Andrew T. James

Overview

An associate in Dorsey’s Labor & Employment group, Drew is a skilled litigator with substantial courtroom and trial experience.

When the situation demands it, Drew tenaciously represents his clients in high-stakes employment litigation in courts in Minnesota and across the country. But when a dispute is avoidable, Drew taps his experience as in-house counsel and works alongside his clients to proactively solve problems.

Drew has deep experience litigating employment issues on behalf of his clients in federal and state courts, including discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation and reprisal, wrongful termination, breach of restrictive covenants, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, tortious interference with contract, wage and hour, disability, and unemployment claims. Drew’s experience extends to claims under laws including the Minnesota Human Rights Act (“MHRA”), Title VII, Title IX, Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), Equal Pay Act (“EPA”) and Minnesota’s Equal Pay for Equal Work law, and Minnesota Whistleblower Act. Drew also represents his clients in appellate proceedings.

Education & Admissions

University of Minnesota Law School (J.D., 2010)

Marquette University (B.A., Criminology and Law Studies; Political Science, 2007)

Admissions

Minnesota
Wisconsin

U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit

Languages

English

Clerkships

Judicial Externship, Ramsey County District Court, Honorable Robert A. Awsumb

Experience

Representative Litigation

Miller v. The Bd. of Regents of the Univ. of Minnesota, Case No. 15-CV-03740 (PJS/LIB) (D. Minn. Mar. 15, 2018): Drew represented Shannon Miller, the legendary former women’s hockey coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, in a Title IX retaliation and Title VII sex-discrimination lawsuit. After an eight-day trial, a Duluth, Minnesota jury awarded Miller $3,744,832 in back pay and other past damages, and a judge awarded her an additional $461,278 in front pay. Media coverage of this case includes: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/crime-and-courts/4418059-big-day-women-jury-sides-miller-orders-umd-pay-374-million.
RG Golf Warehouse, Inc. v. The Golf Warehouse, Inc., Case No. 2:2017cv00695 (M.D. Fla. 2019): Drew drafted a successful motion to dismiss on complex jurisdictional grounds that convinced a federal judge in Florida to dismiss all claims against his corporate client.
Portz, et al. v. St. Cloud State Univ. and MNSCU, Case No. 16-CV-01115 (JRT/LIB) (D. Minn. 2018): Drew represented a class of current and prospective female students, including members of the varsity women’s tennis and women’s Nordic skiing teams, in a Title IX lawsuit against St. Cloud State University. Drew obtained an order granting a preliminary injunction that prevented SCSU from eliminating its women’s tennis or women’s Nordic skiing teams, and another order certifying a class. Drew was trial counsel during a seven-day bench trial in December of 2018. The outcome of that trial remains pending. Media coverage of this case includes: https://www.twincities.com/2018/02/28/class-action-status-granted-in-st-cloud-state-title-ix-lawsuit/.
Katherine Brenny v. The Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota, Case No. 27-CV-11-1215 (Hennepin County District Court 2014): Drew represented Katie Brenny, the former women’s golf coach at the University of Minnesota. A judge awarded Brenny $1,194,955.64, inclusive of costs, attorneys’ fees, and interest, in a sexual-orientation-discrimination lawsuit brought under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Media coverage of this case includes: http://www.startribune.com/march-19-former-u-associate-golf-coach-brenny-awarded-360k-in-firing-case/250859451/.
Universal Network Solutions, Inc. v. Michael Hoover, Court File No. 62-CV-15-3630 (Ramsey Cnty. Dist. Ct. Aug. 3, 2016): Drew obtained a confidential settlement in a lawsuit brought on behalf of his corporate client against its former employee involving fraud, breach of contract, breach of duty of loyalty, and punitive damages claims.
Before joining Dorsey, Drew was a litigation associate at a law firm in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where he focused his practice in the areas of employment litigation, sports-related lawsuits, and civil rights actions. Before that, Drew was assistant counsel at a broker/dealer and registered investment adviser, and he also has experience as a criminal defense attorney.

News & Resources

Articles

Supreme Court Grants Review of Three Title VII Cases Concerning Protections for LGBTQ Workers

April 22, 2019

News & Press Mentions

Super Lawyers Recognizes 41 Dorsey Lawyers in Minneapolis

July 8, 2019

Legal Writings

Quoted in Duluth News Tribune article entitled, “UMD Discrimination Lawsuit Set to Return to Court,” Nov. 12, 2016.
Quoted in St. Cloud Times article entitled, “Hearing Set on SCSU Tennis Team Lawsuit,” May 4, 2016.