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Overview

Jeanette Bazis is an experienced and highly-regarded business litigator, negotiator, and strategist. 

Jeanette is one of the Twin Cities go-to senior litigators. Clients repeatedly call on Jeanette as their lead counsel, because she works to understand their goals and crafts tailored strategies to reach those goals effectively and efficiently.  She eschews cookie-cutter approaches to litigation. She is a skillful communicator—regardless of whether her audience hails from the C-suites or the boiler room.    

Jeanette’s knowledge of Minnesota courts may be unrivaled.  Jeanette has worked elbow-to-elbow with our federal and state judges throughout her 30+ year career.  She has been a leader in the Federal Bar Association for decades. She served on the Federal Practice Committee, where she led a subcommittee to bring clarity to our Local Rules. And she began her career as a federal district court clerk in Minnesota.  Jeanette also served on the Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Justice Reform Task Force, formed to recommend amendments to the rules of civil procedure.    

The legal community has long celebrated her talents. Jeanette has been named a Power 30 Employment Litigator, a Top 50 Women Super Lawyer, a Top 100 Minnesota Super Lawyer, a “Best Lawyer” by U.S. News, and a “Notable Practitioner” by Chambers USA.  

Jeanette’s litigation experience is wide-ranging.  Her cases often arise at the intersection of intellectual property and employment law in trade secret litigation and restrictive covenant disputes.  Her practice also focuses on traditional employment litigation and IP disputes.  Jeanette also represents clients in complex, high-stakes products liability, insurance coverage, and commercial disputes, leading teams at the trial and appellate level.  Fun fact: early in her career, Jeanette used her business litigation and IP skills to return the 1960’s smash hit “Louie Louie” to its rightful owners.  

Jeanette is often called upon for internal investigations into potential malfeasance by corporate executives, workplace misconduct, government fraud, and other sensitive issues that leverage her communication skills, emotional intelligence, and sound judgment.     

Jeanette is also a leader in the community, with a particular focus on mentoring women and promoting diversity in the legal profession. She served as President of the Infinity Project, whose mission is to increase the gender diversity of the state and federal bench in the Eighth Circuit. Jeanette earned her second Attorney of the Year award for this work.  

EDUCATION

  • J.D., University of Minnesota School of Law, magna cum laudeOrder of the Coif; Editor, Journal of Law & Inequality
  • Temple University, B.B.A., summa cum laude, Economics

EXPERIENCE

  • Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, Los Angeles, California, Associate
  • Law Clerk, United States District Court, District of Minnesota, The Honorable James M. Rosenbaum

ADMISSIONS

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth and Ninth Circuits
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court for the Central and Eastern Districts of California
  • State Bar of California
  • State Bar of Minnesota

AFFILIATIONS

  • Federal Bar Association 
  • Hennepin County Bar Association 
  • Minnesota State Bar Association 
  • Minnesota Women Lawyers 

Jeanette's Practice Areas

  • Appellate

    “What’s next?” Greene Espel can guide you through the appellate process, providing an objective assessment of the pivotal issues, developing a strategy based on how appellate judges are likely to view a case in light of legal, institutional, and policy considerations, and advocating effectively.

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  • Class Actions

    Clients regularly turn to Greene Espel when faced with high-stakes, class-action litigation. Greene Espel attorneys have defended dozens of putative class actions in federal and state courts all across the country.

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  • Commercial Litigation

    Our business litigation practice embraces the wide variety of commercial disputes facing private and public companies today. Areas of particular expertise include intellectual property, antitrust, securities, employment, professional liability, and construction disputes.

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  • Employment Litigation

    Businesses, public institutions, and individuals seek out Greene Espel for representation in a wide range of employment-litigation matters. 

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  • Insurance and Reinsurance

    Our attorneys routinely handle a myriad of insurance and reinsurance analyses and disputes, including fraud investigation, coverage and measurement evaluation, and insurance arbitrations and litigation.

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  • Products Liability

    Defending products liability claims has been a cornerstone of Greene Espel’s practice since our founding in 1993. Manufacturers and other businesses turn to us when they face product defect allegations brought by individuals, by large groups of plaintiffs, or as putative class actions.

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  • Employment Counseling

    Greene Espel partners with employers to foster diverse and inclusive workplaces, to develop and implement employment policies, and to advise about the myriad of employment issues that may arise daily. 

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  • Employment Investigations

    Employers rely on Greene Espel to conduct internal investigations about their most sensitive and high-stakes workplace issues. 

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  • Non-Compete Disputes and Litigation

    Employees come and go. When their departures implicate legal obligations, Greene Espel can help. Greene Espel mobilizes immediately when clients must seek, or defend against, expedited injunction motions that may arise when employees move from one job to another.  

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  • Trade Secret Litigation

    From burgeoning high-tech companies to established international manufacturers, healthcare giants, and established financial services and insurance institutions, clients regularly turn to Greene Espel to represent them in disputes involving trade secrets.

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  • Internal Investigations

    We leverage our experience to conduct sensitive and high-profile internal investigations for our clients. We also help clients navigate investigations to mitigate reputational, regulatory, and litigation risks. 

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  • Copyright Litigation

    Greene Espel is frequently called upon to protect copyright interests as well as defend against claims of copyright infringement.

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  • Trademark Litigation

    From premier brand-owners to niche device manufacturers, clients seek Greene Espel’s counsel in complex disputes involving trademarks.

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  • Securities Litigation

    Institutional investors and public companies alike have turned to Greene Espel in high-stakes securities litigation: fraud cases, multi-million-dollar battles over the terms of securities, class actions, shareholder disputes, RMBS, and more. 

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Cases & Wins

BUSINESS LITIGATION 

  • Represented financial institution in a federal action to recover tens of millions of dollars in losses incurred as a result of unsuitable investments of client’s cash collateral in the defendant bank’s securities lending program
  • Defended numerous public companies from securities fraud claims
  • Brought an action on behalf of a satellite communications service provider in connection with breach of an exclusive distribution agreement for a Department of Defense contract
  • Defended former minority shareholders of a corporation against attempts by the corporation to pierce the corporate veil to recover $20-plus million in environmental remediation costs. Achieved outright dismissal of claims by the plaintiff in the midst of discovery and motion practice
  • Represented a publicly held technology company in a successful effort to avoid delisting by NASDAQ
  • Assist both public and private companies in internal investigations and lawsuits addressing financial improprieties by executives and employees
  • Represent victims of Ponzi schemes to recover lost funds and lost investments including successfully appealed the dismissal of claims against a bank for aiding and abetting the Ponzi schemers’ fraud
  • Routinely represent clients in closely held business disputes. For instance: Brought a successful action against our client’s joint venture partner for financial improprieties, recovering millions of dollars for the client on the eve of trial
  • Successfully defended privately-held parent company in a lawsuit charging the management of a wholly-owned subsidiary with engaging in a fraudulent management buyout
  • Represented a former law firm partner in connection with his severance and recovery of his share of the firm’s contingency fees

EMPLOYMENT

  • Recently brought a successful 26-defendant lawsuit in federal court and FINRA on behalf of a financial services company to enforce its departed employees’ non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements, achieving a favorable settlement after a stipulated temporary restraining order
  • Represent clients in actions before administrative agencies, state and federal courts and FINRA involving non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information, wrongful termination, and other employment disputes. Represent employers in a wide range of discrimination lawsuits, and wage and hour disputes. Also represent clients in executive compensation and severance disputes. Conduct workplace investigations

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  • Initiate and defend lawsuits to protect clients’ rights in their trademarks, trade dress and copyrights
  • Represents clients in disputes over patents and patent ownership
  • Successfully represented a national affinity marketing corporation in a dispute with a competitor over their respective trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, reaching a business resolution early in the case after an informal exchange of information
  • Hubbard Feeds, Inc. v. Animal Feed Supplement, Inc., 182 F.3d 598 (8th Cir. 1999). Successful defense of trademark infringement action brought by international animal feed company against manufacturer of animal feed supplement. Awarded summary judgment by federal court dismissing all trademark-related claims
  • Peterson v. Highland Music, Inc., 140 F.3d 1313 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, Gusto Records, Inc. v. Peterson, 525 U.S. 983 (1998). At summary judgment stage, and on appeal, successfully represented the performers of the popular "oldies" song, “Louie Louie,” enabling them to recapture ownership of their master recordings because of nonpayment of royalties
  • Represented an ousted LLC member in an action to pursue his ownership rights in a patent. After the first day of trial, the former co-member defendant signed over all ownership rights in the patent to our client

PUBLIC SECTOR AND NON-PROFIT

  • Achieved dismissal of action against school district for alleged violations of campaign finance reporting and fair campaign practices statutes in connection with school levy questions
  • Represented public-sector securities lending participants in a federal action to rescind the defendant bank’s investment of participants’ cash collateral in an unsuitable structure investment vehicle. Settled for 96 cents on the dollar
  • Regularly defend school districts in employment and civil rights litigation, and in high-stakes personal injury lawsuits
  • Defended one of state’s largest school districts in a high-profile dispute with the federal government and six private plaintiffs regarding alleged Title IX and Minnesota Human Rights Act violations, reaching a settlement that has become a model for districts nationwide
  • Conduct internal investigations and defend litigation for social service organizations in sensitive and high-stakes matters

Jeanette's Recognition & Awards

  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (2013-2024) 
    • "Lawyer of the Year" (2022) 
  • Recognized as a "Labor & Employment Star" – Minnesota" by Benchmark Litigation (2020) 
  • Listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business (2016-2023)   
  • Listed in POWER 30: Employment Law by Minnesota Lawyer (2021-2022) 
  • Super Lawyers 
    • Named as one of the "Top 100 Super Lawyers," Minnesota Super Lawyers (2013-2023) 
    • Named as one of the "Top 50 Women Super Lawyers," Minnesota Super Lawyers (2013-2023) 
    • Named "Super Lawyer," Minnesota Super Lawyers (2008-2023) 
    • Named as "Business Litigation Super Lawyer," Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition (2009, 2010) 
    • Named as one of the "Top 100 Women Super Lawyers," Minnesota Journal of Law and Politics (2008, 2009) 
  • Recognized as Minnesota State Bar Association North Star Lawyer for pro bono service (2015-2019) 
  • Recognized by the University of Minnesota Law School among alumni who have shaped the rule of Law (2013) 
  • Named as Minnesota Lawyer "Attorney of the Year" (2012-2013) 

Jeanette's Community Involvement

  • Founding co-Chair, University of Minnesota Law School, AluMNae Network  
  • University of Minnesota Law School Board of Advisors (2016-2023) 
    • Board Chair, 2021-2022 
    • Development Committee Chair (2019-2021) 
  • Federal Bar Association 
    • National Counsel Delegate (2022 – present) 
    • Shaw Younger Lawyers Public Service Grant and the Shaw Public Service Award, Chair (2024)
    • General Counsel (2021-2022) 
    • Board of Directors 
    • FBA Foundation Board of Directors 
      • Fellows Chair & Historian (2018-2019) 
      • President (2017-2018) 
      • Treasurer (2015-2016) 
      • Secretary (2014-2015) 
      • Board Member (2007-2019) 
      • Fellow (2007-present) 
    • Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Minnesota Chapter (2022-present, 2004-2016) 
    • 2025 Convention Committee, Minnesota Chapter, Co-Chair (2022-present) 
    • Diversity Committee, Minnesota Chapter  
      • Co-Chair (2014-2015) 
      • Member (2012-present) 
    • FBA Eighth Circuit Vice President (2006-2008) 
  • Infinity Project 
    • President (2013) 
    • Board Member, Executive Committee (2009-present) 
  • Minnesota Women Lawyers 
    • MWL President's Leadership Circle (2009-2014) 
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Civil Litigation Section, Governing Council (2010-2012) 
  • Hennepin County Bar Association 
  • Federal Public Defender Reappointment Committee (2013) 
  • Federal Practice Committee, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota 
    • Member and subcommittee chair (2008-2011) 
  • Minnesota Supreme Court Civil Justice Reform Task Force, Member (2011) 
  • U.S. Magistrate Merit Selection Panel, Chair (2007-2008) 
  • Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference Planning Committee (2007-2008) 

NEWS &
UPDATES

October 24, 2023
Jeanette Bazis Named to Minnesota Lawyer's POWER 30 for Business Litigation
Read More
August 17, 2023
Best Lawyers Recognizes 16 Greene Espel Attorneys on the 2024 Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch Lists
Read More

EVENTS &
PRESENTATIONS

May 1, 2019
Firm Leadership: Culture and Fundamentals, Hennepin County Bar Association, Presenter
October 1, 2018
Implicit Bias in the Legal Profession (featuring U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett), Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Organizer/Moderator

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