Photo of Shawn Wanta, Managing Member of Wanta Thome

Shawn Wanta is dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers and employees and is recognized for his handling of complex legal matters. A founding member of Wanta Thome PLC, Shawn serves as the firm’s Managing Member and leads the firm’s class and complex litigation practice group. He ardently represents individuals and groups in and out of court to enforce laws that protect individual rights.

Education

  • William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN, J.D.
  • University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, B.A.

Admissions

  • Minnesota Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

Professional Memberships

  • National Employment Lawyers Association, Minnesota Chapter
  • National Association of Consumer Advocates
  • Federal Bar Association, Minnesota Chapter Member and Pro Se Project Volunteer Attorney
  • Employee Lawyers Association of the Upper Midwest, Past Secretary-Treasurer
  • Minnesota Association for Justice
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Consumer Litigation Section
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Solo & Small Firm Section
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
  • American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
  • Sedona Conference® Working Group Series Member

Honors

  • Super Lawyers® Super Lawyer, Class Action/Mass Torts, 2022
  • Super Lawyers® Rising Star, Class Action/Mass Torts, 2012-2021
  • Best Lawyers in America©, Consumer Law, 2021-2023; Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action-Plaintiffs, 2023
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Civil, Plaintiff, 2022-23
  • The National Trial Lawyers Top 10, Wage and Hour, 2022-23

Publications & Presentations

  • Something to chew on How newly legal THC edibles interact with Minnesota employment laws, Minnesota Bench and Bar, December 2022

  • Who’s the Boss? The ever-shifting landscape of Independent Contractors, Misclassification and Joint Employers, Minnesota State Bar Association, Co-presenter with Zaylore Stout and Gina Janeiro, February 17, 2021
  • Whistleblower, Reprisal, Retaliation, Minnesota CLE, Presenter, Sept. 16, 2019
  • Consumer Law 101, MSBA Consumer Litigation Section, Moderator, Feb. 21, 2019
  • Maine Bakery Drivers Lawsuit Will Become Class Action, Portland Press Herald, Interview, Feb. 1, 2019
  • Are Political Texts Legal? And How Can I Stop Them? NBC KARE 11 News, Interview, Oct. 24, 2018
  • Practical E-Discovery Strategies for the Plaintiff’s Lawyer, Eighth Circuit National Employment Lawyers Association Conference, Panelist with Bert Braud and Rebekah Bailey, Apr. 6, 2018
  • “How Do Lawyers Get Paid by a Class of Plaintiffs When There is No Fee Shifting Statute?,” Mitchell Hamline Law Review, Author, Apr. 5, 2018
  • E-Discovery for the Solo and Small Firm Attorney: The Basics of Doing More with Less, Minnesota CLE Solo and Small Firm Conference, Co-presenter, Aug. 7, 2017
  • Wisconsin Company Offers Optional Microchips for Employees, Al Jazeera, Interview, Aug. 2, 2017
  • Judge Adds Protections for N.C. Workers in Employee Lawsuit Against Bakery, The Charlotte Observer, Interview, Feb. 19, 2016
  • Lepage Bakeries’ Parent Company Challenges ‘Class Action’ Ruling, Maine Business Journal, Interview, Apr. 9, 2015
  • Class Actions: Enter the Consumer Lawyer, Minnesota Lawyer, Co-written with Chris Jozwiak, Mar. 16, 2015
  • Consumer Arbitration Agreements, NBC affiliate KARE 11, Interview, 2015
  • Cost-Effective Discovery of Electronically Stored Data CLE series, Employee Lawyers Association of the Upper Midwest, Presenter, 2015
  • Wage and Hour Battles on the Rise, Minnesota Lawyer Article, Commentator, June 19, 2014
  • Social Media Discovery, 8th Circuit NELA Conference, Panelist, 2014
  • Developing Trends in Wage and Hour Cases in Minnesota, Minnesota-NELA, Presenter, 2014
  • CBS Minnesota WCCO Radio, Discussion of Minnesota and Federal Consumer Protection Laws, Interview, Feb. 22, 2012
  • Wage and Hour Law, The Legal Journal Radio Show, Interview, 2012
  • Class Action Lawyers Target Groupon Over Expiration of Daily Deals, Crain’s Chicago Business, Interview, Apr. 23, 2011
  • Minnesota Lawsuit Alleges Deception in Groupon Business Model, Minnesota Public Radio, Interview, Mar. 24, 2011
  • Gift Certificate Laws in Minnesota, Class Action, Consumer Rights, Interview, 2011
  • Minired BP Carwash Voucher Sets Off $5 Million Class-Action Suit, Pioneer Press, Interview, 2011

Representative Cases

  • Class Counsel in Noll et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 1:15-cv-00493-JAW (D. Me.) (class certification granted in class action brought by distributors of Flowers Foods, who are challenging their classification as independent contractors, rather than employees)
  • Lead Plaintiffs’ Counsel for In re Life Time Fitness, Inc. Telephone Consumer Protection Act Litigation, MDL 2564 (class action settlement awarding a maximum of $15 million for class members who received unsolicited text messages in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act); settlement affirmed (8th Cir. 2017)
  • Class Counsel in Rehberg et al. v. Flowers Foods Inc. et al., No. 12-cv-00596 (W.D.N.C.) (class action settlement for distributors who challenged their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)
  • Class Counsel in Carr et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 2:15-cv-06391-LS (E.D. Penn.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)
  • Class Counsel in Noll et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 1:15-cv-00493-JAW (D. Me.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)
  • Class Counsel in Rosinbaum et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 7:16-cv-0023-FL (E.D.N.C.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)
  • Class Counsel in Neff et al. v. Flowers Foods, Inc. et al., No. 5:15-cv-00254-GWC (D. Vt.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)
  • Class Counsel in Coyle v. Flowers Foods Incorporated, et al., 2:15-cv-01372-PHX-DLR (D. Ariz.) (conditional class certification granted in class action brought by distributors who are challenging their classification by Flowers Foods as independent contractors, rather than employees)
  • Class Counsel in Dennings v. Clearwire Corporation, No. C10-1859 (D. Wash.)
  • Class Counsel in Yarbrough v. Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc., No. 11-cv-02144 (M.D. Pa.)
  • Class Counsel in Low v. San Diego Union Tribune, No. 11-cv-01090 (S.D. Ca.)
  • Class Counsel in Chavez v. West Side Comm. Healthcare Svcs., Inc., No. 14-cv-00207 (D. Minn.)
  • Class Counsel in Gulbankian et al. v. MW Manufacturers, Inc., No. 10-cv-10392 (D. Mass.)
  • Class Counsel in Hartshorn et al. v. MW Manufacturers, Inc., No. 2012-cv-30122 (D. Mass.)
  • Class Counsel in Harrison v. Legal Helpers Debt Resolution, LLC et al., No. 12-cv-02145 (D. Minn.)
  • Executive Committee Member and Co-Chair of the Discovery Committee in In re HardiePlank Fiber Cement Siding Litigation, MDL No. 2359 (D. Minn)
  • Executive Committee Member for Wright et al. v. Owens Corning, No. 09-cv-01567 (W.D. Pa.)
  • Ketty v. Parkinson’s Specialty Care, LLC, No. 14-CV-04849, 2016 WL 3034158 (D. Minn. May 27, 2016) (final court approval of collective action settlement awarding a group of certified nursing assistants unpaid overtime premium pay and full liquidated damages pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act)
  • In re IKO Roofing Shingles Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2104 (C.D. Ill.)
  • Pagliaroni v. Mastic Home Exteriors et al., No. 12-cv-10164 (D. Mass.)
  • In re CertainTeed Fiber Cement Siding Litigation, MDL No. 2270 (E.D. Pa.)
  • Orieux v. CertainTeed Corporation, No. 11-cv-00234 (E.D. Pa)
  • Davis et al. v. SOH Distribution Co., No. 09-cv-237 (M.D. Pa.)
  • Egtvedt et al. v. West Publ’g Corp., No. 19HA-CV-09-1660 (Dist. Ct. Minn. 2009)
  • Cruz et al. v. Lawson Software, Inc., No. 08-5900 (D. Minn.)