SuperLawyers Announces Berens & Miller partners for 2014
~April 2014
Barbara Berens, Justi Rae Miller and Carrie Zochert, partners at Berens & Miller, have each been chosen as SuperLawyers for 2014. Each of the partners has extensive experience in various types of complex civil litigation and the resolution of disputes.
Barbara Berens is also an AV ® Preeminent ™ (5.0/5.0) rated lawyer and a 1990 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Law, where she was a managing editor of the Minnesota Law Review. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of Coif. Before law school, Barbara was a stockbroker and a reinsurance broker. She practices in the areas of business and employment litigation and is a former law clerk of the United States District Judge David S. Doty. Barbara served in 2011-2012 as local counsel in the Minnesota District Court antitrust litigation related to the NFL lockout. Barbara was a member of the Advisory Committee on the Local Rules for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota for six years. She lives in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Justi Rae Miller is a 1993 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and has long-maintained a general business litigation practice focusing in the business and employment law sectors. At Berens & Miller, she has further represented corporations in business matters advising and litigating such matters as antitrust, business torts, tort claims, contract negotiations, breach of contract claims, FCRA, FDCPA, trademark and patent disputes. Throughout her career, she has represented individuals and corporations in the employment arena handling discrimination, termination/severance, contract negotiations, drug testing, health and safety, and wage/hour claims. Prior to joining the firm, Justi also worked with over fifteen federal agencies regarding Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) issues as an investigator, counselor, mediator and final agency decision (FAD) writer for eight years. As a former Division I college athlete and coach, she has a niche practice in representing NCAA Division I basketball, volleyball, hockey and football coaches in contract negotiations, NCAA hearings, and termination proceedings. Justi has been a leader outside of the courtroom as well serving on many non-profit boards across the country.
Carrie Zochert is also an AV ® Preeminent ™ rated lawyer, and focuses her practice on management-side employment law and complex business litigation. Her practice covers the spectrum of employment litigation in both state and federal courts, as well as charges of discrimination before the Minnesota Human Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Carrie has handled cases involving claims of race, religious, age, gender, and disability discrimination, as well as retaliatory discharge, sexual harassment, and non-compete/restrictive covenant claims. She has significant experience in the defense of collective and class action lawsuits involving state and federal wage and overtime violations, misclassification, and discrimination claims. She routinely advises clients on employment and work-related issues. Carrie also represents clients in complex commercial litigation disputes, including breach of contract, business torts, insurance coverage, trade secrets, trademark, and patent disputes.