Partner

Jill is a partner in the Chicago office of SmithAmundsen. Her primary area of practice is employment litigation. Jill is experienced in a wide variety of employment-related cases, including those involving claims alleging violations of Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, the FMLA, the FLSA, the Equal Pay Act and various equivalent state and local statutes, as well as disputes concerning employment agreements and various employment-based tort claims. She represents corporate clients on a national level before the EEOC and equivalent state agencies and in state and federal courts. Jill has tried multiple cases to verdict and has been very successful in resolving employment disputes using alternative dispute resolution. In addition to litigating employment disputes, Jill also counsels her clients on sound employment practices and policies for their businesses. Contributing Author, SmithAmundsen's The Labor & Employment Law Update, a labor and employment advisory blog.

Contributing Author, Illinois Chamber of Commerce's Chamber Dispatch, an HR advisory blog.

Contributing Author, Illinois Employment Law Handbook, 3rd Edition, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, June 2013.

Presenter, "Reasonable Accommodation," Illinois Chamber of Commerce Webinar, May 15, 2013.

Presenter, “The Reasonable Accommodation Process: How Easy is it?,” USLAW Fall Conference, Washington, D.C., October 5, 2012.

Co-presenter, “Employment Law: ADA, Retaliation & EEOC,” 2Q 2012 Chartis Licensing Symposium, New York, NY, June 21, 2012

Presenter, “Retaliation Claims: The New Number One Claim Filed and the State of the Law,” client CLE and CE symposium, June 2012.

Presenter, “EEOC Systemic Discrimination Initiatives: View From the Battlefield,” client CLE and CE symposium, June 2012.

Co-presenter, “The ‘Reasonable Accommodation’ Process Made Easy,” Illinois Chamber of Commerce Webinar, May 16, 2012.

Presenter, “Arbitration Agreements between Employers and Employee In the Wake of Recent Decisions,” USLAW webinar, April 2012.

Co-presenter, “Employment Law Update,” Monitor Insurance Seminar, Rolling Meadows, IL, February 22, 2012.

Co-presenter, “What’s ‘Fair’ About the FLSA: Recent Developments, Trends and Tips to Even the Playing Field,” USLAW Fall Conference, Chicago, IL, September 23, 2011.

Co-author, Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Illinois Guide to Hiring and Firing, 2011.

Panelist, "Employment Jeopardy! The Year in Review,” USLAW Fall Client Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, October 7-9, 2010.

Co-presenter, "Managing Medical Issues in the Workplace – Without Violating the Law," 2010 Illinois Chamber of Commerce Employer Healthcare Conference, April 22, 2010.

Panelist, “Managing Reductions in Force,” USLAW Fall Client Conference, San Francisco, CA, September 25, 2009.Author, "The Supreme Court recently extended Retaliation Protection under Title VII— can you elaborate on what the means for our bank?" Illinois Banker magazine, May 2009.

Co-author, “The Expanding Americans With Disabilities Act: Will the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 Create a Litigation Surge?,” USLAW Magazine, Spring/Summer 2009.

Speaker, "Using the Ellerth/Farragher Defense When an Employee Complains About Harassment," Spring 2008 USLAW Network Client Conference, Miami, FL, April 2008.

Speaker, "Freedom of Expression in the Workplace: When Dress Code, Religion, Gender and Work Collide," Fall 2007 USLAW Network Membership Meeting and Client Conference, Washington D.C., October 2007.

Speaker, "Employment Issues," Long Term Care Seminar, October 15, 2007.

Panelist, "Freedom of Expression in the Workplace: When Dress Code, Religion, Gender and Work Collide," USLAW Fall Client Conference, Washington, D.C., October 5, 2007.

Speaker, "The "New" Legal Landscape for HR Professionals – A 2007 Report," Assurance Agency, September 26, 2007.

Lecturer and Author, "The Tribe Has Spoken: Recent Developments in Labor and Employment Law," USLAW Network Employment Group Seminar, January 2005.

Lecturer, "Temporary Staffing Agencies Liability Under the Anti-Discrimination Laws," client education seminar, November 2004.

Panelist on Employment Law, "The Devil You Don’t Know Is Not Better Than The Devil You Know," USLAW Network Transportation Group Seminar, August 2004.

Lecturer, "Setting the Right Course Through the Employment Law Minefield," seminar for Fortune 500 companies, April 2004.

Lecturer, "Hiring to Firing: Effective Employment Practices," client education seminar, August 2003.

Lecturer, "An Honest Day’s Work For An Honest Day’s Pay: The Defense Perspective," National Lawyer’s Association Seminar, July 2003.

Contributing Author, SmithAmundsen’s Professional & Employment Newsletter, 2002, 2003, and 2004.