Claire B. Deason

Claire B. Deason’s practice covers all areas of employment and labor litigation, with a specific emphasis on wage and hour litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). She develops creative, cutting-edge strategies for early resolution and dismissal of collective actions and has efficiently resolved collective actions for clients in the hospitality, service, and oil and gas industries. Claire has extensive experience with all stages of wage and hour litigation, including:

• Early and representative discovery 
• Conditional certification 
• Decertification
• Individual and collective settlements  

Claire also has experience supervising and coordinating claims administration processes for collective actions.  Aside from wage and hour litigation, Claire advises clients on all aspects of current wage and hour law and works closely with clients to revise payroll practices and calculation methods, review position classifications, and coordinate messaging and training to communicate changes to the workforce.

In addition to her wage and hour practice, Claire represents clients in traditional discrimination suits and agency charges under both federal and state laws.  Claire also assists clients with employment disputes in arbitration, and Department of Justice and Department of Labor investigations.  She advises clients on all aspects of day-to-day personnel matters, including leave and disability issues, employee discipline, and termination.

Claire’s experience includes counseling clients in issues arising under federal immigration laws.  In her pro bono practice, she has successfully obtained asylum, Permanent Resident status, and humanitarian parole for clients in individual immigration matters before U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services and U.S. Department of State. 

In law school, Claire was awarded the Steven M. Block Prize for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties for her article in the Minnesota Law Review, of which she was managing editor.