Hellmuth & Johnson is pleased to announce that attorney Amy M. Ortega has joined the firm as an associate in the litigation practice group. Ortega’s practice will focus on general litigation and class action litigation. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a law clerk, conducting legal research and writing regarding complex business disputes. She also analyzed and prepared client files and aided in the various stages of trial preparation, post-trial motions, and litigation simulations. She is fluent in Spanish and was one of the founding members of the University of Minnesota’s Women o ..read more

Hellmuth & Johnson attorneys have been appointed as interim lead counsel in the case against the University of Minnesota related to a data breach affecting millions of Minnesotans, along with attorneys from Chestnut Cambronne; Berger Montague; and Reichert, Wendorf, & Blanchfield. On July 21, 2023, the University of Minnesota announced it had learned of an individual claiming to have posted sensitive admissions data on the internet. Following an investigation, the University confirmed that a breach of its database occurred in 2021. The incident potentially affects millions of individua ..read more

Hellmuth & Johnson is pleased to announce that 30 of the firm’s lawyers have been recognized in the 2024 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Since first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the most respected peer review publication in the legal profession. The following 21 H&J attorneys were named to The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 list: KC Ahrens – Litigation – Insurance Earl H. Cohen – Trusts and Estates Timothy O. Davis – Trusts and Estates Jennifer J. Elston – Trusts and Estates David G ..read more

Hellmuth & Johnson is pleased to announce that 14 attorneys have been recognized on Minnesota Monthly’s 2023 Top Lawyers in Minnesota list. Honorees are selected through an independent research process, which includes an online peer-review survey sent to all lawyers in Minnesota. Thousands of votes were cast to determine this year’s top lawyers. Hellmuth & Johnson attorneys are recognized in the following categories: KC Ahrens: Insurance Law & Litigation – Insurance Richard Hagstrom: Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions David G. Hellmuth: Real Estate Law Phaedra J. Howard ..read more

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (MSPBJ) has published a “Table of Experts” panel discussion on the topic of Women in Law, featuring Hellmuth & Johnson class action litigation attorney Anne Regan. When asked initiatives you’ve seen to help diversify the pool of attorneys who lead and manage class action and multidistrict litigation cases, Regan responded, “Our practice is one of those few areas where the courts have a say in who is appointed to lead a case. Under Rule 23, and the rules that are also applied to the multidistrict litigation, the courts frequently issu ..read more

Automobile manufacturers Kia and Hyundai allegedly distributed their vehicles with substandard ignition security Hellmuth & Johnson announces that its clients have brought a class action against Kia America, Inc. and Hyundai Motor America following a nationwide rash of thefts that revealed a major defect in certain Kia and Hyundai models. According to the complaint, Kia and Hyundai did not install engine immobilizers in many of their vehicles produced before November 2021. These vehicles are now sitting targets and continue to be frequently stolen across the country. Manufacturers have reg ..read more

On November 16, 2021, United States District Judge Edmund Sargus granted preliminary approval of a class action settlement brought on behalf of certain treadmill purchasers alleging that Nautilus utilized misleading inflated continuous horsepower (CHP) representations in conjunction with the sale and/or marketing of certain Nautilus, Bowflex, and Schwinn brand treadmills. The preliminary approved settlement includes three settlement benefits for the class: (1) $4,250,000.00 non-reversionary common fund; (2) one-year subscription to Bowflex’s JRNY fitness app (valued at $150.00 per user per yea ..read more

On February 22, 2022, United States Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litkovitz granted preliminary approval of a class action settlement in Bechtel v. Fitness Equipment Services, LLC dba SOLE Fitness, No. 1:19-cv-00726 (S.D. Ohio). The lawsuit alleged that SOLE misrepresented its treadmills’ continuous horsepower capabilities while in household use, causing consumers to pay more for their treadmills. The class action settlement provides certain SOLE treadmill purchasers with the ability to receive a cash payment from the $3.65 million common fund and a $100 gift card toward the purchase of any p ..read more

Hellmuth & Johnson announces it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of its client Barry Sewall and a proposed class who have entered into misleading and onerous form leases with Home Partners of America and Pathlight Property Management. According to the complaint, Defendants Home Partners of America, Inc., HP Minnesota I LLC, and Pathlight Property Management, Inc. have perpetrated a fraudulent scheme on tenants and potential buyers of single-family homes in violation of landlord-tenant and consumer fraud laws. Defendants are among many big investors who are purchasing swaths of ho ..read more

Hellmuth & Johnson has announced that clients Richard Stucki and Travis Tharpe have brought a class action against Hyundai Motor America, Inc. due to a foul odor detected in Hyundai’s Palisade SEL and Limited trim models. According to the complaint, the Palisade SEL and Limited trim models do not hold up to what Hyundai promises to consumers. Shortly after purchasing or leasing their Palisade, plaintiffs and class members began smelling a strong foul odor, emanating from inside the vehicle, which was not detectable during test drives. Some owners cannot drive their vehicles because the sme ..read more