Ms. Fitzsimmons is Co-Chair of the Bassford Remele Employment Law Practice Group. She focuses her practice on employment litigation and counseling, representing employers in managing risk, creating and implementing employment policies and agreements, and defending claims arising out of employment relationships.

Employment Litigation

Ms. Fitzsimmons works with employers on a wide variety of employment disputes and litigation. She represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as before state, federal and local agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, and various city human rights commissions. Ms. Fitzsimmons defends employers facing allegations of violations of employment statutes, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act. She also represents employers seeking to enforce employment contracts, including non-compete agreements, and defends employees against restrictive covenant claims.

Employment Counseling

Ms. Fitzsimmons counsels clients on day-to-day employment matters, including hiring, promoting, disciplining, terminating, implementing workforce reductions, determining reasonable accommodations, and ensuring compliance with state and federal wage, hour, and leave requirements. Ms. Fitzsimmons also represents clients in drafting, negotiating and enforcing all types of employment agreements, including executive, inducement, severance, separation and change in control agreements.

Workplace Investigations

Ms. Fitzsimmons assists employers in conducting and managing all phases of the internal investigation process, including witness interviews, data and document collection, engagement of independent investigators, preparation of oral and written findings, and formulation of employment recommendations and action items.

Restrictive Covenants

Ms. Fitzsimmons works with employers to draft, implement and enforce all types of restrictive covenants, including confidentiality, trade secret, non-solicitation and non-competition provisions.

Ms. Fitzsimmons also prosecutes claims for breach of restrictive covenants, misappropriation of trade secrets and tortious interference, and defends against the same.

Commercial Litigation

Ms. Fitzsimmons represents businesses in all phases of general commercial litigation, involving claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, fraud, negligence, defamation, deceptive trade practices, unfair competition, aiding and abetting, false advertising, product disparagement, promissory estoppel, good faith and fair dealing, and unjust enrichment.

Education

• William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., 2010
  • Journal of the National Security Forum, Executive Editor
  • William Mitchell Law Review, Assistant Editor
• Miami University of Ohio, B.A., 2007

Bar Admissions

• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
• Minnesota

Judicial Clerkships:

• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, The Honorable John R. Tunheim, Externship, 2009
• United States Attorney’s Office, Externship, 2010

Bar Associations

• Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Labor and Employment Law Section
• Hennepin County Bar Association

Professional Associations

• Minnesota Women Lawyers

Honors & Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America©, Employment Law - Management; Labor and Employment Litigation, 2023-present

• Amendments to the Minnesota's Earned Sick and Safe Time Law, co-author with B. LaCanne, Attorney at Law, Vol. 13, No. 7, July 2024
• Employment Disputes at Law Firms: Why External Aid Trumps an Internal Crusade, co-author with K. Locke, Attorney at Law, Vol. 12, No. 5, May 2023
• Mental Health Conditions and Chemical Dependency, co-author, The ADA Handbook, revised 2nd Ed. 2020, Minnesota State Bar Association CLE
• Mental Health Conditions and Chemical Dependency, co-author, The ADA Handbook, 1st Ed. 2013, Minnesota State Bar Association CLE

The Work Week with Bassford Remele

• 2024 Minnesota Legislative Update on Employment Laws, co-author, March 4, 2024
  
• The New Regulations for Cannabis in the Workplace, co-author, August 7, 2023
  

• Employment Issues in an Economic Downturn, co-presenter with J. Klobucar, Association of Corporate Counsel, June 20, 2024
• FMLA Essentials - Understanding Eligibility, Covered Conditions and Compliance Requirements, co-presenter, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education 2024 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 20, 2024
• Advanced Leave Topics: Requirements for 2 Special Situations, co-presenter, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education How to Manage Leave Requests in Minnesota Seminar, January 31, 2024