Matters We Handle
The work, by category.
These matters share a common thread: the consequences reach beyond the workplace, into income, reputation, certification, and future work. Each begins with a careful review of the facts, the timeline, and the record.
Employment Rights
- Wrongful Termination When a firing follows protected activity, leave, pregnancy, disability issues, or other suspicious timing, the record deserves careful review.
- Retaliation Retaliation claims often turn on timing, shifting explanations, and what changed after you complained or asserted a right.
- Employment Discrimination Discrimination cases require careful attention to unequal treatment, comparators, discipline, remarks, and the employer's stated reason.
- Sexual Harassment Harassment cases can involve unwanted conduct, retaliation, ignored complaints, or a work environment that becomes hostile or unsafe.
- Disability Accommodations Accommodation disputes often begin with medical restrictions, modified work requests, leave, discipline, or pressure to resign.
- FMLA Retaliation If discipline, demotion, hostility, or termination followed protected medical leave, the timing and documentation matter.
- Severance Review Severance agreements can affect compensation, reputation, references, claims, confidentiality, and future work.
Pregnancy, Leave, and Breastfeeding
- Pregnancy Discrimination Pregnancy discrimination can appear as schedule changes, discipline, lost opportunities, accommodation denials, or termination.
- Breastfeeding and Lactation Rights Workers who need to pump should not be punished, exposed, denied time, or forced into impossible conditions.
- Maternity Leave Retaliation When an employer changes treatment after maternity leave, the timeline may reveal whether leave became the reason for discipline or discharge.
- Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Claims Pregnant workers may be entitled to reasonable accommodations and a real interactive process rather than pressure or punishment.
- Pumping at Work Violations Pumping violations often involve denied breaks, no private space, hostility, schedule pressure, or discipline after requests.
Pay and Wage Claims
- Wage Theft Wage theft can involve missing pay, unlawful deductions, unpaid commissions, off-the-clock work, or altered records.
- Unpaid Overtime Overtime claims often depend on hours worked, job duties, pay records, and whether the employer ignored off-the-clock work.
- Unpaid Wages Unpaid wage matters may include final pay, commissions, bonuses, promised compensation, deductions, or withheld checks.
- Misclassification Misclassification can deprive workers of overtime, wages, protections, and accurate records.
- Retaliation for Complaining About Pay Workers should not be punished for asking about pay, challenging missing wages, or reporting unlawful compensation practices.
Civil Rights and Public Employees
- Section 1983 Claims Section 1983 claims can address constitutional violations by government actors, including retaliation and due process issues.
- First Amendment Retaliation Public employees may have claims when discipline follows protected speech on matters of public concern.
- Due Process Violations Due process matters often involve notice, hearing rights, property interests, liberty interests, and reputational consequences.
- Whistleblower Retaliation Whistleblower claims focus on protected reporting, timing, adverse action, and whether the employer's stated reason holds up.
- Public Employee Discipline Public employee discipline can affect pay, status, certification, reputation, and future government service.
Police & Professional Discipline
- Police Officer Discipline Police discipline matters can implicate pay, rank, assignment, certification, credibility, and future law enforcement work.
- ILETSB Decertification Decertification proceedings can threaten a law enforcement career and require careful attention to record, procedure, and timing.
- Brady/Giglio List Placement Brady or Giglio placement can affect credibility, assignments, testimony, reputation, and long-term career options.
- Administrative Review Administrative review requires careful attention to the agency record, deadlines, standards of review, and preserved arguments.
Defamation & Reputation
- Defamation When a false statement of fact damages your reputation or career, a defamation claim turns on publication, falsity, privileges, and the harm you can prove.
- Defamation Defense If you have been sued or threatened over something you said, wrote, or posted, the defense turns on truth, opinion, privilege, and Illinois's anti-SLAPP law.
- False Light False light claims involve publicity that creates a misleading and damaging impression about a person.
- Reputation and Career Harm Career-threatening matters require strategy around records, references, public statements, discipline, and future employment.
Abuse & Institutional Harm
- School Sexual Abuse When a teacher, coach, or staff member abuses a student, what the school knew and how it responded often decides whether the institution is responsible.
- Disability Harm at School When a child with a disability is restrained, secluded, abused, or hurt at school, or on the way there, the school and its contractors can be held responsible.
- Residential Facility Abuse Treatment centers, group homes, and boarding schools are licensed and paid to keep children safe. When one is harmed there, the facility can be liable.