Practice areas: Employment & Labor; view more
Licensed in Minnesota since: 1991
Education: Northwestern University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2003 - 2004, 2006, 2008 - 2026 Call today:
612-699-0849
Free Consultation Halunen Law
IDS Center80 South 8th Street #1650
Minneapolis, MN 55402 Visit website
Susan M. Coler is a partner at Halunen Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she belongs to a team solely dedicated to nationwide False Claims Act (FCA) and whistleblower litigation. She represents courageous individuals challenging corporate fraud across healthcare, pharmaceuticals, procurement, defense and government contracts. She aggressively holds corporations accountable for illegal conduct, ensuring whistleblowers receive powerful representation when taking a stand against complex institutional fraud and misconduct.
Ms. Coler’s remarkable track record includes serving as a realtor’s attorney in a landmark FCA claim against Abbott Laboratories, securing an $800 million civil settlement, part of a massive $1.5 billion total recovery. Beyond high-profile cases, she regularly handles critical retaliation claims and shares her deep knowledge at national legal conferences. Her steadfast commitment to whistleblower protection and employment law makes her a respected authority and a formidable advocate for workplace justice across the country.
Graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Ms. Coler went on to pursue her legal education at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She earned her law degree in 1989 and in 1991 she gained her license to practice law in Minnesota. She is also admitted to practice in Illinois.
Ms. Coler was honored with the 2015 Karla Wahl Dedicated Advocacy Award by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, recognizing her commitment to advocating for workers' rights. Her legal acumen is reflected in her AV Preeminent* peer-review rating from Martindale-Hubbell, standing as a testament to her high ethical standards and professional excellence. Her dedication and tireless advocacy for whistleblower protection and employment law establish her as a leading authority in workplace justice.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Employment & Labor: EmployeeFocus areas
Whistleblower
- 100% Employment & Labor: Employee
First Admitted: 1989, Illinois
Professional Webpage: https://www.halunenlaw.com/our-team/susan-m-coler/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- Federal Bar Association
- Anti-Fraud Coalition
- Taxpayers Against Fraud
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- National Employment Lawyers Association, Minnesota Chapter
- Gender Justice, Board Member, 2014 - 2020
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Managed negotiation of distribution, certification, and fairness hearing for employee class action Benefiting a class of about 450 bartenders, 2022
Special Licenses / Certifications
Pro bono / Community Service
- Member of Coordinating Board for mission-oriented non-profit religious organization since 2018
- Board Member and Chair of Legal Advisory Committee for non-profit agency, Gender Justice, 2020
Educational Background
- Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, M.P.S., Major: Pastoral Studies, 1996
- Mundelein College, Chicago, Illinois, B.A. (summa cum laude), Major: Music, 1971
- University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory, Cincinnati, Ohio, M.M., Major: Music History, 1977
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Northwestern Law Review, Northwestern University School of Law, 1987–1989
- “Resisting and Limiting Defense Access to Medical and Other Private Information,” NELA National Convention, 2001
- “Punitive Damages After Kolstad,” Employment Law Institute, Minnesota CLE, 2002
- “Developments in Minnesota Whistleblower Law,” MSBA Mid-Winter Labor and Employment Section Lunch Meeting, 2005
- “Handling Class Actions Under the ADEA,” Impact Litigation: Representing Workers in Class, Collective & Multiple Plaintiff Actions, NELA, 2005
- “Class Actions: Do Big Cases Against Big Defendants Get a Small Office, Big Money, Big Problems or Both?,” NELA Eighth Circuit Conference, 2006
- “Attacking Releases and Waivers: A Plaintiff’s Perspective,” Employment Law Institute, Minnesota CLE, 2007
- “Rethinking Remedies: Effective Approaches to Changing a Discriminatory Workplace,” Strategic Conference on Title VII Class Actions, Impact Fund, 2007
- “High-Caliber Litigation of Employment Cases in an Ever Expanding E-World,” NELA Eighth Circuit Conference, 2008
- “Representing Immigrant Workers: The Intersection of Employment, Immigration and Human Trafficking Law,” Minn. NELA Monthly Meeting, 2008
- “Hot Topics in Electronic Discovery,” Eighth Circuit NELA Conference, 2008
- “Attacking Mass Layoffs,” NELA’s National Convention, 2009
- “Family Responsibilities Discrimination: New Resources and Another Lens for Analyzing and Winning Gender and Caregiver Discrimination Cases,” Minn. NELA Monthly Meeting, 2009
- “Ethical Issues in Class Actions,” NELA’s National Convention, 2010
- “Recent Developments: Retaliation and Post-Dukes Class Litigation,” Minnesota CLE Webcast, 2012.
- Handling Class Actions under the ADEA, Employee Rights and Employment Law Journal article, 2006
- “New Developments in the False Claims Act and Retaliation,” NELA 8th Circuit Conference, 2012.
- Radio Interview: “Whistleblowers and the False Claims Act,” for Legal Journal on Business 1570, 2013.
- “Tips and Strategies for Intersectional Discrimination Claims,” Minnesota NELA 2014
- “The MHRA Right to a Jury Trial—When Does It Apply?” Minnesota NELA, 2014
- Fraud against the government is still a pervasive problem and extends widely across industries. Government contractors are vulnerable to fraud against them and may be in a position to identify competitors whose fraud hurts their own business. Thus, understanding the ins and outs of the State and Federal False Claims Acts (FCA) and their qui tam retaliation provisions enhances your ability to advise clients about their options. This session explained the latest trends in enforcement actions and provided best practices in advising government contract clients on how to avoid FCA liability. Sole presenter, Navigating the False Claims Act: Protecting Your Client's Business, Whistleblowers, and Tax Dollars, Minnesota CLE: Government Contract Law: Fundamentals and Hot Topics, Government Contracting, 2022
- “Cutting Edge ADEA Issues in Litigation,” Employment Law Institute, May 2014
- “There’s No Smoking Gun: Plaintiffs’ Perspective on Proving Discrimination and Retaliation by Pretext,” Minnesota Employment Law Institute, May 2015
- “Pratfalls, Cat’s Paws, and Fact Questions: Maximizing the Potential in Employee Retaliation Claims,” Minnesota CLE Webcast, July 2016
- “There’s No Smoking Gun: Proving Discrimination & Retaliation by Pretext,” National NELA Convention June, 2016
- “Not to be Overlooked – The Nuts and Bolts of 3730(h) Claims,” 2016 Taxpayers Against Fraud National Conference, September 2016
- “Employment Law: Navigating Lincoln’s Law – The False Claims Act for Employment Lawyers,” Minnesota CLE Webcast, 2017
- “The False Claims Act – Opportunities and Pratfalls,” Minnesota Association for Justice, 35th Annual Convention, 2017
- “Practical Issues in Damages Calculations,” Taxpayers Against Fraud National Conference, November 2017
- “False Claims Act 101 – What’s a Whistleblower to Do?” Eighth Circuit NELA Conference, 2018.
- “False Claims Act Enforcement from a Whistleblower Perspective – A Panel Discussion,” MSBA Health Law Section, April 2019.
- “Recent False Claims Act Development and Trends,” Gray Plant Mooty 23rd Annual Health Law Conference, July 2019.
- “Navigating the False Claims Act: Protecting Your Client’s Business, Whistleblowers, and Tax Dollars,” Minnesota CLE: “Government Contract Law: Fundamentals and Hot Topics,” January 2022
- “Winning the Whistleblower Case,” Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute, May 2022
- This panel provided an insider perspective from three of the top whistleblower attorneys in the nation-with collective recoveries in the billions of dollars. Jordan Thomas, Joshua Russ, and Clayton Halunen shared their years of experience and lessons learned in pursuing claims under SEC, FCA, MWA, and other whistleblower statutes. Thomas and Russ brought the added perspective of having worked for the SEC and the Department of Justice, respectively, before going into private practice. This discussion includes a practical understanding of unique elements of reward and whistleblower statutes, including interactions with the government, facts that make winning whistleblower cases, and best whistleblower practices for responsible organizations. Panel Planner and Moderator, Winning Whistleblower Claims, Minnesota CLE Employment Law Institute, HR, Employment, Health Care, Government Contracting, 2022
- “Handling Class Actions under the ADEA”, (Co-Author with Laurie A. McCann, Cathy Ventrell-Monsees), Employee Rights and Employment Law Journal (Chicago-Kent College of Law/Illinois Institute of Technology), Vol. 10, Number 2, 2006
Honors
- Super Lawyers, 2008
- Karla R. Wahl Dedicated Advocacy Award, Annual award given by the Minnesota Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association to honor someone who exemplifies dedicated advocacy, 2015
- AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell
- Northwestern University School of Law, Cum Laude, Order of the Coif
Office location for Susan M. Coler
IDS Center
80 South 8th Street #1650
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone: 612-699-0849
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2003 - 2004, 2006, 2008 - 2026
Top Lists
Top 50: Women Minnesota Super Lawyers: 2013, 2015 - 2016, 2019Certificates and credentials
Labor and Employment
