Affiliations

• American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law
• American Bar Association Section of State and Local Government Law (former member of Council, and current Chair of the Government Operations Committee)
• Chicago Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association

Representative Engagements

Selected ERISA Cases

• George v. Kraft Foods Global, Inc., 684 F. Supp. 2d 992 (N.D. Ill. January 27, 2010) (summary judgment for defendants in ERISA excessive fee case), appeal pending
• Berkowitz v. United Airlines Employee Welfare Benefit Plan, Case No. 08 C 4940 (N.D. Ill. November 10, 2009) (summary judgment in claim for medical benefits)
• Thompson v. Cont'l Cas. Co., 602 F. Supp. 2d 943 (N.D. Ill. March 16, 2009) (motion to dismiss granted in case alleging failure to notify plaintiff of her continuing coverage rights, failure to provide requested plan information, and for breach of fiduciary duty.)
• Pronti v. CNA Financial Corp., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87930 (N.D.N.Y. Nov. 28, 2007) (summary judgment dismissing remaining benefits denial and misrepresentation counts of pension benefits complaint)
• Stonich v. Cont'l Cas. Co., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11830 (N.D. Ill. March 20, 2006) (dismissal of claim for benefits)
• Pronti v. CNA Financial Corp., 34 EBC 1691 (N.D. NY 2005) (dismissing fiduciary duty and contract counts of complaint)
• Vallone v. CNA Financial, 375 F.3d 623 (7th Cir. 2004) (affirming dismissal of ERISA complaint alleging wrongful elimination of retire health insurance benefits)
• Samman v. The Continental Insurance Company, Case No. CIV-2001-1058A (W.D. OK 2002) (dismissal of claim by disabled employee for health insurance benefits)
• Parrott v. GE, 99 C 8429 (N.D. IL 2000) (upholding denial of disability benefits)
• CTDU Pension Fund and CenTra, (2000, Jaffe, Arb.) (withdrawal liability arbitration)

Selected Labor Cases

• Village of Wilmette, 20 PERI 131 (ILRB ALJ 2004) (dismissal of alleged unilateral change to health insurance)
• Village of Bensenville, S-CA-00-197 (ILRB 2003) (dismissal of alleged discriminatory discharge of eight officers)
• Tootsie Roll Indus., 13 UC 361 (NLRB H.O. 2001) (supervisor excluded from unit)
• City of Streator, 18 PERI 2005 (ILRB ALJ 2001) (exclusion of confidential employees in representation petition)
• Village of Lombard, 15 PERI 2007 (ILRB Ex. Dir. 1999) (declaratory ruling regarding whether overtime and paramedic decertification were mandatory)
• Howmet Corp. and I.A.M.A.W., Dist. 15, 22-RC-11371 (NLRB ALJ 1997) (representation hearing regarding unit appropriateness and team leader status)
• Village of Schiller Park, 13 PERI 2047 (ISLRB 1997) (dismissal of discriminatory reduction in force allegation)
• Walker Manufacturing v. UAW, Case No. C2 93 0394 (S.D. Ohio 1993) (LMRA Section 301 suit successfully overturning an arbitration award).

Selected Arbitration Cases

• University of Illinois Chicago and FOP Labor Council (2010 Perkovich, Arb.) (denying grievance over the scheduling of officers)
• City of Evanston and Teamsters Local 700 (2010, McAlpin, Arb.) (denying grievance over denial of compensatory time)
• City of Evanston and Teamsters Local 714 (2010, Meyers, Arb.) (upholding discharge of police officer for misconduct).
• W Hotel and UNITE HERE Local 1 (2005, Nathan, Arb.) (upholding discharge of employee for removal of food)
• Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. (Freeport) and USWA Local 745, (2006, Symonette, Arb.) (denying seniority calculation grievance)
• Village of Channahon and MAP, (2005, Goldstein, Arb.) (denying travel time pay grievance)
• City of Evanston and AFSCME, (2005, Krinsky, Arb.) (denying holiday standby pay grievance)
• Goodyear and Local No. 7, Nat’l Conf. Firemen And Oilers, (2002, Wolff, Arb.) (wage reopener interest arbitration)
• Addison and Metropolitan Alliance of Police (2004, Cox, Arb.) (sustaining denial of pay increase of unsatisfactory police officer)
• Comcast and IBEW, (2004, Heinsz, Arb) (sustaining discharge of employees for time card falsification)
• Comcast and IBEW, (2003, Anderson, Arb.) (sustaining discharge for falsification)
• City of Elmhurst and AFSCME, (2002, Berman, Arb.) (denying shift starting times grievance)
• City of Elmhurst and AFSCME, (2002, Benn, Arb.) (denying vacation pay grievance)
• Tootsie Roll Indus. and BCTGM, (2001, Symonette) (denying overtime grievance)
• Morton Int’l and OCAW, (1998, Carey, Arb.) (sustaining suspension)

Selected Other Cases

• Carter v. Meridian Automotive Systems, Inc., Case No. 03-2208 (D. Kan. 2004) (summary judgment in racial harassment, ADEA and FMLA case)
• Navarro v. United States, Case No. 01C3249 (N.D. Ill. 2003) (federal tort claim verdict of $350,000 in favor of client)
• Carl v. Parmely & City of Metropolis, Case No. 99-4162 (S.D. Ill. 2001) (summary judgment in sexual harassment case)
• Hutchinson v. AAR, 2000 U.S. App. Lexis 27164 (6th Cir. 2000) (summary judgment and successful on appeal in multi-plaintiff age and sex discrimination case under Michigan civil rights law)
• Kusak v. Ameritech, 80 F.3d 199 (7th Cir. 1996) (reversal of jury verdict in age discrimination case).

Presentations

• Speaker, Health Care Reform: How It Will Impact the Hospitality Industry, American Hotel and Lodging Association Webinar (2010)
• Speaker, Health Care Reform: What it Means for Public Sector Collective Bargaining, Illinois Public Labor Relations Association Annual Conference (2010)
• Speaker, High "C’s" Ahead: Public Employer Collective Bargaining, Contractual and Constitutional Hurdles in Concessionary Bargaining, American Bar Association Section of State and Local Government Law Spring Conference, Hot Topics (2010)
• Speaker, New and Pending Labor and Employment Legislation Affecting State and Local Governmental Employers, American Bar Association Section of State and Local Government Law Webinar (2009)
• Speaker, Confronting New Union Organizing Tactics, Illinois Chamber of Commerce (2008)
• Speaker, Tomorrow’s Challenge is Here Today: The Employee Free Choice Act, Addison, IL Chamber of Commerce (2008)
• Speaker, Retirement Benefits and the PPA, Illinois Chamber of Commerce (2007)
• Trainer, Interviewing and Hiring, Keeping Your Recruitment Strategies Legal, North East Multi-Regional Training (October 2004)
• Speaker, Wright and Grievance Procedures from an Employer’s Perspective, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service 12th National Labor-Management Conference (2004)
• Trainer, Conducting Employment Disciplinary Investigations, Illinois Institute for Continuing Education (2003 and 2004)
• Trainer, Nice Guys Finish Last, IPELRA 2002 Summer Training.
• Trainer, Evaluation And Investigation Of Employment Termination And Related Cases, Illinois Institute for Continuing Education (1996)
• Speaker at numerous conferences regarding labor issues, including the Illinois City Managers Association Annual Conference, the Illinois and Nevada Public Employer Labor Relations Association Annual Conferences, the Illinois Association of Fire Chiefs Annual Conference, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association Annual Symposium, and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference.

Publications

• “State Of Illinois Makes It Easier To Exclude Public Employer Managers And Supervisors From Collective Bargaining -- But Only For Itself,” Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 14, 2013)
• Co-author, “HO, HO, HO! Gifts Arrive For The Labor Movement,” One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 21, 2012)
• “Illinois Becomes Second State In Nation To Bar Employers From Obtaining Access To Employee Social Networking Pages,” One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (August 10, 2012)
• “Supreme Court Wades Into The Fray As To Public Sector Unions’ Use Of Non-Member Fees For Ideological Purposes, “ One Minute Memo, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (June 22, 2012)
• Chapter co-editor, Chapter 10, “Postelection Procedures,” How to Take a Case Before the NLRB (7th Ed. 2000, 2003 and 2005 Supp., 8^th Ed. 2008)
• Co-author, Chapter 3 “Obligations under the National Labor Relations Act.”  Labor and Employment Issues in Transactions, Business Restructuring, and Workforce Reductions (Ill. Inst. for CLE 2^nd Ed. 2008)
• Contributing Editor, Labor and Employment Law:  The Employer’s Compliance Guide (Thompson 2008)
• Co-author, “Garcetti v. Ceballos:  The Battle over What It Means Has Just Begun,” 39 Urban Law No. 4, 983 (2007)
• Co-author, “Pension Fund Litigation:  Not Just for the Public Sector,” NPELRA Newsletter (Nov. 2007)
• Co-author, “Employment Discrimination Law” 40-3rd C.P.S. (BNA 2006)
• Co-author, Chapter 10 “Municipal Personnel Practices,” Illinois Municipal Law (Ill. Inst. For LE 2006)
• Co-author, “Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 45 Makes Public Employers Revisit Retiree Health Insurance,” 37 Urban Law No. 3, 427 (2005)
• Author, “Recent Developments in Governmental Operations and Liability - Wright or Wrong:  Can Employers and Unions Waive an Employee’s Right to a Judicial Forum for Statutory Claims?” 36 Urb. Law No. 4, 825 (2004)
• Author, The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act: Is It Constitutional?  ABA Section of State and Local Government Law’s State and Local Law News Vol. 26 No. 1 at p. 7 (Fall 2002)
• Author, Do You Have a Written Sexual Harassment Policy Yet?  Illinois Association of School Administrators News and Notes Vol. XXIV No. 5 at p. 4 (1995)