Seyfarth Shaw Chicago partner Gerald Maatman was quoted in Bloomberg's BusinessWeek on October 13. The article discussed the recent rise in retaliation claims, and cited a recent lawsuit involving Bass Pro Outdoor World LLC, a company hit with retaliation claims when employees complained about discrimination.

"It's the flavor of the year, the tort of the day," said Jerry. "Lawyers are asking for millions and millions in punitive damages to teach companies a lesson."

Employers face two potential avenues when facing lawsuits—those from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stemming from worker complaints, and employees may also bring private litigation. Jerry pointed out that employers in New York City and the state of California are especially susceptible to costly retaliation lawsuits, as there is no cap on punitive damages. He added, "The potential for big payouts attracts plaintiffs' lawyers to such cases."

Click here to read the full article: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-14/bass-pro-shows-companies-reprisals-against-workers-u-s-says.html