Employment and Labor
We have represented our clients in a broad array of employment matters, including claims of breach of express and implied contracts, retaliatory discharge, sexual harassment and age, race and sex discrimination. We typically represent corporations or partnerships defending these claims. However, where we have been appointed as counsel or have a pre-existing relationship with an individual, we occasionally have represented plaintiffs in employment matters. These forays into plaintiffs' work have given us a perspective that has proven to be valuable in defending our corporate clients.
Some specific examples of our work in the areas of employment and labor include:
- We have extensive experience advising and representing clients in connection with the post-termination covenants (e.g., confidentiality non-disclosure and non-compete provisions). For a number of years, we have handled cases across the country for the financial services subsidiary of American Express Co., involving enforcement of non-compete covenants, many of which involved the interface of litigation and arbitration. American Express turned to us for several of its highest profile, highest stakes cases involving its covenants, including major litigation against a large competitor for raiding hundreds of financial representatives and a case (covered by the Wall Street Journal) against a former market group vice president who left the company with 100 advisors.
- We obtained judgments in favor of National Broadcasting Company in several cases involving claims of race discrimination and retaliatory discharge. Representing Commonwealth Edison, we obtained a favorable settlement in a class action brought by the EEOC and obtained summary judgments or dismissals of several other employment claims.
- We are currently defending a sex discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuit filed against a Chicago brokerage firm.
- We represented (as a pro bono matter) scores of former city of Chicago employees who were improperly terminated by the City. After winning several trials on behalf of our clients, the total recovery to date exceeds $3,000,000.
- We have acted as primary outside counsel for the National Hockey League Players Association for many years, and have been actively involved in the NHLPA's negotiations for its most recent collective bargaining agreement. Since the collective bargaining agreement was signed, we have handled dozens of important grievances for the NHLPA, as well as salary arbitrations and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.
- While our experience in employment disputes typically involves judicial and administrative proceedings, an important part of our practice involves counseling our clients in order to avoid such claims. For example, one of our clients (a Fortune 500 company) recently retained us to perform a 50-state survey of employment laws, and the client completely restructured its employment practices and contracts based on our findings and recommendations.