Jill P. O’Brien

Overview

Jill is an Equity Partner, a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and the firm’s Hiring Chairperson.

Throughout her more than 30 years of practice with Laner Muchin, Ltd., Jill’s practice has focused on the representation of public and private sector employers in a wide variety of labor relations and employment matters, including collective bargaining negotiations, grievance handling, mediation and interest arbitration hearings. She also defends employers in employment disputes and labor proceedings in court and before agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Human Rights Commission, Chicago Human Rights Commission, the Illinois Department of Labor, and the National Labor Relations Board.

She also counsels employers and offers management training programs concerning day-to-day labor and employment and human resource issues such as terminations, disciplinary issues, leaves of absence, policy issues, wage and hour issues.

HONORS, MEMBERSHIPS AND PUBLICATIONS

Selected in the Top 50 Women Lawyers 2010-2011, 2018-2019 and 2022, Illinois Super Lawyers.
Recognized by Best Lawyers in America 2024 for Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management
Early in her career, she was honored by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as one of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Age 40 to Watch.” She has since received a Distinguished Service Award from The John Marshall Law School Alumni Association.
Longstanding member of the Illinois State Bar Association and a present member of the ISBA’s Assembly (policy making body); she also has held positions as the ISBA as its Chairperson of the Labor and Employment Law Section Council; Chairperson of the Committee on Mentoring; Women and the Law Committee.
Past Co-Chair and Executive Committee member of the Chicago Bar Association’s Alliance for Women.
Founding Board Member of the Cynthia L. Bischof Memorial Foundation and serves as a volunteer “Courtwatcher” to the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network.
Board of Governors of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago.
She is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
She has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the John Marshall Law School Alumni Associations.
She was a member of the Adjunct Faculty of the Loyola School of Law where she taught Employment Discrimination law.

Experience

Below are representative samples of the types of matters Jill handles on behalf of Laner Muchin clients:

Jill offers practical and legal advice to management representatives in all aspects of employment law on subjects ranging from hiring and disciplining employees to drug/alcohol testing and constitutional protections, policy and document preparation for layoffs, terminations or downsizing or promotional decisions.

Legal advice related to the drafting and enforceability of confidentiality, non-competition and other restrictive covenant agreements.

Due diligence review in acquisition/sale situations related to WARN, IWARN, effects bargaining, and impact of a collective bargaining agreement on the terms of the purchase or sale agreements.

Counseling and other assistance related to an employer’s compliance obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful or retaliation termination, whistleblowing and other constitutional rights cases, the Fair Labor Standards Act and all other state, federal and local employment and labor laws.

Presents training sessions and presentations to executives, managers, supervisors, and employees on issues such as harassment avoidance, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and the benefits of recognizing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Conducts corporate investigations on behalf of the client on various topics including alleged harassment, retaliation, discrimination and other matters.