Law Firm Overview

John is the founder of the Minneapolis employment and civil rights litigation firm of John A. Klassen, P.A. He received law degrees from the University of British Columbia (1992) and Seattle University (1993).

Since 1994, John has practiced exclusively in the areas of employment and civil rights law. He has represented employees and victims of civil rights violations throughout the United States, in the areas of harassment and discrimination law, False Claims Act/Qui Tam claims, whistleblower law, wage and hour disputes, class action claims, employment contract disputes, and sexual abuse. Employees consult with him on a regular basis in regard to their severance agreements and non-competition agreements.

John’s cases have received international press coverage, including recent stories by the New York Times, the Washington Post and the International Herald Tribune. His cases have been featured on CNN and Minnesota Public Radio. In 2006 and 2007, John successfully litigated cases against the Minneapolis Fire Department and its fire chief for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation. This series of three related cases included this country’s first known reverse sexual orientation discrimination case against the head of a large public agency. Past victories on behalf of victims of workplace discrimination and harassment include million dollar-range results for his clients.

John lives and works in the heart of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is married and has two children.

Areas of Practice

• Employment Litigation - Employee
• Whistleblower
• Sexual Harassment
• Discrimination in Employment
• Age Discrimination
• Gender Discrimination
• Race Discrimination
• Qui Tam/Whistleblower and Medicare Fraud

Honors and Awards

• Minnesota Super Lawyer, 2003 - 2007
• Who's Who of Minnesota Employment Law - Plaintiff's Representation (Top 40 Lawyers), 2005 - 2007

Published Works

• The Duty of Loyalty ? What Employees Owe to Their Employers, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Summer, 2004
• Sexual Harassment Cases After Duncan v. GMC, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Magazine, Spring, 2005

Classes and Seminars

• Cutting Edge Topic in Sexual and Racial Harassment, Hennepin County Bar Assoc., 2006 - 2007
• Settlement Agreements in Employent Law Cases, Minnesota Trial Lawyers Assoc., 2005 - Present

Representative Cases

• Stanina v. Blandin Paper Company, 2006 WL 2069203, D.Minn., 2006 (JRT/FLN) (D. Minn. 2006)
• Predzik v. Shelter Corporation, Inc., Slip Copy, 2006 WL 2794368 (D. Minn. 2006)
• Predzik v. Shelter Corporation, Inc., 12 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) (D. Minn. 2006)

West Practice Categories

Civil Rights, Age Discrimination, Disability & Illness Discrimination, Gay & Lesbian Rights, National Origin Discrimination, Police Misconduct, Race Discrimination, Religious Discrimination, Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Constitutional Law, Discrimination, Employment Law -- Employee, Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employee, Employee Rights -- Employee, Employment Contracts -- Employee, Employment Discrimination -- Employee, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -- Employee, Municipal Employment -- Employee, Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) -- Employee, Sexual Harassment -- Employee, Wage & Hour Laws -- Employee, Litigation & Appeals, Federal Trial Practice, State Trial Practice, Defamation & Privacy -- Defense, Whistleblower/Qui Tam