Franczek P.C.

Caroline serves as Co-Chair for the Labor & Employment Practice Group and regularly counsels employers on various labor and employment related issues arising throughout all stages of the employment relationship.

Caroline represents clients in litigation matters before state and federal trial and appellate courts, and in administrative hearings before state and federal agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. Caroline also counsels and represents employers in traditional labor matters including collective-bargaining, union organizing campaigns, grievance arbitrations, and matters before federal and state labor boards.She also provides clients with proactive counseling in drafting and implementing employment related policies to ensure compliance with various state and federal laws.  She also assists clients with transactional matters including drafting and negotiating employment agreements, as well as separation agreements.  Caroline conducts training for both managerial and non-managerial employees on personnel policies and relevant laws, including policies related to the prevention of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She advises clients on conducting investigations into employee complaints, particularly in the context of harassment.

Jason Patterson serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Public and private employers across multiple industries rely on Jason to navigate complex workforce issues. He approaches his practice with the discipline of a jazz musician, combining deep knowledge of the law with creativity and improvisation to deliver practical results. 

Jason dedicates a significant portion of his practice to traditional labor matters, guiding employers through union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations, grievance arbitration, and unfair labor practice proceedings before the NLRB and state labor agencies. He counsels employers on labor relations strategies that help achieve business goals while ensuring transparency and healthy employee engagement. In addition to his traditional labor work, Jason advises employers on core employment issues arising in day-to-day operations under federal, state, and local laws, including discrimination and retaliation claims, whistleblower matters, restrictive covenants and non-compete agreements, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, reasonable accommodations, health and safety matters, and workforce reductions. Drawing on prior service with the NLRB and the U.S. Department of Labor, Jason brings an insider’s perspective to compliance challenges and the defense of workplace claims. His time in-house at a global corporation enables him to deliver advice that is pragmatic, responsive, and aligned with the realities facing employers.

Bill helps employers achieve their goals in employment-related legal disputes, particularly in the areas of wage and hour litigation, discrimination, employee benefits, disability accommodation and leave claims. Bill also helps employers identify, understand and solve legal problems relating to their employees. As co-chair of the firm’s wage and hour practice team, Bill is particularly versed in minimum wage, overtime, exemption, and wage payment issues. Bill also regularly counsels employers on issues relating to the Family and Medical Leave Act and disability accommodations. Bill provides management and employee training on workplace legal issues, and conducts workplace investigations and legal audits.

Practice Specialties

• Employment Litigation Defense
• Discrimination/Human rights
• Sexual Harassment
• Wrongful discharge/Wrongful dismissal
• Class, collective and representative actions (defense of)
• EEOC/EEO investigations
• FMLA
• Retaliation/Whistleblower claims
• Internal complaint investigations
• Employment-related criminal defense
• Class actions
• Wage and hour/FLSA defense/Employment standards
• Responses to administrative agency charges
• Employment Counseling and Advice
• Supervisor and harassment/violence training
• Handbook Review
• Compliance/Compliance audits
• Leave laws
• Personnel policies
• Wage and hour audits
• WARN Act/Plant closings/RIF Planning
• Labor Unions/Labor Relations
• Arbitration
• Mediation
• Employment Contracts and Litigation
• Non-compete/non-solicit agreements
• Confidentiality and trade secret agreements
• Trade secrets and non-compete agreements
• Executive employment agreements (including change of control)
• Pension, benefit and bonus provisions
• Termination provisions (statutory requirements and reasonable notice)
• Defamation
• Employee Benefits and Compensation
• ERISA
• Workplace Privacy
• Human Rights

Erin is a versatile member of the Firm and represents clients on a wide variety of civil rights and constitutional litigation matters, including but not limited to claims involving Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, IHRA, Illinois Whistleblower Act, Illinois retaliatory discharge, wrongful termination, constructive discharge, negligent hiring, negligent supervision and retention, willful and wanton conduct, Free Exercise Clause, Establishment Clause, Equal Protection Clause, Due Process Clause, Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act (IRFRA), Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act (HRCRA), 42 U.S.C. §1983, breach of contract, Intentional Inflection of Emotional Distress (IIED), and Negligent Inflection of Emotional Distress (NEID).

Erin is an expert in the area of Illinois Tort Immunity and has successfully argued before the Illinois Supreme Court on this statute. She has represented clients in lawsuits alleging negligence and/or willful and wanton conduct in the context of personal injury; negligent hiring, supervision, and retention; bullying and assault; grooming and sexual abuse; failure to report under ANCRA; failure to implement or enforce policies; failure to protect or supervise; failure to diagnosis or examine; and premise liability.

Erin serves as a neutral investigator in workplace investigations concerning allegations of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. She advises on noncompete agreements, separation agreements, and workplace handbooks. She also counsels clients on wage and hour issues, leave of absence policies, employee misconduct, allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, student issues, school records, First Amendment protections, Board governance, FOIA and OMA.

Mike represents both private and public sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, with a particular emphasis on litigation, arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution. Mike also uses his substantial trial experience to provide day-to-day counseling to employers on how to best achieve their business objectives while limiting the risks of litigation.

Practice Specialties

• Employment Litigation Defense
• Discrimination/Human rights
• Sexual Harassment
• Wrongful discharge/Wrongful dismissal
• Class, collective and representative actions (defense of)
• EEOC/EEO investigations
• FMLA
• Retaliation/Whistleblower claims
• Internal complaint investigations
• Class actions
• Wage and hour/FLSA defense/Employment standards
• Responses to administrative agency charges
• Employment Counseling and Advice
• Supervisor and harassment/violence training
• Handbook Review
• Compliance/Compliance audits
• Leave laws
• Personnel policies
• Wage and hour audits
• WARN Act/Plant closings/RIF Planning
• Labor Unions/Labor Relations
• Arbitration
• Mediation
• Unfair labor practices
• Strikes and lockouts (planning and related court and board litigation)
• Employment Contracts and Litigation
• Non-compete/non-solicit agreements
• Confidentiality and trade secret agreements
• Trade secrets and non-compete agreements
• Executive employment agreements (including change of control)
• Pension, benefit and bonus provisions
• Termination provisions (statutory requirements and reasonable notice)
• Defamation
• Employee Benefits and Compensation
• Executive compensation
• Pay equity
• Workplace Privacy
• Human Rights
• Immigration