Employment Law

Savine Employment Law, Ltd. represents workers in all aspects and stages of their relationships with their employers and principals, whether they are engaged as “at will” employees, or under contract as independent contractors or freelancers. Some of the matters we handle include:

Wrongful termination. Federal and state statutes make certain reasons for firing individuals unlawful. In addition, workers may have breach of contract claims or other common law claims arising from their terminations, including defamation, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Savine Employment Law, Ltd. has extensive experience helping clients identify, pursue and resolve legal claims arising out of employment terminations.

Unpaid Wages, Earned Bonuses and other Compensation. We regularly assist clients pursue claims for unpaid salaries, wages, commissions, overtime, bonuses, expense reimbursements, severances and even accrued vacation time. We help clients collect on these payments under applicable laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA) and other laws.

Non-compete Agreements and Restrictive Covenants. We have experience negotiating on behalf of employees to resolve disputes arising out of non-compete and non-solicit agreements, or stemming from accusations they’ve stolen confidential information and trade secrets. We strive to help workers avoid court-ordered temporary restraining orders (TROs) and injunctions relating to such disputes that might block their chosen career paths.

Workplace Privacy and Career Reputation Management. We are committed to protecting employees’ rights to privacy and freedom from unfair and unlawful defamation and career interference by their current and former employers. We advocate for clients and pursue appropriate legal claims on their behalf, when they’re work reputations are inappropriately damaged, either inside or outside the workplace, by their employers’ false or disparaging communications to prospective employers or other third parties.

Illness, Disability and Personal Leaves and Absence. We help clients understand and exercise their legal rights to workplace accommodations and leaves of absence, whether they are for medical reasons, to care for family members with medical issues, for the birth or adoption of a child, for military-related purposes, or other leaves guaranteed by law. We are intimately familiar with state and federal disability and leave laws, including the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and other related laws, and coordinate with outside worker compensation lawyers when such matters relate to workplace injuries.

Layoffs, Closings and Reductions in Force. We represent workers who have been laid off, or have lost their jobs because their workplace closed. We are familiar with applicable laws that protect workers in these situations. We assist workers whose employers are in bankruptcy, and can help put clients in the best possible position to recover what their employers owe them in some bankruptcy situations.

Worker Representation at the Administrative Agencies. Certain government agencies exist to direct and supervise the enforcement of specific employment laws. Sometimes, individuals prefer to resolve disputes through these agencies. Oftentimes, filing a charge with an agency is a mandatory first step to filing suit in court. Savine Employment Law, Ltd. often helps clients deal with such agencies, including by filing charges and complaints with the agencies, and representing them through the agencies’ process. We have extensive experience representing clients before such agencies as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the US Department of Labor (DOL), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and both the Chicago and Cook County Commissions on Human Relations.

Illinois and Federal Litigation. We are experienced in litigating cases in state and federal court. As Chicago-based employment lawyers, we most commonly litigate matters relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL), the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Title VII, Section 1981, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Genetic Information Nondisclosure Act (GINA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Illinois Whistleblower Protection and Reward Act, and the Illinois Whistleblower Act.