Reena I. Desai

Reena I. Desai confirmed that fighting for employee rights was her legal career path while working at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during law school. Reena joined Nichols Kaster in early 2009 as a member of its National Wage and Hour Litigation Team and dedicates the majority of her practice to representing employees who seek to recover minimum wages and overtime pay from their employers under both federal and state law.

Before joining Nichols Kaster, Reena practiced at a large law firm in Minneapolis, where she worked on complex litigation and advocated for several pro-bono clients concerning a variety of issues. Reena graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she was honored with the Dorothy O. Lareau award for writing during her first year and received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Employment Discrimination Law from the Minnesota State Bar Association in 2007.

Admissions

• Minnesota Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• U.S. District Court – District of Minnesota
• U.S. District Court – Western District of Wisconsin

Education

• J.D. University of Minnesota Law School, 2007, cum laude
• B.A. George Washington University, 2002, magna cum laude

Publications / Speaking Engagements

• Panel Speaker at Employment and Labor Law Association Event, University of St. Thomas Law School, February 2012.
• Panel Speaker at Employment Practitioner Event, University of Minnesota, November 2009.
• Panel Speaker at the University of Minnesota Civil Rights Conference, January 2007.

Titles / Awards / Memberships

• Dorothy O. Lareau Award, University of Minnesota, 2005
• Outstanding Achievement Award for Employment Discrimination Law, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2007
• American Bar Association Member
• Federal Bar Association Minnesota Chapter Member
• Hennepin County Bar Association Member
• Minnesota State Bar Association – Labor and Employment Law Section Member
• Minnesota Women Lawyers Member
• National Employment Lawyers Association Member
• National Employment Lawyers Association Minnesota Chapter Member