Born in Minneapolis and raised in Pullman, Washington, Katherine E. Rollins is a passionate and assertive advocate for employee rights. Katy’s empathetic nature, stemming from her passion for working with people and background in the hospitality industry, allows her to deeply understand her clients’ situations.
While in law school, Katy honed her legal skills working in various clinic programs, including the Health Law Clinic and with the Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender. Katy is motivated to practice employment law as a way to advocate for individuals facing workplace rights violations and empower workers to fight for more equitable and inclusive organizations. She finds gratification in being able to help expand employee protections and deliver resolutions to her clients, however that might come.
In her free time, Katy is a member of the legislative committee for the Minnesota chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association. There, she has the opportunity to expand workers’ rights legislatively, outside of work for her clients. When Katy is not advocating on behalf of employees, you can find her scoping out the best taco trucks, cheering on the Twins, or going to see some of her favorite artists, like St. Vincent, Sir Chloe, and Emotional Oranges, in concert!
Education
- Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, MN, J.D., summa cum laude
- Washington State University, Honors College, B.A. in Hospitality Business Management
Admissions
- Minnesota Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
Professional Memberships
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
- Hennepin County Bar Association
- National Lawyers Guild, Housing Committee
- National Lawyers Guild, Labor & Employment
- Minnesota Women Lawyers
- Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter
Honors
- Burton Award for Excellence in Legal Writing. Mitchell Hamline School of Law, 2018
Publications & Presentations
- Protecting Gig Workers and Independent Contractors Under the MHRA. Minnesota Bench and Bar. 2022
- The Need for Early and Continuing Mental Health Treatment as shown by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Mitchell Hamline Journal of Public Policy & Practice: The Quadriga. March, 2021.
- If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Reform ‘Em: Expanding Oversight of Privately-Operated Immigrant Detention Centers. Mitchell Hamline Law Review. Author. January 1, 2020.
- Ethical Considerations in Workers’ Compensation Settlements. Minnesota Association For Justice. Panelist. February 29, 2024.
- Tricky Ethics Questions in Employment Settlement Agreements. 2023 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute. Presenter. May 18, 2023.
- Getting Into The Weed(s):An Employment Law Perspective on Legal Cannabis in Minnesota. Presenter. Minnesota Paralegal Association, April Law Sectional. April 11th, 2024.
- “Paid Sick Leave in Minnesota: Are You Covered?” Author. June 13, 2019.
- “The End of Forced Arbitration for Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Claims.” Author. March 10, 2022.
- “Fair Housing Act and Financial Institutions” Author. April 8, 2022.
Representative Cases
- Counsel in Delgado v. Bemidji State University, No. 04-CV-23-890 (Minn. Dist. Ct. Jan. 8, 2024) (Defendant’s motion for summary judgment denied)
- Counsel in Santos v. Bemidji State University, No. 04-CV-23-1668 (Minn. Dist. Ct. Jan. 8, 2024) (Defendant’s motion for summary judgment denied)
- Counsel in Malimage v. AvePoint, No. 22-cv-2990 (WMW/ECW) (D. Minn. July 18, 2023) (Defendant’s partial motion to dismiss denied)
- Counsel in Unbehaun v. Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation, No. 23-CV-1145 (NEB/DTS) (D. Minn. June 5, 2024) (Defendant’s motion for judgment on pleadings denied in substantial part)
Client Reviews
- “If you’re looking for advice or representation on your employment issue as an employee I cannot recommend Katherine/Kati Rollins at Wanta Thome highly enough. She took a lot of time to listen to my case and my story surrounding my termination and even though the end result wasn’t what I hoped for and I wound up simply taking my employer’s offer rather than pursuing what would have been a long and drawn out affair with no guarantees Kati was an incredible resource along the journey.” –Erin E.
- “I had an amazing experience working with Katy Rollins. Any sort of legal case is tough and Katy always made sure to check in on me. She was very quick to respond to emails and calls. I wouldn’t recommend anyone else!” –Janelle O.
- “Shawn Wanta and Katy are excellent attorneys. Being a female, Katy had been one of my favorite lawyers. She is persistent, technology savvy, quick to learn, quick witted and fights for her clients. Shawn Wanta is a great role model to many attorneys out there.” –Nali M.
Practice Areas
- Employment Discrimination
- Employee Rights
- Wage Laws
- Class Action