Sarah A. Horstmann

Sarah represents clients in complex litigation matters, including business torts and contract disputes, with a particular emphasis on non-competition and trade secret litigation.

She has extensive experience helping clients protect their valuable business assets when an employee or a competitor misappropriates confidential information or violates restrictive covenants. Sarah is focused on understanding and assessing clients’ goals and needs to develop creative and collaborative approaches to obtaining strategic, practical results.

Selected Unfair Competition & Trade Secret Litigation

• Raju v. Medtronic, Inc.: No. 3:17-cv-357, 2021 WL 1232102 (S.D. Miss. Mar. 31, 2021). Obtained summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s trade secret misappropriation claims.
• Crown Bank v. Howk: No. 27-CV-18-15420 (Minn. Dist. Ct. June 2, 2020). Obtained summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s claims for breaches of duties of loyalty and confidentiality.
• Werner v. Works Computing, Inc.: No. 4:18-CV-03050-JMB-SMB (D. Neb. May 31, 2018). Obtained dismissal of non-compete claim based on forum selection clause in employment agreement.
• Medtronic, Inc. v. Doerr: No. A14-1283, 2015 WL 506768 (Minn. Ct. App. Feb. 9, 2015). Won appeal affirming preliminary injunction against two former employees for violating non-compete and confidentiality provisions in employment agreements.
• C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. v. Lobrano: 695 F.3d 758 (8th Cir. 2012). Obtained dismissal of lawsuit as barred by prior judgment.
• Secured temporary restraining orders for major medical device company and other clients in actions to enforce non-competes and other restrictive covenants.

Selected General Business Litigation

• LEI Packaging LLC v. Emery Silfurtun, Inc.: 2017 WL 3531512 (D. Minn. Aug. 16, 2017). Obtained judgment of over $4 million against Icelandic subcontractor in dispute relating to design and installation of major piece of industrial equipment.
• LEI Packaging LLC v. Emery Silfurtun, Inc.:, 2016 WL 4394153 (D. Minn. Aug. 16, 2016). Defeated motion to dismiss action for damages due to failure to properly design and install major piece of industrial equipment.
• Varga v. U.S. Bank N.A.: 952 F. Supp. 2d 850 (D. Minn. 2013). Obtained dismissal of multimillion-dollar business tort claims brought by receiver of Cayman Islands hedge funds.
• Represented Minnesota company in contract dispute arising from the sale of its flour milling operations to Japanese company.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 2007, magna cum laude
• Kenyon College, B.A., 1999, Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

• Minnesota, 2007
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2007
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2012

Professional Activities

• American Bar Association, Business Torts & Unfair Competition Committee
• Sedona Conference Working Group on Trade Secrets
• Ellevate Network
• Minnesota Women Lawyers
• Minnesota State Bar Association