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PaulLukasFull
Paul J. Lukas
Partner

Phone: 612.256.3205
Fax: 612.215.6870
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Paul J. Lukas

Paul J. Lukas's aggressive and creative litigation strategies enable him to successfully represent his clients. Paul has been recognized by his peers as one of the "Top 40 Employment Law Lawyers" in Minnesota and is consistently named to the Super Lawyers list. Courageous and persistent, Paul is a committed advocate for employee and consumer's rights.

Having tried nearly fifty cases, Paul is also a trial veteran with proven results. Early in his career, Paul tried a wide variety of criminal cases, including the nationally renowned State v. Porter case. Winning that case at the Minnesota Supreme Court, Paul helped set the standard for prosecutorial misconduct in criminal cases. After honing his trial skills in the criminal arena, Paul focused his practice on employment litigation, obtaining favorable verdicts for employees in overtime, age, race, national origin, sex discrimination, sex harassment, whistleblower, sexual assault, retaliation, and minority shareholder cases. Paul is a member of Nichols Kaster's National Class and Collective Action Litigation Team and the firm’s Consumer Class Action Team.  Paul is currently litigating numerous wage and hour and consumer class and collective actions. He has represented thousands of employees and consumers in these practice areas, obtaining well over 100 million dollars for those clients.

Paul's energy and charisma have made him a nationally recognized lecturer on topics such as wage and hour law, employment law, and civil litigation strategies.

 

Admissions
  • Minnesota Supreme Court
  • New York Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court – District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court – Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court – Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court – District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court – Western District of Oklahoma
  • U.S. District Court – Western District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court – Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court – Western District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Wisconsin
Education
  • J.D. William Mitchell College of Law, 1991
  • B.A. St. John’s University, 1988
Publications / Speaking Engagements
  • "Common Employer Mistakes in the Wage-Hour Area – A Plaintiffs’ Attorney Perspective." Minnesota CLE’s Wage and Hour Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2012.
  • "Panelist for Wage & Hour and EPLI: Coverage Options and Best Practices for Minimizing Your Exposure to Claims." 17th Annual Conference on Employment Practices Liability Insurance, New York, New York, 2012.
  • "FLSA Case Update – In-Depth; FLSA Litigation – The Procedural Battles." Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2011.
  • Panelist for “View from the Plaintiffs’ Bar: Adapting Your Defense Strategies to New and Innovative Wage and Hour Claims.” American Conference Institute’s 12th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions (New York, NY, 2011).
  • "EPLI Litigation Strategies – Perspective from Plaintiff’s Counsel and Defense Counsel." Employment Practices Liability Insurance Seminar, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2011.
  • "In-Depth FLSA Litigation -- Procedural Battles." Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2011.
  • Panelist for “View from the Plaintiffs’ Bar: Adapting Your Defense Strategies to New and Innovative Wage and Hour Claims." American Conference Institute’s 12th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions, New York, New York, 2011.
  • Co-Editor to the Wage and Hour Handbook: Federal and Minnesota. MN CLE, Inc. (2011).
  • "The New Lawyer Experience; Everything But the Kitchen Sink? Conducting Effective and Efficient Written Discovery." Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2011.
  • Panelist for View from the Plaintiff's Bar: The Newest and Most Innovative Wage Claims Being Brought. American Conference Institute's 11th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions (Miami, Flordia, 2011).
  • Panelist for View from the Plaintiff’s Bar Adapting Your Litigation Strategies in Light of New and Innovative Claims. American Conference Institute’s 10th Advanced Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions (San Francisco, California, 2010).
  • "Adapting Your Defense Strategies to New and Innovative Wage and Hour Claims." American Conference Institute’s 9th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions, From the Plaintiffs’ Bar, New York, New York, 2010.
  • Panelist for 2010 FLSA Update – In-Depth. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (St. Paul, Minnesota, 2010).
  • Panelist for FLSA Litigation, The Hottest Issues in the Hottest Cases. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (St. Paul, Minnesota, 2010).
  • Panelist for Spotting and Preventing FLSA Landmines Before They Explode. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (St. Paul, Minnesota, 2010).
  • "The New Lawyer Experience: Everything But the Kitchen Sink? Conducting Effective and Efficient Written Discovery." Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2010.
  • FLSA Update. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2009).
  • "Critical Employment Issues in Difficult Times." Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2009.
  • Advanced Civil Litigation Institute: Winning Before Trial; Secrets of Case-Changing Depositions. Minnesota CLE (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2009).
  • FLSA Update- In-Depth. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (St. Paul, Minnesota, 2009).
  • American Conference Institute's 7th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions (New York, New York, 2009).
  • "The New Lawyer Experience; Everything But the Kitchen Sink? Conducting Effective and Efficient Written Discovery." Minnesota CLE (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2009).
  • "Critical Employment Issues in Difficult Times." Minnesota CLE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2008.
  • American Conference Institute's 6th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions (San Francisco, California, 2008).
  • "Everything You Wanted to Know About Discovery But Were Afraid to Ask." Indiana NELA, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2008.
  • "Turning the Table on Defendants in FLSA Cases." National Employment Lawyers Association, Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, 2008.
  • Panelist for Advanced Trial Practice, How to Bring and Defend the FLSA Case. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (St. Paul, Minnesota, 2008).
  • Panelist for Advanced Trial Practice, Plaintiff's Panel for Winning FLSA Cases. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (St. Paul, Minnesota, 2008).
  • Panelist for The View from the Plaintiffs’ Bar Current and Future Targets of Wage & Hour Claims. 6th Annual National Forum on Wage & Hour Litigation (Miami, Florida, 2008)
  • "An Employment Case from Soup to Nuts, Discovery: How to Achieve Constant Pounding." 7th Annual 7th Circuit NELA Conference, Chicago, Illinois, 2008.
  • "The New Lawyer Experience." Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2008.
  • "Litigating Wage and Hour Class Cases from A to Z from Class Certification through Appeal." American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2007.
  • "Representing Workers in Individual and Collective Actions Under the FLSA, Advanced Issues in Collective Actions." National Employment Lawyers Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2007.
  • "Everything but the Kitchen Sink? Conducting Effective and Efficient Written Discovery." Minnesota State Bar Association Basics of Civil Litigation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2007.
  • "The E-Discovery Amendments: What Standards Are Developing?" Minnesota Federal District Court Bar Annual Seminar, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2007.
  • "Cutting Edge Issues in FLSA Litigation." Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2007.
  • "From the Plaintiffs’ Bar: What is Coming Down the Pike." American Conference Institute’s 4th National Forum on Wage & Hour Claims and Class Actions, New York, New York. 2007.
  • "It Isn't Just About Title VII - Retaliation Claims Under the ADEA, FLSA and ERISA." NELA Spring Seminar, Chicago, Illinois. 2007.
  • "Strategy & Tactics, Strategy & Tactics in Employment Litigation – Tentative Steps Toward a Unified Theory." 6th Annual 7th Circuit NELA Conference (Chicago, Illinois, 2007.
  • "Conducting Effective and Efficient Discovery in Employment Cases." Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, Washington D.C., 2007.
  • "Hot Topics in Employment Law & Litigation." Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2007.
  • "Developing and Implementing an Effective Discovery Plan." 17th Annual National NELA Convention, San Francisco, California, 2006.
  • "Recent Developments in the Eighth Circuit." Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2006.
  • "A Starting Point – Helpful FLSA Cases for Plaintiffs’ Lawyers." 8th Circuit NELA Conference, Des Moines, Iowa, 2006.
  • "Wage and Hour Claims in the Shadow of the New Regulations." Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2006.
  • "Why Let Them Up For Air?" NELA Mid-Year, San Diego, California, 2006.
  • "Efficient Discovery in Employment Cases." 16th Annual National NELA Convention, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2005.
  • 8th Circuit and Federal District Court Updates. Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (St. Paul, Minnesota, 2005).
  • "Plaintiff Counsels’ Love/Hate Relationship with the FLSA." Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2004.
  • "Recent Developments in the FLSA." Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2004.
  • "The Ultimate Arbitration Update." ABA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, 2004.
  • "Welcome to the New Mud Puddle – How the New Regulations Impact FLSA Litigation." Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2004.
  • "Workers’ Compensation Meets Employment Law." Lorman Institute Seminar, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2003.
  • "ADA/FMLA Tough Issues – The ADA and Undue Hardship." Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2003.
  • "A Plaintiff Lawyer’s Perspective of the FLSA." Minnesota State Bar Association, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2003.
Titles / Awards / Memberships
  • Named one of the “Top 40 Employment Law Lawyers,” Minnesota Law and Politics
  • Named to the Super Lawyers list, Minnesota Law and Politics
  • Named “Top Lawyer,” Mpls./St. Paul Magazine
  • Named in “Who’s Who in Employment Law,” Minnesota Law and Politics
  • Received Martindale Hubble, A.V. rating
  • American Association for Justice
  • American Bar Association Member
  • Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee Member
  • Minnesota Association for Justice Member
  • Minnesota National Employment Lawyers Association Member
  • Minnesota State Bar Association Member
  • National Association of Consumer Advocates Member
  • National Employment Lawyers Association Member
  • New York State Bar Association Member
  • Public Citizen Member