E. Michelle Drake
Michelle Drake
Minneapolis
Minnesota (MN)
Class Action/Mass Torts
Employment Litigation: Plaintiff
Consumer Law
Profile
E. Michelle Drake is a skilled trial lawyer dedicated to advancing her clients' interests.
As a graduate of both Harvard Law School and Oxford University who learned to practice law by trying high stakes criminal cases, Michelle possesses a rare combination of elite academic pedigree and real world trial skills.
Michelle started her career working as a public defender in Atlanta, Georgia. During that time, Michelle was lead counsel in hundreds of felony criminal cases. She tried many cases, including five murder cases, to verdict. After working as a public defender for several years, Michelle founded her own law firm and expanded her practice to include civil cases. In 2007, Michelle moved back to her home state of Minnesota and decided to join Nichols Kaster.
Michelle has represented thousands of employees and consumers, in both individual and class cases. Her efforts have resulted in her clients recovering millions of dollars.
Michelle has never lost her desire to spend her career fighting for the rights of individuals. Whether her clients are misclassified employees or consumers who have been treated unfairly by their bank, Michelle is happiest fighting on the side of the underdog. She is a fierce and fearless litigator and always puts her clients' interests first.
Michelle's dry wit and straightforward speaking style have made her a valued member of the local and national community of consumer and employee rights litigators. She has spoken at numerous continuing legal education seminars. Michelle’s opinions have been published in the National Law Journal, and her cases were named as "Lawsuits of the Year" by Minnesota Law & Politics in both 2008 and 2009. Michelle has been named to the Rising Stars list by Minnesota Super Lawyers. Michelle leads the firm’s Consumer Class Action Team, which helps originate individual and class action cases directed at achieving justice for consumers.
Selected To
Minnesota Rising Stars 2011
About Michelle Drake
Admitted: 2007, Minnesota
Professional Webpage: www.nka.com/lawyer/e-michelle-drake/
Honors and Awards:
- Received award for participation in the defense of Kristen Gilbert, the first person to face the death penalty in Massachusetts federal court. The jury did not sentence her to death., Thurgood Marshall Defender Award, Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services , 2001
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Public Citizen Member
- National Employment Lawyers Association Member
- National Association of Consumer Advocates Member
- Minnesota Women Lawyers Member
- Minnesota State Bar Association Member
- Minnesota National Employment Lawyers Association Member
- Hennepin County Bar Association Member
- Federal Bar Association Member
- American Civil Liberties Union Member
- American Bar Association Member
- Federal Practice Committee. Appointed by federal judge to a committee responsible for reviewing and revising the Local Rules for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota., 2010
Pro bono/Community Service:
- 2009 - present, Volunteer, Children's Law Center of Minnesota. Represent children in family court, usually in the context of termination of parental rights or adjudicative hearings for children in need of protection or services.
Scholarly Lectures and Writings:
- June 2009, Interviewed by National Law Journal regarding recent wave of tip-pooling cases
- December 2011, Quoted in National Law Journal's "7th Circuit Rules for Borrower over Bank of America in Truth in Lending Act Cases"
- July 2005, "Responding to Changes in Georgia's Criminal Discovery Statutes," Advanced Capital Defender Training
- January 2006, "Litigating Capital Cases under Georgia's New Discovery Statutes," Advanced Capital Defender Training
- March 2008, "Who's the Boss? Joint employers, successor employers and integrated enterprises," Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Investigator Training
- May 2009, "Strategic Discovery: How to Fight Discovery Abuses and Win Discovery Disputes," Minnesota Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Speaker
- February 2010, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education Panel on the Impact of Twombly and Iqbal on the Pleading Standard, Panel Member
- May 2010, "Strategic Discovery Practice," Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Speaker
- June 2010, "Maintaining Privilege and Confidentiality," Minnesota Paralegal Association Annual Convention, Speaker
- June 2010, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education Panel on Real-World Ethics Issues and Answers for the Employment Lawyer, Panel Member
- June 2010, Recent Trends in FLSA Collective Actions Panel, Minnesota Federal Bar Association Annual Seminar, Panel Member
- October 2010, "How to Practice in Federal Court: Complaints, Answers, and Service of Process," Minnesota Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Speaker
Educational Background:
- B.A. Harvard College, 1996
- M.Sc. Oxford University, 1998
E. Michelle Drake:
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