Teresa M. Thompson

Clients view Teresa as a trusted business partner—advising on day-to-day employment issues, strategizing and navigating emerging issues like those created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and managing litigation or employment disputes as they arise.

As co-chair of the firm’s Employment, Labor & Benefits department, Teresa partners with clients to navigate employment disputes at the advice and litigation stages. Teresa works with clients in many industries, including health care, mental health, disability and aging services, legal, staffing, retail/service, and manufacturing, with a special talent for working with private equity owned companies. Clients consult Teresa to obtain an objective yet creative view of employee performance, discipline and termination issues as well as to assist them in crafting employment, non-compete and trade secret, and separation agreements, and workplace policies. Teresa’s goal is always to help clients work at every stage toward reducing the risks and costs of litigation or employee claims whenever possible.

Teresa also litigates disputes arising out of enforcement and breach of employment agreements, including executive compensation agreements, confidentiality, non-compete and anti-solicitation agreements, as well as other commercial contracts. She chairs the firm’s Non-Competes and Trade Secret groups. Teresa defends businesses before state and federal courts, administrative agencies and in private arbitrations, against employment claims brought by employees under whistleblower statutes, human rights statutes, and other state and federal civil rights laws. She has defended hundreds of claims of sexual harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination (age, disability, gender and race), defamation, and FLSA and FMLA violations.

Trade Secret Advice & Litigation

• Defended recruiters and IT consulting agency against claims of trade secret misappropriation under Minnesota Uniform Trade Secrets Act.
• Represented medical device company in evaluation of criminal liability for trade secret theft by departed employee, and working with governmental agencies to pursue criminal indictments against the employee.
• Obtained temporary injunction against former employee who misappropriated trade secret and confidential information to start a competing venture.
• Successfully pursued and obtained return of trade secret information from former sales manager on behalf of large privately held Minnesota manufacturer.
• Advised medical device company on global trade secret protection program, including development of policies, procedures, best practices, education, training and enforcement.

Non-Compete Advice & Litigation

• Defended national insurance brokerage and sales representatives against claims of tortious interference, breach of contract, breach of duty of loyalty and breach of anti-solicitation clause.
• Obtained stipulated injunction against psychiatrist on behalf of large mental health clinic to compel compliance with and non-solicitation provisions in agreement and prevent improper diversion of patients.
• Defended recruiters and information technology staffing agency against claims of tortious interference, breach of contract and breach of an anti-solicitation clause in case involving employee use of LinkedIn.
• Successfully pursued former employee of an IT consulting firm to enforce non-compete and confidentiality agreement when former consultant went to work directly for client.
• Successfully obtained temporary injunction on behalf of medical practice against physician who set up a new practice in violation of a noncompete agreement.
• Commenced commercial arbitration for Minnesota insurance brokerage to enforce non-compete and anti-solicitation agreement, and for breach of fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty; arbitrator ruling in favor of client on all claims.
• Advised clients on the enforceability of non-compete agreements when hiring individuals with non-competes with former employers, and drafted non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements for clients in all industries.

Employment & Labor Litigation & Advice

• Successfully represented large non-profit organization through jury trial against claims of defamation and Whistleblower violations in Ramsey County, MN
• Defended national retail sales business against claims by a minority shareholder involving allegations of wrongful termination
• Defended national health care organization against claims of race discrimination, retaliation, hostile work environment and constructive discharge
• Prepare responses to EEOC and state department of human rights Charges of Discrimination for clients in the heath, mental health, disability and aging services, insurance, IT consulting, telecom, and manufacturing industries.
• Assisted clients with misclassification claims in state and federal agencies, including unemployment, IRS and DOL, by independent contractors who claim they should be classified as employees.
• Counseled clients on day-to-day discipline, performance and termination issues and help navigate employment laws, such as the FMLA, ADA and FSLA.

Internal Investigations

• Investigated allegations of sexual harassment by employee against senior leader of med tech company arising from a personal relationship.
• Managed internal investigation of multiple sexual harassment complaints against a senior leader of national manufacturer.
• Directed internal investigation of alleged sexual harassment against an outside vendor for national advertising agency with risk assessment and recommendations for remediation.
• Investigated complaints of hostile work place for national health care technology company of senior leader.

Security/Privacy

• Assisted national client in beauty industry with data security, privacy, monitoring and trade secret policies, procedures, and agreements.
• Evaluated the impact of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act on monitoring policies and procedures, as well as defend claims for invasion of privacy under the ECPA and state laws.
• Defended claims brought by employees under the Stored Communications Act, and evaluate impact on Stored Communications Act on email policies, monitoring policies and procedures.

Pro Bono Representation

• Volunteer Lawyers Network, Consumer Protection Clinic, 2008-present

Education

• William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., 1994, magna cum laude
• Marquette University, B.A., 1990

Admissions

• Minnesota 
• Colorado
• Minnesota Supreme Court, 1994
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1996
• U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 1997
• Colorado Supreme Court, 1998

• Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2017-2025; Employment Law - Management, 2018-2025
• Minnesota Super Lawyers, Employment & Labor, 2005, 2018-2019; Employment Litigation: Defense, 2023; Business Litigation, 2020-2022, 2024
• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Minnesota—Labor & Employment, 2023
• North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2013
• Volunteer of the Year, FamilyWise Services, 2013
• Community Partner of the Year, Genesis II for Families, Inc., 2008
• Minnesota Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2001, 2004
• Labor and Employment Law Specialist, Minnesota State Bar Association

Professional Activities

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

Community

• FamilyWise Services, Employment Advisor, 2008-present
• Ann Bancroft Foundation, Board Member, January 2015-present
• Edina Swim Club, Board Member