Clients appreciate Rick’s vast traditional labor experience, as well as his extensive work on wage and hour issues, prevailing wage matters and his commercial litigation background, which gives him exposure to a wide variety of industries and makes him a well-rounded legal adviser.

Overview

Rick handles traditional labor, including collective bargaining, labor counseling, labor arbitrations and unfair labor practice charges, and advises clients relative to strikes and labor disputes. He also counsels and defends employers with respect to the full range of employment laws and claims, including non-competes, non-solicitation, wage and hour, prevailing wage, discrimination, harassment, disability, leaves, privacy issues and others, in state, federal and appellate courts, in front of administrative agencies, and in arbitrations.

Rick litigates on behalf of and advises employers in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, service, hospitality, retail, non-profit, heavy and highway and other construction, transportation, community action, health care, sports and entertainment, food and beverage, renewable energy, natural resources, and heavy industrial, among others. In addition to defending claims, Rick counsels clients on workplace best practices, including hiring and firing, background checks, restrictive covenants and confidentiality, wage and hour, privacy, drug and alcohol testing, workplace violence, record keeping and compliance.

Experience

Rick represents clients before a variety of administrative agencies and governmental bodies, including the Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, Equal Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor Wage, and Hour Division.

He litigates and counsels on wage and hour issues, including application of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Davis Bacon Act and Service Contract Act, state prevailing wage laws and regulations governing the transportation industry.

Rick has handled high-profile matters for high-profile clients and has litigated bet-the-company business tort matters, including non-compete, non-solicitation, tortious interference, conspiracy and defamation claims, as well as defending claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation and other issues across a variety of sectors and industries. He also counsels clients to minimize risk and improve workplace relations.

News & Insights

Speaking Engagements

"Mastering the Interactive Process for Reasonable Accommodations," CAPLAW 2025 National Training Conference, Boston, MA, May 29, 2025

"On the Clock: Managing Non-Exempt Employees," CAPLAW 2025 National Training Conference, Boston, MA, May 29, 2025

"Union Discussions in the Workplace," American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers 2025 Labor Relations/Human Resources Conference, San Antonio, TX, May 6, 2025

"Leave Check Up: FMLA and ADA," CAPLAW 2024 National Training Conference, Los Angeles, CA, June 5, 2024

"Shift Happens: FLSA Classification Changes," CAPLAW 2024 National Training Conference, Los Angeles, CA, June 5, 2024

"The Intersection of Increased Union Organizing/Nationwide Campaigns and Expanding Remedies for Violations," Minnesota CLE 2023 Labor & Employment Law Institute, Minneapolis, MN, November 16, 2023

Recognitions

Recognitions

Selected as "Lawyer of the Year" by The Best Lawyers in America®, 2026

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® list, 2018-2026

Regularly selected for inclusion in both Super Lawyers and Top 40 Employment Super Lawyers

Professional & Civic Activities

Professional & Civic Activities

Federal Bar Association

American Bar Association

Minnesota State Bar Association

Hennepin County Bar Association

Admissions

  • Minnesota
  • New York
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Courts for the Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, District of Minnesota, District of Eastern Missouri, District of Northern Ohio and District of Western Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and Eleventh Circuits

Education

University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1995

University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A., Economics and Political Science, with distinction, 1992

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