About V. John Ella, Esq.

A proven trial attorney with courtroom experience

V. John Ella has represented individuals, private businesses, non-profits, universities, and counties in dozens of defamation lawsuits across Minnesota. He also reviews book manuscripts for potential libel concerns. He has written about defamation law for the Minnesota Star Tribune and Minnesota Bench & Bar. He has presented continuing legal education seminars many times on the topic of defamation law for attorneys in Minnesota and Wisconsin. His practice includes all aspects of employment law, business law, commercial litigation, with an emphasis on defamation, employment defense and insurance defense.

Mr. Ella has obtained successful verdicts in state and federal district court trials and jury trials in Minnesota and Iowa. He has also appeared before the Minnesota Court of Appeals, the Minnesota Supreme Court, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Ella also advises businesses, employers, individual executives, and professionals in the areas of employment contracts, non-compete and trade secret litigation, handbooks, drug testing law, privacy law, commission claims, fraud, sexual harassment claims, employment and housing discrimination, ERISA benefits litigation, public accommodations under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and state law, wage and hour compliance, whistleblower and Sarbanes-Oxley claims, professional licensing issues, appeals, manufacturer sales representative contracts, and closely-held corporation and partnership disputes.

V. John Ella Presents Seminars on Defamation Law

V. John Ella is presenting a national two-hour webinar entitled “Litigating Defamation Cases (2024 Edition)” in conjunction with MyLawCLE and the Federal Bar Association on October 24, 2024. The webinar is available for on-demand viewing as well.

V. John Ella is presenting two legal education seminars on defamation law for Minnesota CLE. Minnesota CLE's "New Developments in Defamation Law Webcast Series" features V. John Ella as a speaker for two of the four presentations. V. John Ella speaks on December 12, 2023 along with attorney Timothy A. Sullivan on the topic of "Defamation Claims in Minnesota after Maethner v. Someplace Safe and Johnson v. Freborg" Two recent Minnesota Supreme Court decisions have altered the landscape for defamation claims in Minnesota. This seminar discusses how the court decided these important precedential decisions and how these decisions will impact the analysis of defamation claims moving forward.

Mr. Ella also speaks along with attorney Anna M. Swiecichowski on December 15, 2023 at noon on the topic of "Defamation in the Workplace and Defenses to Defamation Claims" Defamation claims arising out of the workplace present special challenges for both plaintiff and defense counsel. There are many possible defenses to a defamation claim, however, including the qualified privilege defense and several others.

Labor and employment law specialist

Mr. Ella was named a Minnesota Top 100 Super Lawyer in 2014. He is certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a Labor and Employment Law Specialist. He is also certified as an Information Privacy Professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Mr. Ella was appointed to the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice in 2010 and again in 2014 and also served on the Minnesota State Board of Legal Certification.

Mr. Ella worked as a Law Clerk for Judge Carol B. Amon, Eastern District of New York from 1996-1997 and for Judge William E. Kalar, Ninth Judicial District of Minnesota from 1994-1995.

After ten years as an attorney at a local general practice firm, he spent almost ten years at the nation’s second-largest labor and employment defense firm as a partner where he represented many Fortune 500 and large global corporations in all aspects of employment law. He joined Fafinski Mark & Johnson P.A. in 2023.

Mr. Ella is admitted to practice in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and New York.

Recent defamation cases

Some of V. John Ella's representative cases involving defamation claims:

Magee v. Trustees of the Hamline Univ., Civil No. 11-949 (JRT/AJB), 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45222, (D. Minn. March 29, 2013), affirmed 747 F.3d 532 (8th Cir. 2014)

Sherman v. Rinchem Company, Inc., No. 10-CV-2062 (PJS/FLN), 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87663 (D. Minn. 2011), affirmed 687 F.3d 996 (8th Cir. 2012)

Quinn v. St. Louis Co., No. 09-CV-1372 ADM/RLE, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43356 (D. Minn. 2010, affirmed 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 18481 (8th Cir. 2011)

Klinkhammer v. Anishanabe Legal Services, No. 08-6320, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59145 (D. Minn. 2009) (denying motion for remand) and U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33041 (D. Minn. 2010) (granting summary judgment)

Glenn v. Daddy Rocks, Inc., 171 F.Supp.2d 943 (D. Minn. 2001)