The number of employment-related lawsuits filed by both employees and employers has grown dramatically in recent years. Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins employment attorneys are dedicated to protecting our clients from these costly and disruptive suits. Our substantial experience in virtually every facet of public sector labor and employment law means clients can avoid litigation whenever possible – and that when litigation cannot be avoided, they will ultimately prevail.
Defending Against Claims
We routinely defend both private and public sector clients against individual and class actions in federal and state courts regarding a variety of aspects of employment law. Matters we handle include, but are not limited to:
- Race, gender, religion or national origin discrimination (Title VII)
- Age discrimination (Age Discrimination in Employment Act/ADEA)
- Accommodation of disabilities (Americans with Disabilities Act/ADA)
- Unpaid wages or overtime (Fair Labor Standards Act/FLSA)
- Employee leave (Family and Medical Leave Act/FMLA)
- Claims for Public Safety Employee Benefits Act (PSEBA) benefits
- Claims for Public Employee Disability Act (PEDA) benefits
- Petitions to intervene in police officer and firefighter disability maters
- Violations of employment contractssuch as covenants not to compete and nondisclosure agreements
- Termination disputes involving wrongful discharge or dismissal of employees
- Faculty and tenure disputes, disciplinary action and other issues involving education law
We also counsel on matters related to the:
- National Labor Relations Act
- Illinois Public Labor Relations Act
- Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act
- Illinois Human Rights Act
- Uniform Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act
- Local pension board disability proceedings
We have also handled hundreds of labor issues, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements, managing grievance arbitrations and defending clients in mediation and unfair labor practice matters arising under the National Labor Relations Act and state labor relations statutes.
Reducing the Risk of Claims
We also counsel clients on the best practices and policies to prevent future issues, including reviewing and updating personnel policy manuals to ensure compliance with federal and state laws. By establishing and enforcing sound policies and procedures, many employers can avoid costly lawsuits down the road.
Our attorneys regularly counsel on minimizing risk when dealing with employment issues such as:
- Contract negotiation
- Reduction in force
- Employee discipline
- Anti-harassment policies and training
We also provide regular training on all types of labor and employment issues and are regular presenters at statewide conferences such as the IIT Kent College of Law Public Sector Labor Law Conference, the Illinois Public Employee Labor Relations Association (IPELRA) annual conference and the Illinois School Board Association Joint Annual Conference.