Overview

Marko Mrkonich focuses his practice on discrimination and other employment litigation, traditional labor law issues and providing clients with advice and counseling. He represents clients, in virtually all industries, in federal and state jury and bench trials, in appellate courts and in administrative hearings before federal and state agencies. Marko regularly handles labor arbitrations and has extensive experience in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. He has been the lead lawyer on numerous reported decisions and has argued cases in four federal appellate courts and the highest courts of two states. Additionally, he routinely counsels clients on matters of workforce reorganization and reductions-in-force.

Marko has also testified before the EEOC Commissioners on the impact of data analytics on employment laws, which SHRM Online covered in the article, “EEOC Panel Looks at Implications of Big Data in the Workplace.” Marko has also co-authored two law review articles on the subject:

Marko previously served as Littler Mendelson's president and managing director from 2005-2012, and he was a founding member of the Minneapolis office in 1998, where he formerly held the position of office managing shareholder.

Before joining Littler, Marko served as chairperson of the labor and employment practice of another firm, where he practiced for 17 years. He began his career as a law clerk to the Hon. Miles W. Lord, United States District Court Judge for the District of Minnesota.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Labor and Employment and Litigation sections

American Bar Association

Member

Minnesota State Bar Association

Member

Hennepin County Bar Association

Member

Minnesota Management Attorneys Association

Member, Board of Directors

JWM Scholarship Foundation

Recognition

Awarded, AV® Peer Review Rating

Martindale-Hubbell

Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2012-2024

Named, Lawyer of the Year, Employment Law - Management

Minneapolis

The Best Lawyers in America©

2015

Ranked, Labor & Employment

Chambers USA

2005-2023

Named, 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers

Lawdragon

2020-2024

Named, Top 10 Most Influential Labor & Employment Lawyers in Minnesota

Business Today

2023

Named, Nations' Most Powerful Employment Attorneys - Top 100

Human Resource Executive / Lawdragon Inc.

2009-2019

News, Analysis & Press

How to embrace AI without jeopardizing morale – or risking lawsuits

American City Business Journals

February 27, 2024

A Playbook for 2024

Albany Business Review

January 11, 2024

A Playbook for 2024

American City Business Journals

December 22, 2023

Companies find reasons to avoid generative AI for hiring

American City Business Journals

September 29, 2023

Littler AI in the Workplace Survey Report 2023

Littler Report

September 25, 2023

White House's AI Guidance Puts Employers On Notice

Law360 Employment Authority

October 6, 2022

The Littler Annual Employer Survey 2022

Littler Report

May 4, 2022

Applying Old Rules to New Tools: Employment Discrimination Law in the Age of Algorithms

South Carolina Law Review

Winter 2019

Law Firms Fill Void Left by Lawmakers in AI Discrimination Space

Bloomberg Big Law Business

July 19, 2019

Big Issues Surrounding Big Data

Human Resource Executive Online

November 3, 2016

EEOC Ponders Employers’ ‘Big Data’ Use

Bloomberg BNA Daily Labor Report

October 14, 2016

“Big Data” and the Risk of Employment Discrimination

Oklahoma Law Review

2016

Employers Underuse 'Big Data'

SHRM

October 19, 2015

The Big Move Toward Big Data in Employment

Littler Report

August 4, 2015

Employee Trust Essential for HR Analytics

Bloomberg BNA

July 20, 2015

The Silver Lining Practice

American Lawyer

October 1, 2012

Law Firm Doubles Under Mrkonich

Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal

December 23, 2011

Who You Gonna Call

The American Lawyer

October 19, 2010

Marko Mrkonich Recognizes Challenges of Flex-Time

Entrepreneur Magazine

May 16, 2007

One Turf Battle At a Time, Firms Chase Littler

The National Law Journal

April 30, 2007

Littler Repeatedly Ranked #1 in Litigation

Law360.com

February 14, 2007

Littler Mendelson Highlighted for Growth in Connecticut Market

Connecticut Law Tribune and Law.com

February 6, 2007

Marko Mrkonich Warns Against Discriminatory Hiring Practices Abroad

The National Law Journal

November 14, 2006

Marko Mrkonich Interviewed Postelection by Business Week

Business Week Online

November 13, 2006

Marko Mrkonich Discusses Political Talk at Work

Star Tribune

November 7, 2006

Littler Mendelson Goes from "Good to Great"

ALM's Law Firm Business Development Best Practices

October 1, 2006

Littler Ranked #1 In Employment Litigation

Law360.com

September 11, 2006

Employer-Sponsored Health Plans and Experimental Medical Treatments: Life and Death Cost/Benefit Decisions

19 Employee Benefits Journal 2

June 1994

Speaking Engagements

2023 Midwest Regional Employer Conference

Minneapolis, MN

November 9, 2023

2023 Littler AI Summit

Washington, DC

September 21, 2023

2023 Puerto Rico Employer Conference

San Juan, PR

April 27, 2023

2022 Midwest Regional Employer Conference

Minneapolis, MN

November 3, 2022

Littler AI Summit

Washington, DC

September 28, 2022

Answers to 20 of the Biggest Employment Law Questions Facing Employers in 2022

2022 In-House Counsel Crash Course

March 11, 2022

Legal and Practical Considerations for Hiring and Retention During COVID-19

COVID-19 Employment Law Update

December 1, 2021

2021 Upper Midwest Virtual Regional Employer Conference

Minneapolis, MN

October 20, 2021

The U.S. Labor Shortage: Employer Responses, Employment Law Challenges

July 29, 2021

Answers to 20 of the Biggest Law Questions Facing Employers in 2021

2021 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute

May 24-25, 2021

2020 Upper Midwest Virtual Regional Employer Conference

November 11, 2020

Answers to 20 of the Biggest Employment Law Questions Facing Employers in 2020 & 2021 – Including Implications of COVID-19

2020 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute

August 27, 2020

Answers to 40 of the Biggest Employment Law Questions Facing Employers in 2020

Winter 2020 Employment Law Series

February 5, 2020

AI: Old Rules and New Tools – Employment Discrimination Law in the Age of Algorithms

Minnesota CLE

January 23, 2020

They Can’t Take It with Them, Can They? Protecting Your IP through Employment Contracts and Independent Contractor Agreements

Minnesota CLE

December 11, 2019

Current Trends and Topics in Arbitration Agreements and Class Action Waivers

46th Annual Labor & Employment Law

November 21, 2019

20 Bothersome Employment Questions: From New Laws to Tough Everyday Issues

2019 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute

May 20, 2019

Arbitration Agreements and Class Action Waivers After Epic: What You Need to Know

Minnesota CLE

August 8, 2018

Answers to 20 of the Biggest Employment Law Questions Facing Employers in 2018

2018 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute

May 21, 2018

Minnesota Labor and Employment Law Specialist Certification “And More”

Minnesota CLE

September 18, 2017

What to Expect from the Trump Administration – A National Perspective

2017 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute

May 23, 2017

Answers to 20 of the Biggest Employment Law Questions Facing Employers in 2017

2017 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute

May 22, 2017

Big Data Summit: What's the Deal with Using Data Analytics in Hiring, Workforce Management and Litigation?

The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference

May 10, 2017

Pay Equity & Demotions

FCA

March 28, 2017

The New Frontier: How Big Data is Changing the Employment Landscape

SHRM 2017 Employment Law & Legislative Conference, Washington, DC

March 14, 2017

The Littler Report

2016 Littler Midwest Employer Conference, Minneapolis, MN

October 4, 2016

Using “Big Data” to Hire, Manage & Discipline - The Benefits and Potential Risks

Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, MN

May 24, 2016

Answers to 20 of the Biggest Employment Law Questions Facing Employers in 2016

Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, St. Paul, MN

May 24, 2016

The Ever-Evolving Workplace

2016 Executive Employer Conference, Phoenix, AZ

May 5, 2016

Big Data 101: What Every Employer Needs to Know About Data Analytics

2015 Midwest Employer Conference, Minneapolis, MN

October 29, 2015

The Littler Report: The Road to Workplace 2020

2015 Midwest Employer Conference, Minneapolis, MN

October 29, 2015

Noncompetes & Trade Secret Protection: Drafting and Enforcing Noncompete Agreements That Work

Minneapolis, MN

September 29, 2015

20 Bothersome Questions

2012 Midwest Employer Conference

2012 Midwest Employer Conference, Minneapolis, MN

October 11, 2012

Guiding Your Company through Dramatic Changes: The Critical Legal/HR Role in Major Transactions

The 2012 Executive Employer® Conference

2012 Executive Employer Conference, Scottsdale, AZ

May 11, 2012

Social Media, the 21st Century Water Cooler: Top 10 Do's and Dont's (and the Grey Areas in Between) for Employers Using Social Media Tools to Evaluate Candidates in the Hiring Process

Minnesota CLE

November 30, 2010

Minnesota Labor and Employment Law Specialist Certification and More

Minnesota CLE

August 9, 2010

20 More Bothersome Employment Law Questions - From New Law to Tough Everyday Issues

Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute

May 24, 2010

Globalized Legal Practice

International Business Law Institute - Minnesota CLE

March 29, 2010

Education

  • J.D., Harvard Law School, 1980With Honors
  • A.B., Harvard College, 1977With Honors

Bar Admission

Minnesota
Wisconsin

Courts

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
  • Minnesota Supreme Court
  • Wisconsin Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin