Jeffrey B. Oberman

612.217.6441 | joberman@obermanthompson.com

Jeff’s Continuing Legal Education and other Presentations

Jeff’s Litigation Background

Jeff is one of Minnesota’s most experienced non-compete, executive and employment lawyers, with 35 years of counseling and litigation.  In addition to large and small, public and private companies, he has represented executives, professionals and other key employees for most of his career.  In 2003, after 27 years at large firms, Jeff co-founded Oberman Thompson.

Jeff primarily handles counseling and litigation issues unique to executives and other key employees, including employment, non-competition, executive and separation agreements; employment/agreement aspects of mergers and acquisitions; discipline and terminations; contract, non-compete and trade secret disputes; and shareholder/partner disputes.  He also provides mediation and arbitration services to disputing parties.  He excels at resolving complicated legal issues and disputes in a quick and practical way, but is well known and highly regarded litigator when litigation is necessary.  The majority of Jeff’s referrals are from other law firms – many who have opposed him in the past.

Jeff has presented dozens of Continuing Legal Education seminars on executive agreements, non-compete, confidentiality and trade secrets, executive issues relating to mergers and acquisitions, executive and minority shareholder/partner issues, sales force issues, and other employment, discrimination, discipline and termination issues. In 2012, he is presenting at least four seminars on Minnesota non-compete law: May 9 Business Law Institute – Protecting Your Business from Departing Executives and Key Employees; May 21 Employment Law Institute - Hiring an Employee with a Non-Compete Agreement; May 30 webcast on Business Protection Agreements and an Annotated Confidentiality, Noncompetition and Nonsolicitation Agreement; and Fall 2012 webcast presentation – Strategies for Non-Compete TROs, Litigation and Negotiation.  Jeff is also writing a chapter on employment agreements for the Minnesota CLE Business Law Desk book, The OnGoing Business.

Jeff is regularly recognized as a “Minnesota Super Lawyer” by Minnesota Law & Politics and other magazines. This honor is only given to 5% of the lawyers in Minnesota, and is based on annual peer nominations, an annual panel review process and annual independent research.  For 2012, Jeff is also a Blue Ribbon Panelist, which is a select group of lawyers chosen to help evaluate the nominees for 2012 Minnesota Super Lawyers.  Jeff has also been rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell® for the 15th straight year.  This is the highest rating that can be earned by an attorney.  It is the result of a Peer Review Rating™ process that is managed and monitored by Martindale-Hubbell®, which rates attorneys in both their ethical behavior and the quality of their legal work.

Jeff graduated from Michigan State University’s Honor’s College with High Honors and from Wayne State University Law School, magna cum laude, and interned with Wayne County Chief Circuit Judge Horace Gilmore. Jeff has been active in many bar association, community organization and pro bono activities.

He is also active in the community.  In addition to other volunteer work, Jeff serves on the Board of Directors for the United Jewish Fund and Council of St. Paul, and the Board of Directors for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, which is based in Minneapolis.

Jeff Oberman’s Legal Background

In 1976, Jeff Oberman started his practice at Doherty, Rumble & Butler, PA, the oldest and one of the most prominent law firms in Minnesota.  After five years as an associate, he was made a full equity shareholder. He remained at Doherty, Rumble & Butler until 1999. During his twenty three years at Doherty, Rumble & Butler, Jeff’s experience included the following:

  • He represented public and private companies, officers and executives, regarding employment law matters.
  • He managed employment law matters for clients – both in Minnesota and throughout the country.
  • He defended several major self-insured companies throughout the state of Minnesota in workers’ compensation claims.
  • He tried dozens of legal actions, including employment cases, workers’ compensation cases, contract disputes, partner/shareholder disputes, products liability cases and other litigation matters.
  • He was the Leader of the Employment and Labor Practice Management Group for several years.
  • He counseled Doherty, Rumble & Butler (as an employer) on its employment matters.

In 1999, Jeff joined Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP, which was at that time a 350-lawyer law firm, with 12 offices throughout the world.  Jeff initially joined Oppenheimer as a Partner, and was made a full equity partner after six months at the firm.  Jeff continued the same high level employment practice that he had been doing at Doherty, Rumble & Butler.  He continued to serve public and private corporations, officers and executives, in employment and litigation matters, and also counseled that firm in employment law matters.

In 2003, Jeff co-founded Oberman & Segal, LLC, an employment law and litigation boutique now known as Oberman Thompson.

In addition to his clients, Jeff’s primary referral sources are other lawyers in Minnesota – many of whom   initially met Jeff  as their opposing counsel  in negotiations or litigation.