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Newsworthy Category

Farrish Johnson Law Offices Welcomes New Attorney

Farrish Johnson Law Office is pleased to announce the addition of our new attorney, Amy E. Sauter. She will be practicing exclusively in the areas of family law with Farrish Johnson. A Minnesota native and Minnesota State University, Mankato Alumna, Sauter brings additional legal capabilities to the greater Mankato Community. After receiving her law degree, Cum Laude, from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Sauter returned to Minnesota where she practiced in private law for six years in the St. Cloud area. Sauter is looking to get involved in the Mankato area after previously being involved with WACOSA, the St. Cloud Municipal Band, the...
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Severance Agreement Review

Have you been presented with a severance agreement in conjunction with your termination from employment?  Also known as a termination agreement, a severance agreement can be a very detailed legal document setting forth a number of terms and conditions.  These terms and conditions can be confusing, complicated, and very restrictive.  For example, the severance agreement may include a non-compete agreement, prohibiting you from potential future job opportunities, or may include a release of any potential claims you have against the employer. If you have been presented with a severance agreement, it is critical to reach out to an attorney who...
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Limited Scope Representation.

Do you need an attorney but don’t think you can afford one?  Many law offices, including Farrish Johnson Law Office, offer options such as “limited scope representation” also known as “unbundled” legal services.  Limited scope representation allows a lawyer to provide legal services on a portion of a potential client’s legal matter rather than seeing the matter through from beginning to end.  The lawyer and the client agree on the specific tasks to be performed by the lawyer, and the tasks to be performed by the client.  Limited scope representation allows potential clients who cannot afford to pay for full...
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Minnesota Adds “Familial Status” as a Protected Class

Employers in Minnesota need to revise their non-discrimination and equal opportunity policies to include familial status as a protected class.  Under Minnesota law, familial status is defined as “the condition or one or more minors being domiciled with (1) their parent or parents or the minor’s legal guardian or (2) the designee of the parent or parents or guardian with written permission of the parent or parents or guardian.”  This law applies to all employers with one or more employee. For more information about this topic or other Minnesota employment law issues, contact Will Partridge at Farrish Johnson Law Office....
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Changes to Medical Assistance Recovery

In 1967, Minnesota instituted a medical assistance (MA) estate recovery program.  The program authorized counties to recover the cost paid for MA services received by a deceased person.  In June of 2016, new legislation was passed which limits the number of MA services that can be recovered by the counties. The new legislation limits the number of MA services which are recoverable against an estate if the decedent received MA services on or after January 1, 2014. Specifically, recovery is limited to cost of Long Term Care (LTC) that a decedent received from January 1, 2014 to the present. LTC...
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Farrish Johnson Attorney Featured on KEYC

Farrish Johnson attorney Joseph A. Gangi worked with a woman wrongfully convicted of manslaughter to seek compensation after spending nearly three years behind bars.     This web page contains general information and not legal advice. It is based on Minnesota law in effect at the time of writing. An attorney Farrish Johnson Law Office can advise you about how the law applies to your specific situation.

Minnesota Wrongful Conviction Statute Declared Unconstitutional

A wrongfully-convicted Minnesota woman is able to seek compensation for the time she spent behind bars – nearly three years – thanks to Attorney Joseph A. Gangi of Farrish Johnson Law Office.  A new Minnesota law provides compensation to Minnesotans who were wrongly convicted of a crime and had to serve time in prison because of that. Danna Back petitioned for compensation under this new law.  She was exonerated when the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed her conviction on the basis that she did not commit a crime.  But a judge denied Back the opportunity to seek compensation because the new...
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Wage Disclosure Protection Law –State and Federal Law Changes.

Every Minnesota employer must comply with the Wage Disclosure Protection law.  Under this law, no employer can prohibit employees from disclosing or discussing their own wages.  Employers that provide an employee handbook to their employees must include in the handbook a notice of employee rights and remedies under the Wage Disclosure Protection law. As of January 11, 2016, federal contractors are prohibited from terminating or otherwise discriminating against employees or job applicants in any manner for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing their own compensation or the pay of other employees or applicants. For sample language to include in your employee...
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Minnesota vs. Wisconsin: Covenants Not to Compete

A covenant not to compete is a provision in an employment agreement which prohibits an employee from working for a competitor of his/her current employer for a certain time and in certain locations after the employee leaves his/her current employer.  Minnesota law says that the mere continuation of employment is not sufficient consideration to support a covenant not to compete.  Such a restrictive covenant must be entered into at the time the employment commenced or be supported by type of payment, job advancement, training or other benefit.  Until recently, Wisconsin law was the same.  The Wisconsin Supreme Court has specifically...
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U.S. Supreme Court Weighs in on Minnesota Drunk Driving Laws

Like many states, Minnesota has an “implied consent law” requiring drivers suspected of driving under the influence to submit to a chemical test of their blood, breath, or urine.  Minnesota law makes it a crime for a person to refuse to take a chemical test.  Forcing a person to consent to a chemical test (a search under the Fourth Amendment) by threatening criminal penalties has been the source of much debate in recent years.  Defendants argue that these laws are unconstitutional without a warrant.  Prosecutors argue that various exceptions to the warrant requirement apply. In the recent opinion Birchfield v....
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