Minneapolis
(612) 340-8875 P
(612) 486-9191 F

Douglas R. Christensen

Partner

Doug Christensen is a Partner in Dorsey’s Labor and Employment Law practice group, where he has practiced since 1988. His practice encompasses all areas of labor and employment law as a management advocate for a diverse range of corporations – public and private, large and small.

Representative Litigation

• Baden-Winterwood, et al. v. LIFE TIME FITNESS, INC., (S.D. Ohio and 6^th Circuit) (lead counsel for national fitness center chain; defending against collective action claims in case of first impression under the Fair Labor Standards Act alleging that bonus plans made certain employees “subject to” deductions from their salaries, thus defeating their exempt status and entitling them to overtime pay; obtained dismissal of majority of claims; appeal of balance of claims pending)
• Erdman, et al. v. LIFE TIME FITNESS, INC., (Minn. Dist. Ct. and Minn. Ct. App.) (lead counsel for LIFE TIME FITNESS; defending against class action claims alleging that company’s bonus plans violated Minnesota law requiring that exempt employees be paid a “guaranteed” salary, thus destroying their exempt status and entitling class to overtime pay; district court has certified “important and doubtful” questions to Court of Appeals; case pending)

Admissions

• Minnesota
• Minnesota Supreme Court and all Minnesota state courts
• United States District Court for the Districts of Minnesota, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan
• United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Eighth Circuits

Honors

• Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2010
• AV Peer Review Rated by Lexis-Nexis Martindale Hubbell
• Selected as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" by Chambers USA (Labor & Employment), 2004-2009 where client comments included: "inspires confidence in his clients", “thorough preparation,” “in depth knowledge of the case and law,” “exceptional intelligence,” “approachable and accessible,” “total command of his area of the law,” “he doesn’t let ego get in the way,” “immensely practical, gives advice that is tied to the business situation,” and “careful and thorough.”

Education

• Duke University School of Law
  J.D., 1988, Articles Editor 1987-1988, Staff Editor 1986-1987, Law and Contemporary Problems, Recipient of the James S. Bidlake Memorial Award for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing
  
• University of Notre Dame
  B.A., English Literature, 1984
  

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