Mary Nikolai joined Gustafson Gluek as an associate in 2019 after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Luis Bartolomei, District Judge, Fourth Judicial District of Minnesota. Since joining Gustafson Gluek, Mary has represented individuals in asserting claims on behalf of themselves, a class, or both in the areas of consumer protection, product defect, and data privacy. Mary has been actively involved in several significant cases at Gustafson Gluek, including In re Google Digital Publisher Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Cal.), In re: Pacific Market International, LLC, Stanley Tumbler Litig. (W.D. Wash.) and In re: Change Healthcare, Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litig. (D. Minn.), in which the Firm has been appointed Overall Lead Counsel.
In addition to her busy caseload, Mary is actively involved in pro bono work through the Minnesota Federal Bar Association’s Pro Se Project, which connects pro se litigants to pro bono clients. Mary has been recognized as a North Star Lawyer for providing over 50 hours of pro bono legal services in a year. Mary was also selected by Minnesota Lawyer as Minnesota Attorney of the Year for her work on a pro bono matter in which she litigated claims against the Veterans Affairs Medical Center over injuries sustained by her client during his surgery and treatment at this facility.
Mary is also an active member of Minnesota Women Lawyers, where she serves on their Partner Leadership Council (PLC). Additionally, Mary is a member of the Federal Bar Association, serving as a co-chair of the FBA Bar Talk Newsletter. She is also a mentor for the University of St. Thomas School of Law Mentor Externship Program, helping law students build relationships and navigate the legal industry.
Mary holds a B.A. from DePaul University, where she majored in Spanish and minored in LGBTQ Studies. She graduated from the University of Saint Thomas School of Law, where she was named the 2017-2018 Clinic Student of the Year for her work in the Immigration Law Practice Group. During law school, Mary clerked for two Twin Cities law firms and served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Patrick Schiltz, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. She was also a Certified Student Attorney at the University of St. Thomas Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services, where she helped a family secure asylum and represented individuals at detained master calendar and bond hearings.
Family is a central part of Mary’s life. Mary, her husband, and daughter live in South Minneapolis, where they spend most weekend mornings walking to their local coffee shop with their sweet (and spoiled) French bulldog, Blue. Nearly every Sunday, they enjoy dinner with Mary’s parents, her five siblings, and her nieces and nephews. Outside of being with her family, Mary enjoys indulging in an amusing podcast or reading with her neighborhood book club.
For more information regarding Mary and a list of her representative cases, see below.
More About Mary
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University of St. Thomas School of Law, J.D. (2018)
DePaul University, B.A. (2012)
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Minnesota State Bar
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
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Minnesota Attorney of the Year (2022) by Minnesota Lawyer
North Star Lawyer (2021) by the Minnesota State Bar Association
Clinic Student of the Year (2017-2018) from University of St. Thomas
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Since joining Gustafson Gluek, Mary has had the opportunity to work on several different cases. Mary is currently part of the litigation team in In re: Change Healthcare, Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, MDL No. 24-3108 (D. Minn.). Mary and the litigation team represent Plaintiffs who were victims of the data security incident in early 2024, which exposed more than six terabytes of healthcare patients’ personal and health information and disabled the software that provided business operations to healthcare providers.
Mary was also part of the litigation team that represented a husband and wife (the Plaintiffs), who brought a Federal Tort Claims Act action against the United States alleging negligent care provided to the husband, a Vietnam War Veteran, during his 2014 stay at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Mary and the litigation team reached a successful settlement that will provide the needed assistance to the Plaintiffs as they continue to navigate the Plaintiff’s ongoing medical care. Mary, and the rest of the team, received Attorney of the Year recognition by Minnesota Lawyer for their work on that case.
Mary also helped facilitate the settlement in Bhatia v. 3M Co. (D. Minn.), a case in which Gustafson Gluek was Co-Lead Counsel representing a class of dentists who were suing 3M over a defective product. The case ultimately settled for $32.5 million for the class. Mary also represented and ultimately assisted in the settlement of, several former members of the nationwide FLSA collective alleging off-the-clock work in arbitrations throughout the country. Turner et al v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (D. Colo.)
Other Representative Cases:
Havrilla v. Centene Corp., et al. (N.D. Ill.)
Manmohan Dhillon, et al., v. Anheuser-Bush, LLC, et al. (Cal.)
Crowell, et al. v. FCA U.S. LLC (D. Del.)
In re: Shale Oil Litigation (D.N.M.)