Ray Byrne is an Associate with Clark Baird Smith LLP. He represents both public and private sector management clients in labor and employment law matters.

Prior to joining CBS LLP, Ray worked for a law firm that specialized in the defense of municipalities and public servants for civil rights violations. In that capacity, he represented clients in both state and federal court by assisting in discovery review, representation during depositions, conducting legal research, drafting and arguing motions, attending court hearings as well as administrative proceedings and drafting responses to all forms of pleadings, interrogatories and requests for production of documents. In addition to representing municipalities, Ray has a municipal management background having served as an elected Village Trustee for 10 years.

Ray has an extensive background in all aspects of law enforcement. He has served as an Executive Protection Marshal to the Honorable Justice Robert Thomas of the Illinois Supreme Court. He also served as the Chief of Police for the Lombard Police Department for 15 years. The Lombard Police Department is a nationally accredited police agency serving a community of 45,000 residents. While Chief of Police, he was also elected as the President of the DuPage County Chiefs of Police Association and served for several years as an Executive Board Member of the Association.

Ray began his career as a Downers Grove police officer in 1979. He steadily rose through the ranks to the position of Deputy Chief of Operations overseeing the patrol and investigations divisions of the agency. He also served as the Lieutenant of Investigations including being named Officer of the Year in 2001 for leading a task force of investigators in solving a 22 year old cold case double homicide. He is a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.