In today's legal climate, creating a productive and efficient work environment presents employers with many challenges. Workplace standards for employers seem to be changing continually. We can help you comply with emerging labor and employment law, whether it is counseling you on legal requirements, representing you in court or handling union labor relations.

Helping You Protect Your Business

It is our business to help protect your business. We are on top of the latest issues and laws involving labor and employment. We can guide you on satisfying your legal obligations so you can better concentrate on running your business. Just a few examples of our successes in recent years are:

• Winning a jury trial for a village accused of religious discrimination;
• Obtaining a summary judgment against allegations that a corporate officer of a NYSE listed company sexually harassed his secretary;
• Winning a jury trial (and the subsequent appeal) for a national engineering firm regarding the termination of a managing engineer who claimed race discrimination and tortious interference by the company president;
• Persuading a federal district court to enforce (for the first time) a mandatory, pre-dispute employment arbitration agreement signed by an employee of a nationwide retail company;
• Successfully defending one of Chicago’s 50 largest companies in a racial discrimination trial before the Illinois Human Rights Commission;
• Assisting a small distribution company in winning a union representation election;
• Successfully negotiating wage decreases at a large manufacturing company’s unionized plants;
• Successfully challenging the validity of a U.S. Department of Labor regulation in a Family and Medical Leave Act claim for a nationwide food service company;
• Winning a jury trial for an insurer accused of race and pregnancy discrimination;
• Convincing government attorneys to vacate OSHA citations against two highway construction contractors whose employees were involved in fatal accidents;
• Obtaining dismissal of an ERISA case against a campground and time-share resort operator without the need for depositions or other costly discovery;
• Convincing an arbitrator to deny the Teamsters Union’s grievances on hiring of trucks and drivers not covered by a collective bargaining agreement; and
• Obtaining an injunction against union tactics designed to force a maintenance and repair company to reinstate a mechanic who had been stealing time.

Experience Produces Results

Our attorneys’ opinions are highly valued by businesses and associations. Many of our attorneys have been published in business, manufacturing and legal publications. They have written on a variety of employment and labor issues, including employment discrimination, sexual harassment, defamation and employment torts. Two of our attorneys have served as chair of the Chicago Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Committee and have been selected as leading labor and employment law attorneys in Illinois by both the Illinois Leading Lawyers Network and the Illinois Leading Attorneys Network. One of our attorneys has been elected a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and another attorney is Vice Chair of the American Bar Association TIPS Employer-Employee Relations Committee. Each year we speak at a variety of meetings and seminars for employers.

Representative Clients

Our clients range from small businesses with a few employees, to multi-billion dollar corporations with thousands of employees in a wide variety of industries and institutions, including:

• American Colloid Company
• Apartment Building Owners and Managers Association of Illinois (ABOMA)
• Community Specialists, L.P.
• Draper and Kramer, Incorporated
• Hotel Employers Labor Relations Association (HELRA)
• Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Inc.
• Magid Glove and Safety Manufacturing Company, Inc.
• Methode Electronics, Inc.
• Midway Games Inc.
• The Pep Boys
• Sudler
• Visa International

Comprehensive Labor and Employment Services

From strategy and training to compliance, litigation and labor relations, we can help with all your labor and employment issues.

Assessment and Compliance Compliance programs have proven effective in preventing workplace problems and avoiding government investigations and costly litigation. We customize compliance programs to meet your specific needs and provide ongoing training and consulting.

We can help you make sure you comply with the provisions of:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• National Labor Relations Act
• Labor Management Relations Act
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Occupational Safety and Health Act
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
• Executive Order 11246, and other laws requiring affirmative action
• State labor and employment laws

Employment Litigation From routine matters to headline-making cases, our litigators aggressively defend you before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. We try to resolve disputes in your favor quickly and handle pre-trial activity efficiently. When a trial becomes the best alternative, we aggressively and vigorously pursue your interests. We have repeatedly been successful in every area of labor and employment litigation.

Labor Union Relations When confronted with union organizing activities, you need to effectively present your position while avoiding unfair labor practice charges. We guide you through the union organizing process by training supervisors and helping create campaign materials that clearly and persuasively communicate your messages. Where unions are in place, we assist you with collective bargaining negotiations and arbitration hearings. We help you maintain peaceful labor relations without sacrificing the performance of your business.