
• American Society of International Law

Civic Activities

• Washington University - Class of 2000 Ten-Year Reunion, executive co-chair
• University of St. Thomas School of Law Mentor Program

Clerkships

• Minnesota Court of Appeals, Hon. Jill Flaskamp Halbrooks, 2004-05

Presentations

• Minnesota Courtroom Evidence Deskbook: Social Media Evidence in the Courtroom
  Minnesota CLE (2012)
• Tweets as Evidence: Social Media in Civil Litigation                                                           
  38th Annual Labor & Employment Law Institute, Minneapolis (2011)
• Helping Your Employees—and HR Departments—Navigate Social Networks  
  Social Media Strategies, Faegre & Benson, Denver (2011)
• Social Media Breaks Into the Courtroom
  Social Media Strategies, Faegre & Benson, Minneapolis and Denver (2011)
  Colorado Trial Lawyers Association CLE Seminar, Denver (2011) 
  Novartis Pharmaceuticals CLE, New York (2011)
• Social Media in Civil Litigation
  Going Forward: Torts, Litigation and Ethics, CLE Seminar, St. Paul (2010)
• Employment Law Update:  Hot Topics Impacting Your Workplace
  Ultimate Software's Interactive Human Resources Workshop:  Essential Strategies from Industry Leaders in An Era of Change (2009)
• An Introduction to the U.S. Legal System
  Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (2009)

Legal Updates

• Social Media Evidence
  Minnesota Courtroom Evidence Deskbook (2011 Update)
• Eureka! Discovering (and Using) Social Media in Litigation
  Corporate Counsel (March 2011)
• Looking Back At Employment Litigation in 2010
  Law360 (February 2011)
• Medtech Competition and Employment Litigation in 2010: Former Employees Head to the Courts
  Faegre & Benson Medtech Legal Update (January 2011) 
• Social Media in Civil Litigation
  Law360 (October 2010)
• CFAA: Sharpened Sword or Extra Baggage?
  Law360 (March 2009)
• Quick Tips for Defending Employment Claims
  Hearsay, MSBA New Lawyers Section (Fall 2008)
• Quick Tips for Legally Interviewing and Hiring the Right Candidate
  Verifications, Inc. Client Newsletter (Winter 2007)
• Financial Institution Litigation (co-editor)
  Annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation, ABA Committee on Business and Corporate Litigation (2006)