Reena I. Desai

Reena joined Nichols Kaster, PLLP, in early 2009 as a member of its National Wage and Hour Litigation Team. Reena confirmed that fighting for employee rights was her legal career path, while working at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during her second summer in law school. Before joining NKA, Reena practiced at a large law firm in Minneapolis, where she worked on complex litigation and advocated for multiple pro-bono clients concerning a variety of issues. Currently, Reena represents employees in multi-plaintiff collective actions dealing with wage and hour violations under both state and federal law.
Reena graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School, where she was honored with the Dorothy O. Lareau award for writing during her first year and received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Employment Discrimination Law from the Minnesota State Bar Association in 2007.

Email: Reena I. Desai
Phone: 612.256.3244
FAX: 612.215.6870

Admissions

Minnesota Supreme Court

United States District Court of Minnesota

United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

Education

J.D., University of Minnesota Law School, 2007, cum laude
Administrative Director, Civil Rights Moot Court
Student Attorney, Special Education Clinic

B.A., Economics and B.A., Psychology, George Washington University, 2002, magna cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa
University Honor's Program

London School of Economics, Summer 2001

Publications/Speaking Engagements

November 2009, Panel Speaker at Employment Practitioner Event, University of Minnesota

January 2007, Panel Speaker at the University of Minnesota Civil Rights Conference

Titles/Awards/Memberships

Outstanding Achievement Award for Employment Discrimination Law from Minnesota State Bar Association, 2007
Dorothy O. Lareau Award from the University of Minnesota, 2005
Minnesota State Bar Association - Labor and Employment Law Section
Hennepin County Bar Association
Minnesota Women Lawyers
American Bar Association
Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
National Employment Lawyers Association
Minnesota Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association