Labor Relations
Public Sector Representation
Our lawyers include some of the most distinguished public sector labor lawyers in the country, who regularly represent public employers before the Illinois Labor Relations Board and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, as well as public employee relations boards in other jurisdictions. Our lawyers have and continue to serve as general counsel to the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association and the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association. We have advised local, state and federal sector governmental bodies including towns, villages, cites, counties and county officials, special districts, school districts, colleges, universities and governmental agencies in all aspects of labor relations and employment matters. We also have decades of experience in negotiating collective bargaining agreements, handling grievance arbitration proceedings, and representing employers in mediation and interest arbitration.
Public safety employers face unique challenges in responding to issues in the workplace. Public safety departments are subject to additional laws that govern the rights of employees, such as the Peace Officers Disciplinary Act, Firefighters Disciplinary Act, Weingarten and laws relating to due process. Our lawyers regularly advise public safety employers in disciplinary investigations and litigate disciplinary issues before Boards of Police and Fire Commissions and Civil Service Commissions.
We also routinely counsel public safety employers about injured worker issues. We help employers navigate through the interplay between worker’s compensation, the Public Employee Disability Act, the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act and pension entitlements.
In the course of our representation, we counsel public sector entities on general municipal issues arising under the Freedom of Information Act, Open Meetings Acts, ethics legislation and Personnel Records Review Act.
Private Sector Representation
Our lawyers represent private sector employers in traditional labor relations matters involving union organizing efforts, bargaining unit formation, unfair labor practice proceedings, collective bargaining, Section 301 actions, arbitration proceedings of all type and alternative dispute proceedings. Our experience enables us to provide proactive and practical strategies when confronting these issues.
We regularly provide advice and counsel to private sector employers on various labor relations issues, such as negotiating labor contracts, effective contract administration and grievance handling, grievance arbitrations, impasse contingency planning and resolution, and decertification petitions. We have represented clients before the National Labor Relations Board and in federal and state courts, as well as before mediators and arbitrators in rights and interest arbitration proceedings.
Successfully navigating today’s labor and employment law environment can be a risky proposition. The issues are constantly evolving, as are federal, state and local laws that impact your business.
What applies in one state may not hold true in another. The work rules and regulations you operated under last year are likely very different today. We understand how easy it can be to fall behind. That is why we pride ourselves on our ability to stay abreast of trends and changes in the law and provide effective advice and counsel on day-to-day issues addressed by human resource professionals.
Our attorneys have extensive experience with traditional labor relations matters involving union organizing efforts, bargaining unit formation, unfair labor practice proceedings, collective bargaining, Section 301 actions, arbitration proceedings of all types, strikes, picketing, and alternative dispute proceedings.
Our experience enables us to provide our clients with proactive and practical strategies to help them successfully manage a myriad of employment issues. We regularly provide advice and counsel to private sector employers on various labor relations issues such as labor contract negotiations, effective contract administration and grievance handling, grievance arbitrations, impasse contingency planning and resolution, and decertification petitions.
We have represented clients before the National Labor Relations Board and in federal and state courts, as well as before mediators and arbitrators.
Employment Law
Our breadth of experience in the area of employment law extends to providing day-to-day advice on human resources issues, performing reviews of employment policies and auditing other employment-related documents, updating employee handbooks to be consistent with best practices and current law, advising on workplace issues including EEO, FMLA, ADA and other concerns, and investigation of workplace violence issues, harassment claims and other disciplinary matters.
Litigation
Clark Baird Smith LLP attorneys represent employers in administrative proceedings, single plaintiff cases, as well as class actions and pattern and practice litigation filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Our experienced litigation attorneys have successfully managed litigation cases in these and many other state and federal courts and agencies across the country.
Workplace Training & Counseling
The experienced attorneys at Clark Baird Smith LLP deliver distinctive training programs to a variety of private and public sector employer groups, as well as to groups of employees, so they can stay current on the ever-changing landscape of labor and employment law issues. Our training programs enable both employers and employees to effectively manage labor and employment issues in a proactive and legally defensibly manner.
