Krista A. P. Hatcher

Krista uses her legal knowledge, love of working with people and perspective as a former in-house attorney to provide practical and effective solutions to employers. 

As co-chair of the firm’s Employment, Labor & Benefits department, Krista advises and defends employers on a wide range of employment law and compliance issues. Her expertise includes sensitive discipline and discharge decisions; reorganizations and workforce reductions, including OWBPA and WARN issues; wage-and-hour issues and compensation and payroll practices; drug and alcohol testing and other employee screening practices; employee leave and accommodation strategies; and discrimination and harassment complaints. She reviews, negotiates and drafts employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, and severance and separation agreements. For clients involved in business transactions such as a merger or acquisition, Krista advises on associated employment and labor issues. 

In addition, Krista counsels and defends employers in pre-litigation matters, including responding to charges of discrimination and compliance inquiries before federal, state and local agencies such as the EEOC, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, and Department of Labor. In doing so, she draws on her years of experience defending employers in litigation before federal and state district and appellate courts.

Before re-joining Fredrikson in 2023, Krista served as VP & Senior Associate General Counsel for a nonprofit, integrated health system with a portfolio that included community hospitals, academic hospitals, long-term acute care, primary and specialty care clinics, senior living communities, skilled nursing facilities, home health care services, mental health and addiction services, pharmacies, and benefit management services. Her in-house experience with one of Minnesota’s largest employers informs her pragmatic approach to helping employers of all sizes solve their workplace law issues.

Employment and Labor Advice & Litigation

• Advises employers on a broad range of workplace issues and human resources best practices, including sensitive discipline and discharge matters, workforce reductions and restructurings, leaves of absence and accommodations, policy and form development, and pre-hire and employee screening issues.
• Negotiations and drafts employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements and separation/severance agreements for individual and group terminations
• Represents employers in arbitrations, mediations, and before various state and federal agencies, including the EEOC, MDHR, DOL and other state and local enforcement agencies.
• Conducts due diligence review of employment matters in connection with transactions.
• Provides training to human resources personnel, leaders, employees and other lawyers on a variety of workplace law and compliance topics.
• Defended healthcare system against Title VII retaliation claim through appeal.
• Defended biomedical equipment servicer against marital status discrimination claim through trial.
• Defended security services company against disability discrimination and retaliation claims through trial before civil rights commission.
• Defended health care organization against race discrimination and retaliation claims.
• Represented homebuilder defending against pregnancy and religious discrimination claims and on Stored Communications Act counterclaim.
• Defended multiple wage-and-hour class/collective actions.
• Represented large public sector employer in union organizing campaign.

Education

• University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 2007, magna cum laude
• University of Oklahoma, B.A., 2001

Admissions

• Minnesota, 2007
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2007
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2017

• Rising Star, Minnesota Super Lawyers, 2015-2018
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2013
• Outstanding Achievement Award in Labor Law, MSBA Labor & Employment Law Section, 2007

Professional Activies

• Hennepin County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
• Minnesota State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
• ABA Employment & Labor Section

Community

• Three Rivers Park District Foundation, Board Member, 2024-present
• The Link, former Board Member, 2012-2017