News

LGN Celebrates Pride 2024

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LGN Celebrates Pride

Lockridge Grindal Nauen joins our friends in the LGBTQ+ community by celebrating the many great contributions the community has made to our firm, our country, and the world. This year, raising our voices and celebrating Pride Month is more important than ever.  

With a major election on the horizon, the LGBTQ+ community is in danger. More than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been signed into law this year alone, more than doubling last year’s number, which was previously the worst year on record. The good news is many organizations are doing all they can to protect and promote equality.

One pivotal organization, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

Their campaign entitled “We Show Up: Equality Wins,” is a resounding rejection of intimidation and fear designed to silence and erase the LGBTQ+ community. It will again show America the community’s collective strength and power to stand up, fight back, and secure the future it deserves without exception, as it’s been doing successfully for decades at the ballot box, state houses, school boards, and more.

We hope you join us in support of the important work HRC is doing both in local communities and across the nation. You can learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved via the link below:

Human Rights Campaign
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News

Hanson Riebel and Servais Featured at “Class of Our Own” Conference

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Class of Our Own

Lockridge Grindal Nauen partners Karen Hanson Riebel and Jessica N. Servais were both featured panelists at the “Class of Our Own: Litigating Women’s Summit” in Nashville.

Karen Hanson Riebel spoke on the panel titled: “The Powerful Women: You Name It, They Did It, And Now Is Your Chance To Ask Them How.”

Jessica N. Servais spoke on the panel titled: “When You Can’t Direct the Wind, Adjust the Sails: Irritable Tricks in Class Certification and How to Deal with Them.”

The three-day conference celebrates and empowers female leaders in the legal industry. It brings together litigators from around the country and provides them the opportunity to connect with other trailblazers, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and elevate their professional journeys. The summit is produced by Epiq, Jean Sutton Martin of Morgan & Morgan P.A., and Kelly Hyman of the Hyman Law Firm P.A.

News

Abotsi-Kowu Selected for “Living the Mission” Award

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Consuela Abotsi-Kowu

Congratulations to Consuela Abotsi-Kowu on her recent graduation from the University of St. Thomas School of Law! We are excited to welcome Consuela as an LGN associate this fall.

Consuela was recently recognized for her many accomplishments during her time at St. Thomas as she was awarded the “Living the Mission Award.” One student from each class and a graduate are selected to receive the “Living the Mission Award.” The award is given to the student/graduate who best exemplifies the mission by his or her activities in and/or outside the classroom or in the profession.

Here is a description of Consuela’s many “activities” that formed the basis for this award:

Throughout her academic career, Consuela has demonstrated leadership as the President of UST BLSA and as the Vice President of the Student Government, serving the student body. In her final year, she was instrumental in a student team’s effort to draft a proposal to the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers (MABL), seeking financial support for a BLSA Moot Court competition team. This team, which competed in the NBLSA Midwest competition and secured fourth place, achieved this success without the guidance of a coach. Despite not being a member of the organization, Consuela has contributed her support to the Muslim Law Students Association (MSLA) by assisting in the planning of their annual Iftar dinner. Additionally, she has dedicated her time to volunteering in the MJF Street Law program as a student teacher and as a judge for the Minnesota Classic Debate.

Congratulations, Consuela!

News

LGN Sponsors Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Event

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Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Pictured from LGN are Jess Lindeen and Alex Hassel

Lockridge Grindal Nauen was proud to support the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s premier fundraising event, Hard Hat & Black Tie Gala. This year, the event raised over $1.1 million for this very deserving organization. The evening was filled with fun, networking, and lots of laughter as guests arrived in their best ‘construction couture’ all in the spirit of supporting Habitat’s mission.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is committed to building the quality of life, health, and economic prosperity of the seven-county metro region by producing, preserving, and advocating for affordable homeownership – because homes and families are the foundation of successful communities.

You can learn more including ways to support Habitat’s mission on their website: https://www.tchabitat.org/

News

Incoming LGN Associate, Le, has article published in Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

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Kira Le

We are sending a special congratulations to Kira Le on her recent graduation from the University of Minnesota Law School! We are excited to welcome Kira to the LGN team this fall as an associate.

Among her many accomplishments during her time at the U of M, Kira had her student note titled: Crawling to the Cure: The Monopolization of the Breast Cancer Drug Market published in the Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology.

“I, like many, have lost loved ones to breast cancer – my mom, Jill Le, and my maternal grandmother, Mary Elsbury. I wrote “Crawling to the Cure” in honor of them and all those who have battled metastatic breast cancer and to shed some light on the reality of the industry.”

Kira Le

You can read Kira’s article by clicking the link below:

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News

Silton Appointed Co-Lead Counsel in Eyewear Antitrust Class Action

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Silton Eyewear

Lockridge Grindal Nauen is proud to announce that LGN partner Heidi Silton has been appointed as co-lead counsel in the In re Eyewear Antitrust Litigation. This large class action lawsuit against the European eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica S.A. and its affiliated companies alleges abuse of monopoly power in the eyewear market.

EssilorLuxottica owns well-known premium eyewear brands such as Oakley, Ray-Ban, Persol, Arnett, and Oliver Peoples. It also owns the largest eyewear retailers in the United States including Target Optical, LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, and Sunglass Hut, as well as several online counterparts.

The multi-dimensional anticompetitive scheme alleged by Plaintiffs resulted in supra-competitive prices for eyewear. Plaintiff notably alleges that the anticompetitive scheme has allowed EssilorLuxottica to “sustain 1,000 to 5,000 percent retail markups” on premium-branded eyewear, while increasing market share and operating margins.

Congratulations to Heidi and the antitrust team which includes Jessica Servais, Joe Bourne, Eura Chang, Halima Bareentto and Cheryl.

News

LGN Sponsors Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities Fundraiser

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Big Brothers Big Sisters

LGN was a proud sponsor of the 2024 Big Night Gala in honor of Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities. Nearly 500 attendees gathered at The Depot Minneapolis to celebrate the profound impact of youth mentorship in the Twin Cities community. The evening was memorable and impactful as inspiring stories from Littles, Bigs, families, and partners were shared throughout the night.

An incredible $446,000 was raised that will help BBBS provide more diverse mentors and opportunities to amplify youth potential today and into the future.

You can learn more about BBBS Twin Cities by clicking below.

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News

Nauen Receives Lillehaug Award from American Constitution Society

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The legal community gathered to congratulate LGN partner Charlie Nauen as he received the fifth annual Justice David Lillehaug Award for Distinguished Leadership. The event and award were presented by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the American Constitution Society.

The high honor is given to a leader in the local progressive legal community who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing a vision of the Constitution and law that enhances individual rights and liberties, and promotes genuine equality, access to justice, democracy, and the rule of law.

The nomination statement for Charlie noted that he has “been one of the most dedicated and influential progressives over his long, storied career. Whether it is fighting to ensure our right to vote, or pursuing impact litigation when rights are at stake, he has been at the forefront of the progressive movement in our state. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his lifetime of work.” Charlie has more than forty years of experience litigating complex environmental, business, political, and constitutional law matters in federal and state court.

Congratulations, Charlie!

Lillehaug Award
Litigations

LGN Files Multiplan Out-of-Network Health Insurance Lawsuit

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Health Insurance

The healthcare industry has been and continues to be plagued by significant financial challenges. Costs to providers are surging and sustaining operations has become a struggle for hospitals and other patient care centers. Many hospital systems have gone bankrupt over the last several years. Others, facing financial ruin, have been bought up by private equity companies. These consolidations leave patients with fewer healthcare options. Commercial health reimbursements comprise the majority of healthcare providers’ revenue. Providers therefore depend upon competition among commercial health insurers to ensure that commercial insurance reimbursement rates are sufficient to cover costs and preserve patient access to healthcare across the United States.

On behalf of out-of-network healthcare providers nationwide, Lockridge Grindal Nauen has filed a lawsuit alleging that beginning in or around July 2017, the reimbursements that providers nationwide have received for the out-of-network services they provided have been illegally suppressed as a result of a conspiracy between the commercial health insurance companies in the United States and MultiPlan, a claims “repricing” service. The lawsuit alleges a price-fixing conspiracy between these companies, through which these defendants perversely reap enormous profits off of the spread between what a provider claims for a given medical service and what the insurer actually pays.

You can learn more and contact us by clicking below.

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News

LGN Celebrates AANHPI Heritage Month

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AANHPI Heritage Month

LGN is pleased to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! We recognize the impact and contributions of the AANHPI community on our nation’s history. Join us and learn about the rich history and diverse experiences within the AANHPI community by reading more here: https://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/index.html