Employee to Lawyer: Recent Episodes
NELA-Illinois
The podcast is presented by NELA-Illinois, which is the Illinois Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association, a non-profit collection of attorneys who empower workplace rights. NELA attorneys have extensive practice in employment law and generally represent employees. NELA-Illinois was founded more than three decades ago. In addition to connecting employees to lawyers, NELA-Illinois is also advocating for legislative change.
Bryan has practiced employment law in Chicago his entire 20+ career, representing predominantly employees for over half that time. He has helped employees successfully transition jobs and recover for their losses without ever filing legal claims. He also has helped employees win multi-million dollar verdicts and awards after litigating vigorously as part of a team of attorneys. And he has helped companies comply with employment laws and defended wrongful termination actions.Bryan quit his first grocery store job after being refused a raise up to minimum wage and being told he was still expected to (illegally) operate the meat grinder (he was underage). He later drafted the employee handbook at his college grocery store job – working his way up from stocker to shift supervisor. He’s always been passionate about ensuring equality and civil rights – studying those issues extensively in college.Learn More: https://www.jbryanwoodlaw.com/Learn More: https://kaplanlawatx.com/
The managing partner of Dinolt Becnel & Wells Investigative Group LLC and the author of two investigative books, Philip Becnel has been a private detective for twenty-five years. His first book, Introduction to Conducting Private Investigations, is on its third edition and has sold over 10,000 copies. His second book, Principles of Investigative Documentation, came out in its second edition in January 2024. Philip’s firm specializes in plaintiff-side employment litigation and qui tam investigations, but he investigates “anything worth investigating.” He has testified as an expert witness, including about the reasonable standards of documenting an internal investigation. He has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from George Mason University and a master’s in criminal justice from Boston University. He is a licensed private investigator in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.Links:Dinolt Becnel & Wells Investigative Group LLC:https://dinolt.comPrinciples of Investigative Documentation: Get the book
Naomi Frisch is a Chicago-based attorney, musician, and community leader. She is a labor and employment lawyer, working on worker and union side cases since 2018. Frisch holds a Juris Doctorate, Magna cum Laude, from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.Legal Career:As a lawyer, Frisch focuses on labor and employment law, representing workers and unions in various cases. She has been working in this field since May 2018.Music Career:Frisch is also a talented musician, holding principal Oboe positions in the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. She has a robust career as a freelance orchestral musician, soloist, and chamber music collaborator. Frisch also enjoys coaching woodwind chamber music for the award-winning Midwest Young Artists Conservatory.Community Involvement:Frisch has served on the board of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association since 2012. She is also involved in various community activities, including working as a PILI intern at the Legal Assistance Foundation in Chicago.
When:Thursday, September 26, 2024, 8:00 AM until 4:30 PMWhere:The Chicago Bar AssociationThe Chicago Bar Association321 S. Plymouth CourtChicago, IL 60604Register Now: https://nela-il.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=4002&club_id=853437&item_id=2353547
Barbara J. Bell, Attorney at Law, fills a valuable niche helping police officers, firefighters and municipal employees gain access to retirement pensions. Ms. Bell works with individuals as well as with labor unions. In addition, she provides professional estate planning services for individuals and assists family members through the probate process.Learn More:https://www.bjbelllaw.com/
Bryan has practiced employment law in Chicago his entire 20+ career, representing predominantly employees for over half that time. He has helped employees successfully transition jobs and recover for their losses without ever filing legal claims. He also has helped employees win multi-million dollar verdicts and awards after litigating vigorously as part of a team of attorneys. And he has helped companies comply with employment laws and defended wrongful termination actions.Bryan quit his first grocery store job after being refused a raise up to minimum wage and being told he was still expected to (illegally) operate the meat grinder (he was underage). He later drafted the employee handbook at his college grocery store job – working his way up from stocker to shift supervisor. He’s always been passionate about ensuring equality and civil rights – studying those issues extensively in college.Learn More: https://www.jbryanwoodlaw.com/Learn More: https://kaplanlawatx.com/
Naomi Frisch is a Chicago-based attorney, musician, and community leader. She is a labor and employment lawyer, working on worker and union side cases since 2018. Frisch holds a Juris Doctorate, Magna cum Laude, from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.Legal Career:As a lawyer, Frisch focuses on labor and employment law, representing workers and unions in various cases. She has been working in this field since May 2018.Music Career:Frisch is also a talented musician, holding principal Oboe positions in the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra. She has a robust career as a freelance orchestral musician, soloist, and chamber music collaborator. Frisch also enjoys coaching woodwind chamber music for the award-winning Midwest Young Artists Conservatory.Community Involvement:Frisch has served on the board of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association since 2012. She is also involved in various community activities, including working as a PILI intern at the Legal Assistance Foundation in Chicago.Get tickets to her August Performance:AUGUST 15, 2024SHIFTING WINDSOur IPO Woodwind Quintet, led by IPO principal oboist Naomi Bensdorf Frisch, closes out the 2024 IPO Summer @ Olympia Fields Country Club chamber series.https://ipomusic.org/ipo-summer-olympia-fields-2024/
Founding Partner Fish Potter Bolaños, P.C. Nieves represents workers in wage and hour, False Claims Act, and employment discrimination and retaliation litigation. She has significant litigation experience at the state and federal level, as well as with local administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. Nieves’ experience includes representation of single plaintiffs, class and collective actions at all stages of litigation, and she has litigating False Claims Act cases and large class action cases with exceptional results, including a $14 million settlement in a class action sexual harassment case in Brown, et al. v. Cook County, et al., No. 17-cv-8085 (N.D. Ill. 2020).Learn more:https://www.fishlawfirm.com/For Nela Nationals Convention information:https://www.nela.org/programs-events/convention/
This week Amit and Max talk about some federal changes that you might want to know about.Check out Amit's Shout Out's:National Domestic Violence Hotlinehttps://www.thehotline.org/Chicago Debateshttps://www.chicagodebates.org/
The managing partner of Dinolt Becnel & Wells Investigative Group LLC and the author of two investigative books, Philip Becnel has been a private detective for twenty-five years. His first book, Introduction to Conducting Private Investigations, is on its third edition and has sold over 10,000 copies. His second book, Principles of Investigative Documentation, came out in its second edition in January 2024. Philip’s firm specializes in plaintiff-side employment litigation and qui tam investigations, but he investigates “anything worth investigating.” He has testified as an expert witness, including about the reasonable standards of documenting an internal investigation. He has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from George Mason University and a master’s in criminal justice from Boston University. He is a licensed private investigator in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
This week Max and Amit talk sports. Some interesting scandals are happening in the NBA. WNBA doesen't make as much as NBA....
This week Michael Reed & Jason Simotake join the show to talk about small business law from their perspective.To learn more:Michael Reed:https://chireedlegal.comJason Shimotake:https://bankruptcychicagoland.com
Helen Bloch is the founder of the Law Offices of Helen Bloch, P.C., and it is a certified female owned business. She has over 20 years of legal experience. After graduating from law school, Helen worked as a prosecutor and defense attorney for the City of Chicago. She then worked as an Associate Attorney with Bellows and Bellows, P.C., before founding her firm. Helen works with a diverse range of clients, from fortune 500 executives to employees, and including large corporations to small family owned businesses. She has practiced in state and federal courts, and in arbitration forums, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. She often works with senior executives to negotiate their employment and severance agreements, and negotiating non competes and non solicits. Helen also has extensive worker’s compensation practice. She routinely lectures on legal and business topics, including gender roles in the law. In addition to her legal work, Helen is heavily involved in her community. She is the past President of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, which awarded her the Presidential Citation in 2015 and the Intra Society Award of Merit in 2001. And she is a member of several other associations. She is also a member of the Lawyers Division of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, a life member of Hadassah, and a member of AIPAC. Helen received her JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT, and received her BA from Yeshiva University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.Learn More:https://www.blochpc.com
Hi! I’m Chiquita Hall-Jackson, licensed attorney, adjunct law professor, employment law expert and founder of Hall-Jackson and Associates, PLLC, and there’s nothing I’m more relentless about than giving those who’ve been silenced in the backroom, the boardroom and everywhere in between a voice to be heard.Learn More:https://chiquitahall-jackson.com/Follow:@blowthewhistlelaw on all social media platforms
Jim began fighting for the rights of injured while he was still in law school. Since that time, he has dedicated his entire legal career to justice for people who have had their lives changed by tragic injury. He focuses on developing the best strategy for each client’s case, preparing the case for trial from the beginning–as that is the most-direct path to a successful outcome.Learn More: https://cgtrial.comCheck out Jim's podcast on iTunes: Coogan Knows The Law
For more than twenty years, Heather Leonard has dedicated her practice exclusively to resolving the legal disputes that arise out of the employer/employee relationship. Heather practices out of Birmingham Alabama specializing in Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination & FMLA/ADA cases. She has won multiple multi-million dollar settlements for her clients.For more information:https://www.employmentlawal.com/
Anita Mazumdar Chambers is a principal at The Employment Law Group® law firm, where she primarily focuses on matters of discrimination and retaliation. She has extensive experience in conducting corporate investigations to identify and resolve issues before needing to resort to legal action. Ms. Chambers also works in whistleblower protection, severance negotiations, and employee counseling.Learn More:https://www.employmentlawgroup.com/our-team/attorneys-staff/attorneys/anita-mazumdar-chambers/
This week Michael Reed & Jason Simotake join the show to talk about small business law from their perspective. To learn more:Michael Reed:chireedlegal.com Jason Shimotake:https://bankruptcychicagoland.com/
Jim began fighting for the rights of injured while he was still in law school. Since that time, he has dedicated his entire legal career to justice for people who have had their lives changed by tragic injury. He focuses on developing the best strategy for each client’s case, preparing the case for trial from the beginning–as that is the most-direct path to a successful outcome.Learn More: https://cgtrial.comCheck out Jim's podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coogan-knows-the-law/id1701005291
For more than twenty years, Heather Leonard has dedicated her practice exclusively to resolving the legal disputes that arise out of the employer/employee relationship. Heather practices out of Birmingham Alabama specializing in Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination & FMLA/ADA cases. She has won multiple multi-million dollar settlements for her clients. For more information:https://www.employmentlawal.com/
This week Max and Amit break down some of the interesting lawsuits in professional sports.
Partner, Friedman & Houlding LLP. Joshua Friedman, a 1985 graduate of Columbia Law School, represents employees in racial harassment, sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits. Mr. Friedman's practice is focused exclusively on representing plaintiffs in employment and education harassment, discrimination and retaliation law suits, and class action law suits.
Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Illinois Human Rights Commission Hon. Brian Weinthal returns to talk about how he got to where he is today.
Chief Administrative Law Judge Hon. Brian Weinthal joined the Illinois Human Rights Commission as the Chief Administrative Law Judge in February of 2022. Prior to serving as Chief Administrative Law Judge, Mr. Weinthal spent nearly twenty years in private practice, appearing as a litigator in both commercial and employment cases in courts around the country. Although he has extensive experience trying cases as a "first-chair" lawyer, Chief Judge Weinthal is also a trained advocate who previously represented clients at a broad range of alternative dispute resolution ("ADR") proceedings, including both mediations and arbitrations. He is a member of the bars of Illinois, California, and the District of Columbia (where he previously served as a mediator for the D.C. Superior Court). Before working in private practice, Judge Weinthal spent six years on active military duty with the United States Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG). Eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Judge Weinthal defended clients at contested court-martials involving allegations of inchoate, pecuniary, and violent crimes. As his final duty with the U.S. Navy, Judge Weinthal served as prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions—the litigating unit responsible for indicting suspected terrorists confined by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Chief Judge Weinthal received his law degree from Northwestern University, with a concentration in "Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution." He also holds an advanced law degree (an LL.M.) in "Litigation and Dispute Resolution" from the George Washington University School of Law. Judge Weinthal is admitted to the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and was previously awarded several high honors by the United States military, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Chief Judge Weinthal is a strong proponent of personal relationships and mentoring, and a staunch advocate of greater diversity and equality in all settings.
Emily Chase-Sosnoff focuses her legal practice on providing advice and representation to management clients in matters related to labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims.
Learn More: https://www.fordharrison.com/EmilyChase-Sosnoff
Emily Chase-Sosnoff focuses her legal practice on providing advice and representation to management clients in matters related to labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. Learn More: https://www.fordharrison.com/EmilyChase-Sosnoff
Founding Partner Fish Potter Bolaños, P.C. Nieves represents workers in wage and hour, False Claims Act, and employment discrimination and retaliation litigation. She has significant litigation experience at the state and federal level, as well as with local administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. Nieves’ experience includes representation of single plaintiffs, class and collective actions at all stages of litigation, and she has litigating False Claims Act cases and large class action cases with exceptional results, including a $14 million settlement in a class action sexual harassment case in Brown, et al. v. Cook County, et al., No. 17-cv-8085 (N.D. Ill. 2020).Learn more:https://www.fishlawfirm.com/For Nela Nationals Convention information: https://www.nela.org/programs-events/convention/
Andrea returns to talk about her journey leading up to where she is today. Andrea Herran is the Founder and Principal of Focus HR Consulting. Andrea developed a passion for Human Resources and Leadership from the beginning of her career. One thing she noticed about working with people is you see the good, bad and the ugly from managers and employees. Overcoming the bad and ugly was a challenge she would take on and learning from the good and great made a lasting impression on Andrea. She bring those learning to her clients and team each day.Learn More:https://focushr.biz/about-us/
Richard Gordon returns to talk about how he got started in law and how he has grown his firm over the years.Richard has a record of success, earning his clients millions in settlements and being recognized as both a Super Lawyer and one of Chicago’s Top Forty under 40 attorneys to watch. He represents individuals in complex personal injury lawsuits and professional workers’ compensation claims.Learn More: https://gordonlawchicago.com/
Andrea Herran is the Founder and Principal of Focus HR Consulting. Andrea developed a passion for Human Resources and Leadership from the beginning of her career. One thing she noticed about working with people is you see the good, bad and the ugly from managers and employees. Overcoming the bad and ugly was a challenge she would take on and learning from the good and great made a lasting impression on Andrea. She bring those learning to her clients and team each day.Learn More:https://focushr.biz/about-us/
This week Max and Amit talk with Richard Gordon owner of Gordon Law Offices in Chicago.Richard has a record of success, earning his clients millions in settlements and being recognized as both a Super Lawyer and one of Chicago’s Top Forty under 40 attorneys to watch. He represents individuals in complex personal injury lawsuits and professional workers’ compensation claims.Learn More: https://gordonlawchicago.com/
This week Amit and Max break down the recent updates to the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
This week Amit and Max talk about some of the recent scandals, resolutions and events related to employment law in professional sports.
This week Amit and Max beak down some of the changes to non compete agreements federally and IL statewide.
This week Amit and Max break down some of the legal changes going into effect in 2023 related to employment law.
Charles R. Franklin is a Managing Partner at Franklin, Greenswag, Channon & Capilla, LLC. Since 1980, Charlie’s law practice has focused on representing professionals in malpractice claims, lawsuits and disciplinary hearings. Charlie also counsels clients (both companies and policy-holders) in insurance coverage disputes, presentation of claims, and recovery. He has successfully argued before the Illinois Supreme Court. Charlie continues to serve as a “neutral” or independent arbitrator appointed by insureds and insurers. For several years he has been elected an Illinois “Super Lawyer” and peer reviewed rated “AV Preeminent” with Martindale-Hubbell. Charlie was a founder and original board member of the Claims Association of Greater Chicago. He attended the United States Air Force Academy, has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and law degree from the University of Miami.Contact Charlie at: cfranklin@fgcclaw.com Phone: 847-701-2250Learn More: https://fgcclaw.comLearn More about the Future Institute: https://futureinstitute.us.
Lorena Blonsky has successfully serviced over 250 clients by placing professionals in a variety of roles, from entry level to executive. She has conducted search assignments in a variety of industries and across many functional areas including technology, finance, sales and marketing, human resources, operations and general management.
Prior to founding LMB Associates in 1989, Lorena was a Senior Associate at Korn/Ferry International. She earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago and a BA in Economics from Cornell University.
Lorena is a Past President of the University of Chicago Women’s Business Group and of Congregation B’nai Torah. Lorena currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Southeast Lake County Faith in Action Volunteers. In addition, she serves on the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network and is an active member of Trusted Advisors Council and leads the Northbrook chapter.
Learn More:
https://www.lmbassociates.com/
Charles R. Franklin is a Managing Partner at Franklin, Greenswag, Channon & Capilla, LLC. Since 1980, Charlie’s law practice has focused on representing professionals in malpractice claims, lawsuits and disciplinary hearings. Charlie also counsels clients (both companies and policy-holders) in insurance coverage disputes, presentation of claims, and recovery. He has successfully argued before the Illinois Supreme Court. Charlie continues to serve as a “neutral” or independent arbitrator appointed by insureds and insurers. For several years he has been elected an Illinois “Super Lawyer” and peer reviewed rated “AV Preeminent” with Martindale-Hubbell. Charlie was a founder and original board member of the Claims Association of Greater Chicago. He attended the United States Air Force Academy, has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and law degree from the University of Miami.
Contact Charlie at: cfranklin@fgcclaw.com Phone: 847-701-2250
Learn More: https://fgcclaw.com
Learn More about the Future Institute: https://futureinstitute.us
Lorena Blonsky has successfully serviced over 250 clients by placing professionals in a variety of roles, from entry level to executive. She has conducted search assignments in a variety of industries and across many functional areas including technology, finance, sales and marketing, human resources, operations and general management.
Prior to founding LMB Associates in 1989, Lorena was a Senior Associate at Korn/Ferry International. She earned an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago and a BA in Economics from Cornell University.
Lorena is a Past President of the University of Chicago Women’s Business Group and of Congregation B’nai Torah. Lorena currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Southeast Lake County Faith in Action Volunteers. In addition, she serves on the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network and is an active member of Trusted Advisors Council and leads the Northbrook chapter.
Learn More: https://www.lmbassociates.com/
Jim Klein, Founder and President, Acrobat Marketing, Inc.
Before starting Acrobat, Klein began his career in account management with the multi-national Madison Avenue firm, Grey Advertising in New York, and later moved to the Lee King and Partners ad agency in Chicago.
Attracted to opportunities in packaging and promotions, Klein joined The Packaging House, Chicago, and rose to become their national vice president of sales. An entrepreneurial instinct became irresistible in the booming 1990s, and Klein created his own business, a firm specializing in merchandising. This became quite successful, allowing Klein to acquire, then sell, three related firms during this period.
Klein is a member of the Acquisition Committee and Advisory Board of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University. He has also been active at the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, serving as President of two centers.
Klein has a B.A. from the University of Illinois and a Masters in Advertising and Marketing from the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism.
learn more:
http://www.acrobatmarketing.com/bio.html
David defends employers in state and federal courts across the country in single-plaintiff and class and collective action litigation involving trade secrets, restrictive covenants, breach of contract, wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. He also represents employers before federal and state agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the Illinois Department of Labor.
Learn More:
https://btlaw.com/people/david-weldon
Before starting Acrobat, Klein began his career in account management with the multi-national Madison Avenue firm, Grey Advertising in New York, and later moved to the Lee King and Partners ad agency in Chicago.
Attracted to opportunities in packaging and promotions, Klein joined The Packaging House, Chicago, and rose to become their national vice president of sales. An entrepreneurial instinct became irresistible in the booming 1990s, and Klein created his own business, a firm specializing in merchandising. This became quite successful, allowing Klein to acquire, then sell, three related firms during this period.
Klein is a member of the Acquisition Committee and Advisory Board of the Mary and Leigh Block Museum at Northwestern University. He has also been active at the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, serving as President of two centers.
Klein has a B.A. from the University of Illinois and a Masters in Advertising and Marketing from the Northwestern Medill School of Journalism.
http://www.acrobatmarketing.com/bio.html
Athena Herman began practicing law with Benassi & Benassi immediately after graduating from law school in 1997. She was privileged to learn employment law and litigation with Patricia Benassi, a co-founder of Benassi & Benassi with her husband, A. Lou Benassi. While Lou Benassi focused on family law, medical malpractice and personal injury, Patricia Benassi and Athena Herman worked as a team on civil rights/employment cases on behalf of employees.
Together, they obtained the biggest jury verdicts of the firm’s history, including Ryan & Gillespie v. DCFS (Constitutional rights, $4.9 million); David v. Caterpillar (Title VII, $850,000); and Albright v. Caterpillar (workers’ compensation retaliation, $1.76 million). They also obtained many favorable settlements against some of the largest employers, e.g., Radmanovich & Mausshardt v. Combined Insurance Company of America (class action sex discrimination, $9 million); Woodward v. Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America (class action race discrimination); Burwell v. City of Peoria ($550,000 gender discrimination and retaliation for a single plaintiff); and $1.1 million on behalf of a white security guard and white teachers against Peoria Public School District 150 (“reverse” race discrimination and retaliation).
Learn More: https://www.athenahermanlaw.com/
Jim Doppke is a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. He is currently serving as Co-Chair of the CBA’s Professional Responsibility Committee.
Learn more: https://rsmdlaw.com/our-team/jim-doppke-illinois-legal-ethics-attorney/
This is part 2 of 2
David Lee returns to answer questions from Nela Illinois members
Attorney David L. Lee has practiced and taught law for over forty years.
From 1984 to 1991, Attorney Lee was a full-time clinical professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's nationally-recognized clinic on employment discrimination. Since approximately 1984, Attorney Lee has concentrated his practice on representing employees in severance negotiations, contract negotiations, discrimination claims, harassment claims, retaliation claims, wrongful-discharge claims, overtime claims, wage claims, commission claims, and employee-benefit claims.
Attorney Lee is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Section of Labor and Employment Law of the American Bar Association. He speaks frequently to lawyers and human resources personnel on issues concerning employment law and is a Hearing Officer for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights and an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the National Futures Association. He has also published extensively on employment law, legal writing, civil procedure, and other aspects of the practice of law.
Jim Doppke is a member of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility. He is currently serving as Co-Chair of the CBA’s Professional Responsibility Committee.
Learn more: https://rsmdlaw.com
David J. Fish, Founding Partner - Fish Potter Bolaños, P.C.
David has served as lead counsel in hundreds of cases and disputes, has helped to recover tens of millions of dollars for his clients, and has tried a number of substantial cases to verdict. He has represented a broad array of clients ranging from large publicly traded companies to janitors and they are all important to him and his firm.
Learn More: https://www.fishlawfirm.com/
David Lee returns to answer questions from Nela Illinois members in part one of two episodes.
Attorney David L. Lee has practiced and taught law for over forty years.
From 1984 to 1991, Attorney Lee was a full-time clinical professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's nationally-recognized clinic on employment discrimination. Since approximately 1984, Attorney Lee has concentrated his practice on representing employees in severance negotiations, contract negotiations, discrimination claims, harassment claims, retaliation claims, wrongful-discharge claims, overtime claims, wage claims, commission claims, and employee-benefit claims.
Attorney Lee is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Section of Labor and Employment Law of the American Bar Association. He speaks frequently to lawyers and human resources personnel on issues concerning employment law and is a Hearing Officer for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights and an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the National Futures Association. He has also published extensively on employment law, legal writing, civil procedure, and other aspects of the practice of law.
Sture Legal Services, LLC is a small firm located in Indianapolis and represents clients statewide. Experienced and knowledgeable, our firm is committed to assisting clients in the following areas:
Small Business
Employment Law
Mediation Services
Social Security Disability
Learn More:
http://www.sturelaw.com
Sture Legal Services, LLC is a small firm located in Indianapolis and represents clients statewide. Experienced and knowledgeable, our firm is committed to assisting clients in the following areas:
Small Business Employment Law Mediation Services Social Security Disability
Learn More: http://www.sturelaw.com/
Denise Debelle returns to talk about starting out in law, working on political campaigns, and assisting with condo association issues for associations and owners.
Learn More: www.debelle-law.com
This week Amit & Max break down the MLB players lockout this baseball season, and how it's similar an different to other strike situations.
As a management side labor and employment attorney and human resources (HR) counselor, Charles Krugel, has 25 years of experience in the field and has been running his own practice for 20 years. His clients are small to medium sized companies in a variety of industries. Charles has been lead negotiator for hundreds of labor and employment agreements and contracts. Additionally, he’s litigated dozens of court cases, administrative proceedings and arbitrations. In addition to providing traditional labor and employment law services, he represents companies desiring to institute preventive and proactive HR functions. These functions include policies and procedures, which help to efficiently and discreetly resolve issues in-house and prevent lawsuits and complaints; they also help to reduce costs and act as catalysts for increasing productivity and profits. Moreover, he's won multiple awards for his work, and he’s frequently the subject of labor and employment law related TV, radio and print interviews.
Learn More:
www.charlesakrugel.com
This week Amit and Max talk about the current scandals related to employment law in the NFL.
Denise DeBelle has been an attorney for over twenty years. Currently she operates her solo practice out of her office in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, where she practices in the areas of employment law and association representation.
After graduating law school, Denise was Legislative Liaison for Chicago Alderman Mary Ann Smith. In 1992, she established a law practice serving a moderate-income clientele in employment, real estate, housing discrimination and administrative appeals, including Social Security Disability appeals. She left her practice for five years to work in the non-profit sector, which included director of a campaign finance reform project for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
For the last several years, Denise has concentrated in the following representation: individuals in all manner of employment disputes, (including discrimination, unpaid overtime and American Disability Act/Family Medical Leave Act litigation); and condominium associations, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations in a variety of governance matters, litigation and employee relations issues. She also represents both landlords and tenants in forcible entry (eviction) lawsuits.
Learn more: https://www.debelle-law.com/
As a management side labor and employment attorney and human resources (HR) counselor, Charles Krugel, has 25 years of experience in the field and has been running his own practice for 20 years. His clients are small to medium sized companies in a variety of industries. Charles has been lead negotiator for hundreds of labor and employment agreements and contracts. Additionally, he’s litigated dozens of court cases, administrative proceedings and arbitrations. In addition to providing traditional labor and employment law services, he represents companies desiring to institute preventive and proactive HR functions. These functions include policies and procedures, which help to efficiently and discreetly resolve issues in-house and prevent lawsuits and complaints; they also help to reduce costs and act as catalysts for increasing productivity and profits. Moreover, he's won multiple awards for his work, and he’s frequently the subject of labor and employment law related TV, radio and print interviews.
Learn More: www.charlesakrugel.com
Jerry is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin School of Law in Madison, Wisconsin, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Prior to starting his own practice, he was an associate at Skadden and at Sidley, both in Chicago. He’s also a former law clerk for the Honorable Jennifer B. Coffman, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and for the Western District of Kentucky.
Jerry is also an amateur cook, and roots for the Yankees when baseball is in season.
Learn More:
https://fitzgeraldbramwell.com/
Alexandra Sossa has more than 32 years of experience performing community outreach and education for very low-income Latinx immigrants. She has a long history of public service dating back to her work with coffee plantation workers in Colombia, where she also worked for nearly a decade with the Attorney General’s Office. She has educated low-income workers on their rights in the United States, Spain, and Colombia. While in Spain, Alexandra helped citizens of Mexico navigate through the Spanish legal system via the Mexican Embassy.
https://www.flapillinois.org/
Jerry is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin School of Law in Madison, Wisconsin, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Prior to starting his own practice, he was an associate at Skadden and at Sidley, both in Chicago. He’s also a former law clerk for the Honorable Jennifer B. Coffman, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and for the Western District of Kentucky.
Jerry is also an amateur cook, and roots for the Yankees when baseball is in season.
Learn More: https://fitzgeraldbramwell.com/
Charlie Wysong is a partner with Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. He counsels and represents clients on a wide range of legal issues, with a focus on civil rights, labor and employment litigation, whistleblower and qui tam claims, education law, and complex business litigation.
He actively litigates in state and federal court, including appeals before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and Illinois Appellate Court. He also represents clients before administrative agencies such as the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Human Rights, and National Labor Relations Board.
Learn more:
https://www.hsplegal.com
Alexandra Sossa has more than 32 years of experience performing community outreach and education for very low-income Latinx immigrants. She has a long history of public service dating back to her work with coffee plantation workers in Colombia, where she also worked for nearly a decade with the Attorney General’s Office. She has educated low-income workers on their rights in the United States, Spain, and Colombia. While in Spain, Alexandra helped citizens of Mexico navigate through the Spanish legal system via the Mexican Embassy.
https://www.flapillinois.org/
Jennifer Mondino is Director of Legal Programs, TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. Immediately prior to joining the National Women’s Law Center in August 2018, Jennifer spent eight years as a Senior Trial Attorney with the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where her practice focused on pattern-or-practice investigations of police departments and other law enforcement agencies, including litigating and negotiating settlement agreements to resolve investigative findings. She played a leading role in the DOJ’s investigation of the Baltimore Police Department, litigation against Sheriff Joseph Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, the investigation of law enforcement in Missoula, Montana, the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s first pattern-or-pattern investigation to focus on the collective law enforcement response to allegations of sexual assault, and in drafting the DOJ guidance released in 2015 on preventing gender bias in the law enforcement response to sexual assault and domestic violence. During her tenure with the DOJ, she also spent a year on detail as an Attorney Advisor with the DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW), where she provided policy advice to the Department and legal counsel to OVW and its grantees.
Ms. Mondino’s legal career has been focused on civil rights and women’s rights issues, with a particular emphasis on legal advocacy on behalf of undocumented women and survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Her previous experience includes working for the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project in New York City, and the international law firm Mayer Brown LLP. She received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law and B.S. from the University of Virginia.
Learn More:
TIME’S UP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
nwlc.org/
Chiquita Hall-Jackson is The founder of the Hall Jackson & Associates, P.C. She received a B.A. in political science and public law, with a minor in communication studies from Northern Illinois University. She earned her JD from Southern University Law Center, where she served as SULC’s Law Clinic Extern and studied abroad in International Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. In addition, she worked as a mediator at the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Chiquita’s practice includes pursuing claims for victims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as whistleblower retaliation.
https://www.hall-jacksonandassociates.com/
https://witscholars.org
Michele Katz, the founder of the intellectual property law firm Advitam IP, LLC, has provided powerful expertise in client counseling, strategic analysis, licensing, prosecution and litigation in all areas of intellectual property (IP) law for 20+ years. Her diverse skill set and drive to deliver results applies equally to obtaining trademark and copyright registrations and issued patents, as it does in obtaining favorable outcomes in state and federal court and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), US Customs, and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. As a certified mediator, Michele has also brought parties to creative solutions for their disputes.
Learn More:
www.advitamip.com
https://plusoneadoption.org/
Athena Herman began practicing law with Benassi & Benassi immediately after graduating from law school in 1997. She was privileged to learn employment law and litigation with Patricia Benassi, a co-founder of Benassi & Benassi with her husband, A. Lou Benassi. While Lou Benassi focused on family law, medical malpractice and personal injury, Patricia Benassi and Athena Herman worked as a team on civil rights/employment cases on behalf of employees.
Together, they obtained the biggest jury verdicts of the firm’s history, including Ryan & Gillespie v. DCFS (Constitutional rights, $4.9 million); David v. Caterpillar (Title VII, $850,000); and Albright v. Caterpillar (workers’ compensation retaliation, $1.76 million). They also obtained many favorable settlements against some of the largest employers, e.g., Radmanovich & Mausshardt v. Combined Insurance Company of America (class action sex discrimination, $9 million); Woodward v. Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America (class action race discrimination); Burwell v. City of Peoria ($550,000 gender discrimination and retaliation for a single plaintiff); and $1.1 million on behalf of a white security guard and white teachers against Peoria Public School District 150 (“reverse” race discrimination and retaliation).
Learn More: https://www.athenahermanlaw.com
Charlie Wysong is a partner with Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. He counsels and represents clients on a wide range of legal issues, with a focus on civil rights, labor and employment litigation, whistleblower and qui tam claims, education law, and complex business litigation.
He actively litigates in state and federal court, including appeals before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and Illinois Appellate Court. He also represents clients before administrative agencies such as the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Department of Human Rights, and National Labor Relations Board.
Learn more: hsplegal.com
Jennifer Mondino is Director of Legal Programs, TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. Immediately prior to joining the National Women’s Law Center in August 2018, Jennifer spent eight years as a Senior Trial Attorney with the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where her practice focused on pattern-or-practice investigations of police departments and other law enforcement agencies, including litigating and negotiating settlement agreements to resolve investigative findings. She played a leading role in the DOJ’s investigation of the Baltimore Police Department, litigation against Sheriff Joseph Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, the investigation of law enforcement in Missoula, Montana, the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s first pattern-or-pattern investigation to focus on the collective law enforcement response to allegations of sexual assault, and in drafting the DOJ guidance released in 2015 on preventing gender bias in the law enforcement response to sexual assault and domestic violence. During her tenure with the DOJ, she also spent a year on detail as an Attorney Advisor with the DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW), where she provided policy advice to the Department and legal counsel to OVW and its grantees.
Ms. Mondino’s legal career has been focused on civil rights and women’s rights issues, with a particular emphasis on legal advocacy on behalf of undocumented women and survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Her previous experience includes working for the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project in New York City, and the international law firm Mayer Brown LLP. She received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law and B.S. from the University of Virginia.
Learn More:
https://nwlc.org/times-up-legal-defense-fund
https://nwlc.org
This week Amit and Max recap a couple of stories from the NFL related to employment law and give a shout out to all of our amazing guest from 2021.
This week Karen Doran returns to talk about her work on VESSA law & cases related to sexual harassment.
Learn More: https://www.karendoranlaw.com
Rachel Ablin is the founder of Ablin Law, PC, a firm that specializes in providing employers with expert, professional and confidential workplace investigation solutions in the areas of harassment, discrimination, policy and employee code of conduct violations and other legal violations.
Ms. Ablin has extensive employment law experience working with both employers and employees. Prior to starting Ablin Law, she worked for over 19 years as in-house employment counsel for Walgreens. In her role at Walgreens, she provided expert legal counsel to clients on a broad spectrum of employment and labor law issues.
Learn More:
https://ablinlaw.com/
Amit and Max go over the recent NBA workplace harassment accusations within the Suns organization.
Michele Katz, the founder of the intellectual property law firm Advitam IP, LLC, has provided powerful expertise in client counseling, strategic analysis, licensing, prosecution and litigation in all areas of intellectual property (IP) law for 20+ years. Her diverse skill set and drive to deliver results applies equally to obtaining trademark and copyright registrations and issued patents, as it does in obtaining favorable outcomes in state and federal court and before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), US Customs, and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. As a certified mediator, Michele has also brought parties to creative solutions for their disputes.
Learn More: www.advitamip.com
This week we break down the ongoing scandal and resignation of former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
Rachel Ablin is the founder of Ablin Law, PC, a firm that specializes in providing employers with expert, professional and confidential workplace investigation solutions in the areas of harassment, discrimination, policy and employee code of conduct violations and other legal violations.
Ms. Ablin has extensive employment law experience working with both employers and employees. Prior to starting Ablin Law, she worked for over 19 years as in-house employment counsel for Walgreens. In her role at Walgreens, she provided expert legal counsel to clients on a broad spectrum of employment and labor law issues.
Learn More: https://ablinlaw.com/
Carolyn joined Lucas Group in 2017 as a Managing Partner in the Legal practice group. In her role, she works with high-level legal talent to place them in a wide range of legal positions within law firms of any size as well in publicly- or privately-held corporations. Having worked in public interest as well as at law firms and in-house, Carolyn is able to offer her candidates and clients unique insight to help make matches that lead to long-term success. Believing that everyone is best served by taking extra time on the front end, she drills down to the crux of what makes people tick to help guarantee great results on the back end.
Carolyn is also the National In-House Practice Group Leader. As a former in-house attorney, Carolyn particularly understands the needs of corporate legal departments as well as the differences between in-house and law firm practice. She enjoys consulting with her clients and candidates alike about their goals and objectives and with her unique perspective she often leads employers and employees in a different direction than they had originally planned, to great success. Carolyn works with Lucas Group’s talented legal recruiters across the country to ensure that companies find the transcendent talent they need to run and grow their operations.
Learn more about Chicago School GPS
chischoolgps.com
Attorney David L. Lee has practiced and taught law for over forty years.
From 1984 to 1991, Attorney Lee was a full-time clinical professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's nationally-recognized clinic on employment discrimination. Since approximately 1984, Attorney Lee has concentrated his practice on representing employees in severance negotiations, contract negotiations, discrimination claims, harassment claims, retaliation claims, wrongful-discharge claims, overtime claims, wage claims, commission claims, and employee-benefit claims.
Attorney Lee is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Section of Labor and Employment Law of the American Bar Association. He speaks frequently to lawyers and human resources personnel on issues concerning employment law and is a Hearing Officer for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights and an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the National Futures Association. He has also published extensively on employment law, legal writing, civil procedure, and other aspects of the practice of law.
Rachel Weisberg: A Staff Attorney and the Employment Rights Helpline Manager at Equip for Equality. Rachel graduated from the University of Michigan and cum laude from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. She has spent most of her career with Equip for Equality, but also worked as law clerk for a federal judge, as an attorney for Sidley Austin, and with the Attorney General’s office. At Equip, Rachel focuses on litigating disability rights discrimination claims.
Learn More:
https://www.equipforequality.org/
David defends employers in state and federal courts across the country in single-plaintiff and class and collective action litigation involving trade secrets, restrictive covenants, breach of contract, wage and hour violations, discrimination, harassment and retaliation. He also represents employers before federal and state agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the Illinois Department of Labor.
Learn More: https://btlaw.com/people/david-weldon
The TransLife Care (TLC) program exists to provide free healthcare and social services to vulnerable individuals who identify themselves as trans, non-binary, or gender expansive. Our programs offer support for housing, legal, medical, sexual health, and employment. We offer three resource drop-in centers on the north, south and west sides of Chicago and provide access to on-site healthcare providers, sexual health screeners, legal counsel, case managers, employment and much more. These drop-in centers give individuals an immediate response to their current needs.
The TLC is designed to provide the most essential support to the trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive communities.
For more info:
https://www.chicagohouse.org/translife-care
Carolyn joined Lucas Group in 2017 as a Managing Partner in the Legal practice group. In her role, she works with high-level legal talent to place them in a wide range of legal positions within law firms of any size as well in publicly- or privately-held corporations. Having worked in public interest as well as at law firms and in-house, Carolyn is able to offer her candidates and clients unique insight to help make matches that lead to long-term success. Believing that everyone is best served by taking extra time on the front end, she drills down to the crux of what makes people tick to help guarantee great results on the back end.
Carolyn is also the National In-House Practice Group Leader. As a former in-house attorney, Carolyn particularly understands the needs of corporate legal departments as well as the differences between in-house and law firm practice. She enjoys consulting with her clients and candidates alike about their goals and objectives and with her unique perspective she often leads employers and employees in a different direction than they had originally planned, to great success. Carolyn works with Lucas Group’s talented legal recruiters across the country to ensure that companies find the transcendent talent they need to run and grow their operations.
Attorney David L. Lee has practiced and taught law for over forty years.
From 1984 to 1991, Attorney Lee was a full-time clinical professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law's nationally-recognized clinic on employment discrimination. Since approximately 1984, Attorney Lee has concentrated his practice on representing employees in severance negotiations, contract negotiations, discrimination claims, harassment claims, retaliation claims, wrongful-discharge claims, overtime claims, wage claims, commission claims, and employee-benefit claims.
Attorney Lee is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Section of Labor and Employment Law of the American Bar Association. He speaks frequently to lawyers and human resources personnel on issues concerning employment law and is a Hearing Officer for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights and an arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the National Futures Association. He has also published extensively on employment law, legal writing, civil procedure, and other aspects of the practice of law.
An employment lawyer since 1984, Lori has a unique practice representing both employers and employees on a wide range of workplace issues, including discrimination and sexual harassment, wage-hour issues, worker classification, reductions-in-force, hiring and firing, non-competes, and severance and employment agreements.
She conducts management training and compliance audits, regularly presents and writes on employment topics, and handles claims before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and other administrative agencies.
Awards include Super Lawyers Illinois 2016-2021, Super Lawyers Illinois 100 Top Attorneys 2017,2019 and 2021, and 50 Top Female Attorneys 2017, 2019-2021. Rated “Superb” (highest rating) by AVVO.
Learn More:
https://lorigoldsteinlaw.com/
Megan O’Malley, a principal and founding member of O’Malley & Madden, P.C., concentrates her practice in the areas of civil rights and employment law.
Ms. O’Malley is a former President of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Illinois Chapter and former Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Committee. She has been selected as a Leading Lawyer in the area of Civil Rights and Employment Law and as an Illinois Super Lawyer in the area of employment law. Ms. O’Malley has frequently been asked to speak at national seminars on employment law and whistleblower issues and has been an instructor at the American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law’s Trial Institute.
Ms. O’Malley is licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and she is a member of the Federal Trial Bar.
Learn More:
https://www.ompc-law.com
Jim returns to talk about his unconventional journey through law school, and how he landed where he is in law today.
Jim has recovered tens of millions of dollars in damages in individual and class actions arising under federal wage and hour laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage laws, other complex litigation, and catastrophic personal injury actions involving wrongful death, motor vehicle crashes, products liability, premises liability and construction negligence. In addition, Jim has helped secure groundbreaking and precedent-setting court decisions in the areas of wage and hour law, consumer fraud and employee privacy.
Jim has been appointed lead or co-lead counsel on dozens of class actions throughout the United States. He has successfully tried over a dozen major jury trials and argued over 14 appeals as lead appellate counsel before federal and state appellate courts. Jim is also a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Learn more:
https://www.stephanzouras.com
Susan returns for another conversation about recruiting and her experiences from working in retail environments along the way.
Susan Gotham has more than 20 years of experience in human resources and recruiting.
She is also the President of HR Services at Gotham Professional Services. Susan graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program.
She has also served as the President of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.
www.gothamprofessional.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susansilvergotham/
Helen returns for another episode to talk about some of the changes in her career through the years.
Check out her first episode here: https://employeetolawyer.com/#/episodes/view/Helen-Bloch-Workers-Compensation-Law-The-Law-Offices-of-Helen-Bloch-P-C
The TransLife Care (TLC) program exists to provide free healthcare and social services to vulnerable individuals who identify themselves as trans, non-binary, or gender expansive. Our programs offer support for housing, legal, medical, sexual health, and employment. We offer three resource drop-in centers on the north, south and west sides of Chicago and provide access to on-site healthcare providers, sexual health screeners, legal counsel, case managers, employment and much more. These drop-in centers give individuals an immediate response to their current needs.
The TLC is designed to provide the most essential support to the trans, non-binary, and gender-expansive communities.
For more info: https://www.chicagohouse.org/translife-care
Amy M. Gardner, JD, CPC, ELI-MP
Partner at Apochromatik
Amy brings to Apochromatik a unique track record of working with law students as dean of students at a top 5 law school and a successful career practicing law, first as a Skadden litigation associate and later as an associate and then partner at a mid-size Chicago firm. In addition to countless hours completing stand-alone coaching trainings, she is a graduate of the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching.
Until March, 2016, Amy was the Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Law School. Through her work as a dean of students, Amy developed an expertise in understanding the unique needs of law students and in tailoring professional education and development opportunities to their needs.
Learn More:
apochromatik.com
Professor Gonzalez joined the Chicago-Kent College of Law faculty in 1988. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and his law degree from Ohio State University College of Law. In addition to teaching, Professor Gonzalez worked in private practice, worked for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, and as an administrative law judge for the State of Illinois Human Rights Commission.
Professor Gonzalez has taught courses in employment discrimination, pre-trial litigation, negotiations, alternative dispute resolution, and advanced legal writing. He also a frequent speaker and author on topics of employment discrimination and wrongful discharge.
In 2013, Professor Gonzalez was inducted into the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, the organization that recognizes the nation’s top labor and employment attorneys.
Learn More:
https://www.iit.edu/directory/people/richard-gonzalez
An employment lawyer since 1984, Lori has a unique practice representing both employers and employees on a wide range of workplace issues, including discrimination and sexual harassment, wage-hour issues, worker classification, reductions-in-force, hiring and firing, non-competes, and severance and employment agreements.
She conducts management training and compliance audits, regularly presents and writes on employment topics, and handles claims before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and other administrative agencies.
https://lorigoldsteinlaw.com/
Awards include Super Lawyers Illinois 2016-2021, Super Lawyers Illinois 100 Top Attorneys 2017,2019 and 2021, and 50 Top Female Attorneys 2017, 2019-2021. Rated “Superb” (highest rating) by AVVO.
Susan Gotham has more than 20 years of experience in human resources and recruiting.
She is also the President of HR Services at Gotham Professional Services. Susan graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program.
She has also served as the President of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.
www.gothamprofessional.com
Jason Han returns to talk about his career changes throughout the years.
The founder of the Jason Han Law. Jason worked for the Chicago Sun-Times as a photo journalist before becoming a lawyer. He received his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign-Urbana, and graduated cum laude. Before becoming an employment attorney, Jason worked as a prosecutor in the State’s Attorney’s Office. Jason now has his own practice and represents clients in discrimination and whistleblower matters. He also represents state and federal employees. Works on ERISA matters and labor and CBA matters. In addition to his employment practice, Jason works on police misconduct cases.
http://www.jasonhanlaw.com
Megan O’Malley, a principal and founding member of O’Malley & Madden, P.C., concentrates her practice in the areas of civil rights and employment law.
Ms. O’Malley is a former President of the National Employment Lawyers Association, Illinois Chapter and former Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Committee. She has been selected as a Leading Lawyer in the area of Civil Rights and Employment Law and as an Illinois Super Lawyer in the area of employment law. Ms. O’Malley has frequently been asked to speak at national seminars on employment law and whistleblower issues and has been an instructor at the American Bar Association Section of Labor & Employment Law’s Trial Institute.
Ms. O’Malley is licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and she is a member of the Federal Trial Bar.
Learn More: https://www.ompc-law.com/
For this special episode, Max and Amit discuss Governor Pritzker signing the new law to amend the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act to increase the monthly interest penalty. They also discussed President Biden’s new Executive Order regarding non-compete agreements, what the Order means, and the potential implications. And they discussed the new amendments to the Equal Pay Act regarding an equal pay certificate for businesses with more than 100 employees.
Jim has recovered tens of millions of dollars in damages in individual and class actions arising under federal wage and hour laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage laws, other complex litigation, and catastrophic personal injury actions involving wrongful death, motor vehicle crashes, products liability, premises liability and construction negligence. In addition, Jim has helped secure groundbreaking and precedent-setting court decisions in the areas of wage and hour law, consumer fraud and employee privacy.
Jim has been appointed lead or co-lead counsel on dozens of class actions throughout the United States. He has successfully tried over a dozen major jury trials and argued over 14 appeals as lead appellate counsel before federal and state appellate courts. Jim is also a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Learn more: https://www.stephanzouras.com
Attorney Mark DeBofsky is a member of DeBofsky Sherman Casciari Reynolds P.C. as well as an adjunct professor of law at University of Illinois-Chicago John Marshall Law School. He is a prolific author who has written many journal articles and has been a regular columnist for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin since 2004. Mark DeBofsky is also an annual contributor to the ERISA Survey of Federal Circuits published by the American Bar Association and served for many years as a senior editor of Employee Benefits Law published by Bloomberg.
Mark DeBofsky is also a frequent speaker and has lectured at conferences sponsored by many organizations, including the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Chicago Bar Association and LexisNexis/Mealey’s. Many of his cases have resulted in precedent setting decisions issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits.
In 2008, he was nominated as a finalist for LexisNexis’ Insurance Law Center Policyholder Attorney of the Year award. Attorney DeBofsky is proud to have been recognized by his peers in the legal profession with the coveted AV® PreeminentTM Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®. He was named a Super Lawyer in Employee Benefits/ERISA in every year since 2009, and since 2011, he has been listed among the Top 100 Lawyers in the State of Illinois and among the Top 10 in Illinois in 2017. Recently, the National Trial Lawyers has named him one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of Illinois. He has also been ranked by the Leading Lawyers Network.
Amy M. Gardner, JD, CPC, ELI-MP
Partner at Apochromatik
Amy brings to Apochromatik a unique track record of working with law students as dean of students at a top 5 law school and a successful career practicing law, first as a Skadden litigation associate and later as an associate and then partner at a mid-size Chicago firm. In addition to countless hours completing stand-alone coaching trainings, she is a graduate of the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching.
Until March, 2016, Amy was the Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Law School. Through her work as a dean of students, Amy developed an expertise in understanding the unique needs of law students and in tailoring professional education and development opportunities to their needs.
Learn More:
apochromatik.com
Helen Bloch is the founder of the Law Offices of Helen Bloch, P.C., and it is a certified female owned business. She has over 20 years of legal experience. After graduating from law school, Helen worked as a prosecutor and defense attorney for the City of Chicago. She then worked as an Associate Attorney with Bellows and Bellows, P.C., before founding her firm. Helen works with a diverse range of clients, from fortune 500 executives to employees, and including large corporations to small family owned businesses. She has practiced in state and federal courts, and in arbitration forums, including the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. She often works with senior executives to negotiate their employment and severance agreements, and negotiating non competes and non solicits. Helen also has extensive worker’s compensation practice. She routinely lectures on legal and business topics, including gender roles in the law. In addition to her legal work, Helen is heavily involved in her community. She is the past President of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, which awarded her the Presidential Citation in 2015 and the Intra Society Award of Merit in 2001. And she is a member of several other associations. She is also a member of the Lawyers Division of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, a life member of Hadassah, and a member of AIPAC. Helen received her JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT, and received her BA from Yeshiva University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Learn more: https://www.blochpc.com/
Gail is the head of the employment law practice at Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd. Gail works a range of employment disputes related to race, gender, and other forms of workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Before Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd, Gail worked for Sowell & Friedman, Ltd., at Dentons, and as a Staff Law Clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She has also taught appellate advocacy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Gail has received several honors and accolades. Leading Lawyers named her as an Emerging Lawyer in Employment Law, and the Illinois Super Lawyer’s Magazine has named Gail as an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star in Employment Litigation every year since 2017. She was also recognized as a Rising Star in Class Action Litigation. And Gail was named to the 2015 Chicago Jewish 36 under 36 List by the Jewish United Fund.
In addition to legal accomplishments, Gail was elected as New Trier Township Trustee in 2017 on a four year term. She also currently sits on the Administrative and Government Affairs Committees of the Jewish United Fund, co-chairs the Legislative Committee of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, serves on the Quality Jobs Council for Women Employed, on her school district’s Community Review Community, on her synagogue’s board, and as a Girl Scout Brownie Leader, and on the Triage Cancer Legal Advisory Council. And she serves on the March of Dimes’ North Suburban Leadership Council and Illinois Government Affairs Committee.
She received her M.A./B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Learn More: https://www.loftusandeisenberg.com/
Professor Gonzalez joined the Chicago-Kent College of Law faculty in 1988. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and his law degree from Ohio State University College of Law. In addition to teaching, Professor Gonzalez worked in private practice, worked for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, and as an administrative law judge for the State of Illinois Human Rights Commission.
Professor Gonzalez has taught courses in employment discrimination, pre-trial litigation, negotiations, alternative dispute resolution, and advanced legal writing. He also a frequent speaker and author on topics of employment discrimination and wrongful discharge.
In 2013, Professor Gonzalez was inducted into the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, the organization that recognizes the nation’s top labor and employment attorneys.
Learn More: https://www.iit.edu/directory/people/richard-gonzalez
Amit and Max meet on short notice to discuss some exciting legislative developments! NELA-IL's Legislative Committee has been hard at work working to push two different bills. The first amends Illinois wage theft laws to create stiffer penalties for employers who don't pay their workers. That bill just passed both Illinois legislative houses and is ready for Governor Pritzker's signature. The other is exciting, important, and comprehensive non-compete reform. This legislation will improve employee mobility and unanimously passed the Illinois General Assembly. Listen to Amit and Max talk about both bills, why they matter, and about all of the work that went into getting them through.
The founder of the Offices of Catherine Simmons-Gill, LLC. Catherine has an extensive practice in intellectual property, represents clients in commercial litigation and general corporate matters, and has a robust employment law practice. Catherine has been practice law for more than four decades. She was previously the General Counsel for two publicly traded companies, the Chief Trademark Counsel of a pharmaceutical company, and counsel for Sears, Roebuck and Co. She is also an Adjunct Professor at John Marshall Law School and a certified mediator. She graduated law school from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. In addition to all of this work, Catherine is the President of NELA-IL.
https://www.nela-illinois.org/
Chiquita Hall-Jackson is The founder of the Hall Jackson & Associates, P.C. She received a B.A. in political science and public law, with a minor in communication studies from Northern Illinois University. She earned her JD from Southern University Law Center, where she served as SULC’s Law Clinic Extern and studied abroad in International Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. In addition, she worked as a mediator at the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Chiquita’s practice includes pursuing claims for victims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as whistleblower retaliation.
https://www.hall-jacksonandassociates.com/
Rachel Weisberg: A Staff Attorney and the Employment Rights Helpline Manager at Equip for Equality. Rachel graduated from the University of Michigan and cum laude from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. She has spent most of her career with Equip for Equality, but also worked as law clerk for a federal judge, as an attorney for Sidley Austin, and with the Attorney General’s office. At Equip, Rachel focuses on litigating disability rights discrimination claims.
Learn More: https://www.equipforequality.org/
This week: Jason Han
The founder of the Jason Han Law. Jason worked for the Chicago Sun-Times as a photo journalist before becoming a lawyer. He received his law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign-Urbana, and graduated cum laude. Before becoming an employment attorney, Jason worked as a prosecutor in the State’s Attorney’s Office. Jason now has his own practice and represents clients in discrimination and whistleblower matters. He also represents state and federal employees. Works on ERISA matters and labor and CBA matters. In addition to his employment practice, Jason works on police misconduct cases.
http://www.jasonhanlaw.com/
In this episode, Max and Amit talk about IDES unemployment benefits with Karen Doran, the founder of Karen Doran Law Office, focusing on plaintiff’s-side employment law. Karen has been doing this work since 2004. During her career she worked for a not-for-profit legal organization called Legal Aid Chicago (back when it was called Legal Assistance Foundation). It was there that she gained extensive experience representing Claimants fighting for their unemployment benefits. Though she’s again a member of the private attorney’s bar, she still takes on a number of unemployment cases, particularly over the past year because of the massive uptick in claims during this COVID crisis.
This is a podcast about law in the workplace, or the laws and issues that affect our workplaces. The goal of this podcast is to have conversations with employment lawyers to discuss these issues for non-lawyers to understand, and to throw in some interesting “war stories” to give life to our topics. Employment law touches a broad range of topics (from negotiating employment and severance agreements, to being a whistleblower, to discrimination matters, to biometrics, and so much more), and we want to create a discussion around those topics.