Associate

Samantha Esmond is an associate in SmithAmundsen’s Rockford office and a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. Samantha focuses her practice on advising and defending employers in employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims in both state and federal court and administrative agencies. Samantha enjoys advising clients on everyday human resources issues, such as wage and hour matters, employee discipline and termination decisions, employment contracts and severance agreements, medical leaves of absence, and accommodation issues. Samantha also works with clients to prepare practical employee handbooks and policies.

Before joining SmithAmundsen, Samantha worked as an associate attorney at a boutique Chicago Labor & Employment firm where she regularly practiced before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in litigation of employment discrimination, retaliation, and harassment claims under Title VII and Section 1981. In her prior position, Samantha gained extensive knowledge involving the Family Medical Leave Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Illinois Minimum Wage Law, the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Samantha is licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She received her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University in 2004 and her law degree, magna cum laude, from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2007.