Joshua Rissman joined Gustafson Gluek in 2010 and became a Member in 2018. Since joining the Firm, Josh has focused his practice on antitrust and class action litigation. Josh prides himself on vigorously representing small businesses and individuals damaged by wrongful corporate and government conduct. Josh has been actively involved in several significant antitrust cases for the Firm, including In re DPP Beef Litig. (D. Minn.) and In re Pork Antitrust Litig. (D. Minn.) and In re Boiler Chicken Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Ill.), in which Josh was a central part of the trial preparation team, that ultimately secured a settlement prior to trial of over $100 million for the class.
In addition to his antitrust class action practice, Josh has brought several pieces of important constitutional litigation involving the mistreatment of juvenile detainees and police brutality. He spearheaded a class action of protestors who were unlawfully subjected to tear gas and pepper spray in the protest following the George Floyd protest. Samaha, et al. v. City of Minneapolis, et al (D. Minn.). The case resulted in a historic injunction with the City of Minneapolis restricting the use of force at future protests. Josh also represented a former juvenile detainee who was abused at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Red Wing, which led to a significant monetary settlement. Doe v. Hanson et al. (Minn.) Josh was also the lead attorney in a section 1983constitutional rights action brought on behalf of the family of a man killed by Brooklyn Center police officers in 2015, defeating qualified immunity and earning a significant monetary settlement before trial. Khottavongsa v. City of Brooklyn Center (D. Minn.).
Josh was selected as a Minnesota “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in the area of antitrust litigation from 2014 to 2020 and has since been selected as a Minnesota “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers from 2021 to 2024. Josh is actively involved in the Minnesota Bar Association, where he serves as Secretary of the Antitrust Section.
Josh received both his undergraduate degree as well as his Juris Doctorate at the University of Minnesota, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor in Arts and cum laude with his JD.
When Josh is not working, he can often be found chasing the golf ball around the course and coaching his kids in lacrosse. Josh is a former lacrosse player for the University of Minnesota, where he was elected captain and earned 1st-team all-conference honors. Josh also enjoys outdoor adventures and traveling to new places with his spouse, Amy, his kids, and his extended family.
For more information regarding Josh and a list of his representative cases, see below.
More About Joshua
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University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., cum laude (2010)
University of Minnesota, B.A., magna cum laude (2005)
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Minnesota State Bar
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
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Minnesota Super Lawyer (2021-2024) by Super Lawyers
Minnesota Rising Star (2014-2020) by Super Lawyers
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Joshua Rissman is currently representing classes of individuals injured by anticompetitive conduct. He is representing consumers and businesses in price-fixing and supply restriction class actions against the meat industry, including In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Ill.), In re Pork Antitrust Litig. (D. Minn.) and In re DPP Beef Antitrust Litig. (D. Minn.). Gustafson Gluek has been named as Co-Lead Counsel in each action, and Josh has played an integral role in all aspects, including in getting classes certified in the Broilers and Pork matters. The cases have so far resulted in significant settlements for the classes in each case.
Josh will also play a significant role in the In re Granulated Sugar Antitrust Litig. (D. Minn), in which Dan Gustafson and the Firm have been appointed to leadership roles. In the Sugar case, plaintiffs are alleging that the sugar producing defendants conspired to fix and artificially raise the price of sugar.
Josh was also heavily involved in the litigation of Precision Assocs., Inc. v. Panalpina World Transport (Holding) Ltd. (E.D.N.Y.), an international price-fixing case against the freight forwarding industry, in which Gustafson Gluek was appointed Co-Lead Counsel and, which ultimately recovered over $450M in settlements.
In addition to his antitrust class action practice, Josh has brought several pieces of important constitutional litigation involving police brutality and the mistreatment of juvenile detainees. Josh was Lead Counsel in a class action on behalf of protestors who were unlawfully subjected to tear gas and pepper spray in the protest following the George Floyd protest in Samaha, et al. v. City of Minneapolis, et al (D. Minn.). The case settled for significant injunctive relief preventing the Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol from using excessive force against peaceful protestors, as well as important 1st amendment policy changes. Joshua also represented a former juvenile detainee who was abused at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Red Wing, and alleged that the administration was aware of the risks to the juvenile and failed to protect him in Doe v. Hanson et al. (Minn. Dist. Ct.) The case settled favorably for the plaintiff prior to trial. Josh was also the lead attorney in Khottavongsa v. City of Brooklyn Center (D. Minn.), a constitutional rights action brought on behalf of the family of a man killed by Brooklyn Center police officers by tasing him multiple times and ignoring his serious medical needs in 2015. Plaintiff largely defeated defendant’s motion for summary judgment on qualified immunity grounds, and the case settled favorably before trial.
Other Representative Cases:
In re Containerboard Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Ill.)
In National Hockey League Players’ Concussion Injury Litig. (D. Minn.)
In re Lithium Batteries Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Cal.)
In re Optical Disk Drives Litig. (N.D. Cal.)
In re Asacol Antitrust Litig. (D. Mass.)
In re Opana Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Ill.)
City of Wyoming et al. v. Procter & Gamble Company et al. (D. Minn.)