Carlos S. Arévalo

Carlos has been practicing law for more than 20 years and still enjoys it as much as when he first started. His goal in practice is to not merely meet, but to consistently exceed his client’s expectations. Carlos represents public and private sector clients ranging from municipalities to corporations in the areas of labor and employment and local government law.

He advocates for his clients in court at the state and federal level and administrative proceedings before the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Labor Relations Board, Illinois Department of Labor and Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Additionally, he has represented public sector entities as corporate counsel dealing with issues related to governance, statutory compliance and transactional matters as well as matters involving labor and employment issues dealing with benefits, termination, discipline, labor arbitration and collective bargaining. He also advises clients on growth and development matters and provides day-to-day advice and counsel.

A true believer in the value of service, Carlos served as president of the McHenry County Bar Association.  He is active in leadership for the Illinois State Bar Association’s labor and employment and local government related committees. He also served as president and president-elect of the Stateline SHRM Chapter. Currently, Carlos sits on the Regional Board of the MercyHealth System and the Board of Directors of the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation. Carlos is a member of the Leadership Greater McHenry County Class of 2013. He frequently speaks on labor and employment issues at the state and local level. 

Born in El Salvador, Carlos moved to Rhode Island as a teen and went to college and law school in Boston. He is a fluent Spanish speaker.

• Stateline SHRM: President-Elect 2017, President 2018, Past-President 2019; Illinois SHRM State Council 2018
• Illinois State Bar Association: Cannabis Law Section Council 2020-2021; Labor & Employment Section Council Chair 2016-2017, Vice Chair 2015-2016, Secretary 2014-2015; Local Government Law Section Council, Member 2020-2021, Chair 2009 - 2010, Vice Chair 2008 - 2009, Secretary 2007 - 2008
• Regional Community Board: Mercy Health System
• Board of Directors: Friends of McHenry County College Foundation 
• Member: Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association, Legislative Committee
• McHenry County Bar Association: President 2014-2015

• Won arbitration award limiting the scope of the Firefighters Substitutes Act and allowing a municipality to close its ambulance service. The award was subsequently affirmed in circuit court.
• Won an arbitration that arose from a grievance filed by the union alleging that the municipality violated the parties’ CBA when it made changes to the health insurance benefits provided to bargaining unit employees. The union argued that the municipality violated the CBA by charging employees more than 17.5% of the premiums for multiple plan options.  Municipality argued that its changes complied with the CBA – arguing that the CBA gives municipality the right to make changes to health insurance, as long as the changes are made to the insurance offered to non-represented employees. The arbitrator denied the union’s grievance, and stated that the municipality did not violate the CBA when it made changes to the health insurance benefits provided to bargaining unit employees. The award also had the impact of expediting collective bargaining for the next set of CBAs for the municipality.
• Obtained dismissal of unfair labor practice charges related to union’s claims that the municipality should not be able to discontinue certain municipal services.
• Successfully defended against attorney’s fee petition in a case in Lake County where the plaintiff not only pursued a declaratory judgment that she should be reinstated to her status as an “officer on disability status” after being terminated by the employing municipality, but sought claims that included legal fees for all of her efforts to secure reinstatement.  There were no legal fees or any other monetary judgment or obligation awarded to the plaintiff.
• Defended a municipality’s exclusion of confidential employee in unit clarification proceedings.
• Successfully defended a case in McHenry County where the plaintiff was claiming water damages resulting from a sewer line back up into the plaintiff’s office.  We successfully moved to have the case dismissed based on tort immunity grounds.
• Obtained summary judgment in litigation of severance provisions in employment agreement.

Contributing Author, SmithAmundsen's Labor & Employment Law Update, a labor and employment advisory blog.

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