Go Back

Mark A. Pihart

I try not to take myself too seriously, but I do take my work and my client relationships seriously.

Contact: P /612.604.6623E /[email protected]

Education

University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., with distinction, 1996

• Associate Editor, The Journal of Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems, 1995-1996

University of Iowa, B.A., Political Science & Spanish, with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, 1993

Bar Admissions

Minnesota, 2001

Illinois, 1998

Iowa, 1996

U.S. District Court, D. Minn., 2004

U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Cir., 1998

U.S. District Court, C.D. Ill., 1996

U.S. District Court, N.D. Iowa, 1996

U.S. District Court, S.D. Iowa, 1996

My Approach

Businesses are all about the people who make them run, and I work with clients to make sure they run smoothly. I counsel corporate clients of all sizes to give them peace of mind as they navigate employment issues. There are any number of concerns that keep them up at night – not enough or too many employees, sexual harassment claims, wage and hour issues, protected leave, compensation issues, trade secrets, retaining key employees, and terminating problem employees – that it can be overwhelming, especially for companies that don’t have a dedicated HR department. I listen to clients’ concerns and counsel them on ways to proceed when an issue arises, and also on the preventative side, before something develops into a real problem.

When working with clients, I treat their business as if it were my own, and advise them on how I would react or what actions I would take, rather than just spouting the law.

One of my favorite aspects of my work is performing employment audits and conducting on-site training, which allows me to take a closer look inside the business, see how it operates, meet the workforce, and assess what is working and what could use improvement in order to prevent future issues.

When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling to exotic destinations (like the east coast of Iowa), fishing (there’s a fine line between fishing and standing in a boat for hours like a fool), boating with my family, and golfing with family and friends, albeit poorly.  I once shot a 59, which apparently is not good for 9 holes.

Practice Areas

Practicing Employment Counseling

My Experience

I advise and represent a variety of clients on matters regarding employment discrimination, employment laws and regulations. I have extensive experience in representing and counseling clients on a wide range of employment related issues, including the hiring process, employment agreements, discrimination issues, leave of absence issues, wage and hour issues, non-competition covenants, trade secret issues, use of social media in the workplace, breach of contract claims and the termination process, including unemployment claims and compliance with state and federal employment laws. I also frequently train Human Resources professionals, managers and employees around the country on a host of employment-related topics.

Representative Matters

• I assisted a Fortune 500 company conduct a compensation and diversity audit of a segment of its workforce located throughout the country, which helped the company identify areas of possible concern as it implemented a new compensation and classification structure.
• I conducted multiple manager and employee training sessions for a client with plants located across the country covering topics ranging from the hiring process, managing performance, discipline, leave of absence, preventing unlawful harassment, termination and the use of social media in the workplace.
• I assisted a client with a response to claims by a former employee of unlawful discrimination and retaliation, which claims were ultimately dismissed.

Awards

Best Lawyers in America®

Employee Law – Management, 2019-2025
Litigation – Labor & Employment, 2021-2025

Also experienced in

Employment Litigation

Executive Transition Counseling

Honors & Awards

AV Preeminent

LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell, Peer review ratings

Rising Stars

Minnesota Law & Politics, 2009-2010

Best Lawyers in America®

Employee Law – Management, 2019-2025
Litigation – Labor & Employment, 2021-2025

Associations & Memberships

American Bar Association

Illinois State Bar Association

Iowa State Bar Association

Minnesota State Bar Association

Governing Council, Labor and Employment Section, 2008–2012
Certified Labor and Employment Law Specialist

Society for Human Resource Management

Fraser

Board of Directors, 2006-2012

St. John's Catholic School, Hopkins, MN

School Advisory Council, 2006-2014

Notre Dame Academy, Minnetonka, MN

Board of Directors, 2017-2020