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Howard B. Tarkow 
Partner

p 612.672.8348
f612.642.8348
howard.tarkow@maslon.com

3300 Wells Fargo Center
90 South Seventh Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Howard Tarkow's law practice focuses on representing employers on their workplace issues and concerns. For more than 25 years, Howard has advised Maslon's business and nonprofit clients to help them maintain positive employee relations and minimize the risk of expensive and disruptive legal claims. He provides timely, service-oriented, cost-effective, and practical advice and counsel. His litigation practice includes representing employers before judges, juries, and arbitrators. Howard also represents employers in matters involving unions, including at the National Labor Relations Board, in grievance and arbitration cases, at the collective bargaining table, and in labor campaigns.

Areas of Practice
  • Business & Securities
  • Labor & Employment
  • Counseling Employers
  • Defending Employers
  • Labor-Management Relations
  • Litigation
  • Competitive Practices/Unfair Competition
  • Employment Litigation
  • Business Counseling
  • Closely Held Businesses
  • Employee Benefits
  • Executive Compensation & Agreements
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
Education
  • Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri, 1982
    J.D.
    Law Journal: Urban Law Annual, Articles Editor, 1981 - 1982
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 1975
    B.A.
    Honors:  with distinction
    Major: Journalism
Bar Admissions
  • Minnesota, 1982
  • U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1982
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1991
Certified Legal Specialties
  • Minnesota Labor and Employment Law Specialist, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2011
Professional Associations and Memberships
  • American Bar Association - Member, Section of Labor and Employment Law, Member
  • Minnesota State Bar Association - Member
  • Hennepin County Bar Association - Member
  • Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP - Governance Committee, Chair, 1999 - 2003
  • Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis - Director, 2006 - Present
  • Sabes Jewish Community Center of Greater Minneapolis - past Officer and Director
  • Minneapolis Federation for Jewish Service - past Director
  • Jewish Community Relations Council/Anti-Defamation League of Minnesota and the Dakotas - past Officer and Director
  • Arthritis Foundation, Minnesota Chapter - past Director
Classes Taught
  • “2011 Wage and Hour Forecast: A Look at Key Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Employers in 2011”, Maslon Speaker Series, 2011
  • “Creating an Employee Brand: Successful Strategies for Engaging and Retaining Your Valued Employees Through a Challenging Economy”, Maslon Speaker Series, 2010
  • “Hiring Best Practices to Minimize Your Legal Risk”, webinar by Verifications, Inc., 2010
  • “Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity”, Minnesota CLE, 2006, 2008, 2009
  • “Bridging Troubled Waters: Getting Internal Investigations Right”, Maslon Speaker Series, 2007
  • “Labor-Management Relations Arising from Minnesota Citizens’ Personal Protection Act of 2003”, Labor and Employment Law Institute, Minnesota CLE, 2003
  • “Compensation Law”, University of Minnesota, Employer Education Service, 1988 - 1999
  • “Injunctions and Jurisdictional Disputes, Sections 10(j), 10(k) of the National Labor Relations Act”, American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law, 1999, 1999
  • “Employment Issues in a Union Setting”, Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, Minnesota CLE, 199
  • “Employment and Labor Law in Minnesota,”, Lorman Education Services, 1997
  • “Managing Managers and Avoiding the 10 Top Legal Problems They Can Cause”, Council on Education in Management, 1996
  • “Do’s and Don’ts of Summary Judgment Practice”, Labor and Employment Law Institute, Minnesota State Bar Association, 1995
  • “Union Organizing is Back in Business”, Council on Education in Management, 1994
  • “Sexual Harassment by Co-workers”, Labor and Employment Institute, Minnesota CLE, 1992
  • “U.S. Immigration Laws - Immigration Reform and Control Act” , Minnesota Institute of Legal Education, 1989
  • Numerous customized training classes for employers and their supervisors
Publications
  • Low Power Television: A New Opportunity For Broadcasting in The Public Interest, 23 Urban Law Annual 189, 1982
  • Punitive Damages in Minnesota: The Common Law and Developments Under Section 549.20 of the Minnesota Statute (Co-Author), 11 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 2, 1985
Honors and Awards
  • Leading Individual Attorney in Minnesota for Labor & Employment, Chambers USA, 2010 - 2011
  • Recognized on Minnesota Super Lawyers® list, 2003 - 2011 (Minnesota Super Lawyers® is a designation given to only 5 percent of Minnesota attorneys each year.)
  • Top 40 Employment Minnesota Super Lawyers
  • AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (AV, BV, and CV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies)

Experience

  • Todd v. Ortho Biotech Inc., 949 F. Supp. 724 (D. Minn. 1996), rev'd 138 F.3d 733 (8th Cir. 1998), cert. granted and judgment vacated, 525 U.S. 802 (1998).
  • Rhinehart et al. v. S.E. Rykoff & Co. et al., Unpublished (E.D. Cal.). Successful defense of employer in class action under Section 301 of Labor Management Act of 1947.
  • Numerous successful defenses of employers in unfair labor practice proceedings before Regional Directors of the National Labor Relations Board.
  • Numerous successful defenses of employers in grievance cases decided by arbitrators.
  • Numerous successful defenses of employers in discrimination cases before governmental agencies.
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Ranked In Chambers USA 2011 | Leading Individual Certified Specialist | Labor and Employment Law | Minnesota State Bar Association Board Certified Labor and Employment Law Specialist

Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP  | 3300 Wells Fargo Center | 90 South Seventh Street | Minneapolis, MN 55402-4140 | p 612.672.8200