WISE LAW LLC: Consumer Class Actions and Arbitrations (Individual and Mass)Woman Owned and OperatedEstablished August 1, 2022

 Representing all agencies, boards, and commissions under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Illinois in contract negotiations, contract application, contractual grievance arbitrations, and Illinois Public Labor Relations Board litigation. Participating in determining labor relations policy initiatives and courses of action with Department of Central Management Services’ executive staff and the Office of the Governor staff, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Negotiating collective bargaining agreements, including:o acting as the Chief Negotiator for a 2,800-member bargaining unit,o acting as Legal Counsel for the bargaining team for a 38,000-member bargaining unit, and o acting as Legal Counsel and Second Chair for other bargaining teams. Litigating multi-faceted labor and employment litigation, including:o contract and discipline grievances through negotiated contractual grievance procedures, o unfair labor practice charges at the Illinois Labor Relations Board, ando unit clarification and representation petitions at the Illinois Labor Relations Board. Scheduling contractual grievance arbitrations with various collective bargaining units, including selecting arbitrators from a set panel, as well as striking FMCS arbitration panels. Performing extensive legal research on the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the National Labor Relations Act in order to draft legal documents, including memoranda on recommended courses of action, unfair labor practice petitions and position statements, unit clarification petitions and position statements, motions, responses, pre-trial memoranda, post-hearing briefs, and appeals. Reviewing, advising and approving Illinois circuit and appellate court litigation that affects the Illinois Department of Central Management Services.

• Strategic, fast-paced management rights group, representing many different employers with various labor relations issues.• Reviewing and applying collective bargaining agreement provisions, relevant past practice, prior arbitration decisions, and case law to employee or management issues.• Representing the employer in discipline and contract grievance arbitrations, including performing investigations, accumulating exhibits, preparing opening and closing arguments, performing direct and cross examination of witnesses, and drafting proposals.• Processing unit clarification petitions, including drafting unit clarification petitions, interviewing employees, drafting position statements, organizing exhibits, and drafting affidavits.• Investigating and defending unfair labor practice charges, including researching and drafting position statements.

• Represented employers in contested and non-contested arbitrations of workers’ compensation claims.• Recommended policy and procedure changes to mitigate future liability risks, especially in light of evolving workers’ compensation laws and legal decisions.• Managed approximately 175 cases, from initial intake through closure, including settlement negotiations or arbitration hearings/appeals.• Successfully achieved 14 “no accident” decisions from 2013 through 2016, completely shielding the employer from liability.• Conducted on-site accident scene investigations, including directing evidence gathering and interviewing witnesses.• Routinely conducted depositions of lay and expert witnesses, including direct and cross examination.• Performed legal research and drafted pleadings, motions, proposed decisions and appeal briefs.• Successfully gave oral arguments to 3-panel commissioners, which often included a reply argument.

• Represented clients in the areas of criminal defense and family law.• Administered all aspects of litigation, including initial intake, client meetings, filing of pleadings, motions and other documents, court appearances, and settlement negotiations. • Managed over 80 active cases, including felonies, misdemeanors, disabled adult guardianships, minor guardianships, juvenile adjudications, and juvenile delinquencies.• Handled all aspects of criminal defense proceedings, including preliminary hearings, pre-trials conferences, motion hearings, plea bargains, and bench trials.