Practice Areas
- Affirmative Action
- Cannabis in the Workplace
- COVID-19 Resource Center & Task Force
- Employment Law
- Government Regulation, Audit and Compliance
- Health Care Transactions
- Staffing Agency, Independent Contractor & Contingent Workforce
- Traditional Labor & Union Relations
- Unfair Competition Counseling and Litigation
- Wage & Hour
Industries
Education
The John Marshall Law School, J.D., 2001
Bowling Green State University, B.A., 1992
Admissions
Illinois
Heather credits her experience working full-time in office administration and human resources during law school for her seamless transition into management-side labor and employment law. The skills she developed as a legal secretary and office manager help strengthen her appreciation and understanding of clients’ concerns today and gave her the tools to be efficient, respectful and meticulous in her role as an attorney.
For 19 years, Heather has concentrated her practice in employment and labor counseling and litigation, including discrimination and trade secret / non-compete lawsuits, FLSA class actions, labor negotiations and arbitrations, affirmative action, OFCCP/DOL audits and FINRA issues. She counsels on day-to-day operations, human resources, and management decisions regarding employees, practices and policies. Heather also works comfortably with FMLA/ADA, sexual harassment, affirmative action, union avoidance and other types of employee and management training. Her clients operate across the U.S. in industries like vending, healthcare, transportation, parking, automotive repair, construction, staffing, hospitality (restaurants/taverns), banking, non-profits, IT, and manufacturing to name a few.
A thought leader in the labor and employment industry, Heather regularly contributes to the firm’s Labor & Employment Law Update, the vending industry’s National Automatic Merchandising Association, Vending Times and Vending Market Watch quarterly publications, and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s human resources advisory blog. She co-authored the 2019 Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Illinois Employment Law Handbook, and frequently presents at the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Clear Law Institute, Chicago Bar Association, Lorman Education Services and NAMA-related conventions across the U.S.
As a prior co-chair of the firm’s Committee for Diversity and Inclusion, Heather managed a team charged with not only creating diversity awareness within the firm and its clients, but also executing strategies to recruit, retain and mentor attorneys and staff of all backgrounds. Additionally, Heather provides incomparable leadership to the firm’s younger attorneys; taking the time to mentor them and help them to develop into exceptional attorneys.
Honors
- 2015 Chicago Business Journal Women of Influence Honoree
- Recognized as a Pro to Know by Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch: 2015
- Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers list: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
- Received Lawyer Monthly Women in Law Award, USA: 2018
Memberships & Involvement
- Professional Women’s Club of Chicago: Immediate Past President, 2016-2017; President, 2015-2016; Vice President, 2014-2015; Communications Committee Co-chair, 2012-2014; Communications Committee Co-Chair Board Member, 2012-2014
- Executive Committee Member: ProVisors, 2017-2018
- Advisory Council: Illinois Restaurant Association, 2020
- Member: National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) (Employment/Labor Knowledge Source Partner since 2003)
- Member: Illinois Chamber of Commerce (Employment Legislation Advisor)
- Member: Former Co-chair; SmithAmundsen Committee for Diversity and Inclusion
- Member: Defense Research Institute (DRI); American Bar Association; Chicago Bar Association; Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
- Volunteer/ Co-captain: Special Olympics Chicago, Polar Plunge Fundraiser, 2008-2020
- Volunteer: The Youth Campus, 2004–2011
- Volunteer: Children’s Home + Aid, 2012-2014
News & Press Releases
- VendingMarketWatch.com, May 8, 2020
- VendingMarketWatch.com, March 25, 2020
- January 29, 2020
- VendingMarketWatch.com, August 5, 2019
- January 24, 2019
- Lawyer Monthly, June 12, 2018
- Heather Bailey and The Center for Values-Driven Leadership Partner for Women in Leadership Book ListCenter for Values-Driven Leadership, November 20, 2017
- Automatic Merchandiser, November 3, 2017
- October 5, 2017
- Chicago Tribune; Chicago Sun Times, March 5, 2017
- SmithAmundsen, January 13, 2017
- Panel Urges Creativity, Caution In Proposing Workplace Cafes - Vending Times Quotes Heather BaileyVending Times, Winter 2017
- VendingMarketWatch.com, May 2, 2016
- SmithAmundsen, January 8, 2016
- Automatic Merchandiser, December 24, 2015
- January 12, 2015
- December 11, 2014
- June 25, 2014
- July 2013
Blog
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.
Alerts
Publications
- NAMA: In Touch, January 2020
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce, 2019
- VendingMarketWatch.com, May 8, 2019
- NAMA Magazine, April 2019
- NAMA InTouch Magazine, Winter 2019
- NAMA Magazine, Fall 2018
- NAMA In Touch Magazine , July 2018
- NAMA InTouch Magazine, Spring 2018
- NAMA InTouch Magazine, Winter 2018
- NAMA InTouch Magazine, Fall 2017
- NAMA InTouch, Summer 2017
- NAMA's InTouch, Winter 2017
- NAMA’s InTouch Magazine, Fall 2016
- NAMA's InTouch Magazine, Summer 2016
- NAMA's InTouch Magazine, Spring 2016
- NAMA’s InTouch, Winter 2016
- Top 10 CTW TakeawaysVendingMarketWatch.com, November 3, 2015
Presentations & Events
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Webcast, December 16, 2020
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, Webcast, December 3, 2020
- SmithAmundsen, Webcast, October 22, 2020
- Chicago Healthcare Risk Management Society, Webcast, October 15, 2020
- Chicago Healthcare Risk Management Society, Webcast, September 24, 2020
- SmithAmundsen, Webcast, September 23, 2020
- Clear Law Institute, Webcast, September 16, 2020
- SmithAmundsen, Webcast, August 19, 2020
- Paycor, USI, Webcast, August 13, 2020
- Professional Women's Club of Chicago, Zoom, July 22, 2020
- 2020 CLM Workers Compensation and Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality Conference, Webcast, June 18, 2020
- Winnebago County Bar Association, Webcast, June 15, 2020
- SmithAmundsen, Webcast, May 29, 2020
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, Webcast, May 21, 2020
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, Webcast, May 19, 2020
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, Seminar; Nashville, TN, May 7, 2020
- IRA and SmithAmundsen, Webcast, April 22, 2020
- Tax, Business, & Employment Considerations of the CARES ActProVisors, Webcast, April 10, 2020
- Clear Law Institute, Webcast, April 6, 2020
- Launchways, Webcast, March 30, 2020
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, March 30, 2020
- Clear Law Institute, Webcast, March 24, 2020
- Launchways, Webcast, March 20, 2020
- SmithAmundsen, Webcast; Chicago, IL, February 20, 2020
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Webcast, January 9, 2020
- National Automatic Merchandising Association; Webinar, December 4, 2019
- Illinois Restaurant Association, Webinar, December 4, 2019
- Grain & Feed Association of Illinois; Webinar, December 3, 2019
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce; Webinar, November 14, 2019
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Webinar, November 14, 2019
- SmithAmundsen; Lombard, IL, September 25, 2019
- Are You Training Your Managers Properly - If At All? The Do's and Don'ts for Training Your Management Efficiently & EffectivelyNAVA Annual Meeting; Stevenson, WA 98648, August 23, 2019
- SmithAmundsen, Webinar, August 21, 2019
- Chicago, IL, June 27, 2019
- NAMA Webinar, June 25, 2019
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, March 19, 2019
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, March 13, 2019
- SmithAmundsen, Chicago, IL; Webinar, February 7, 2019
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, February 7, 2019
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, December 18, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, December 4, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, November 20, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, October 16, 2018
- Texas Merchandise Vending Association Annual Convention; Galveston, TX, September 27, 2018
- Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers, Inc., Webinar, July 30, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, July 19, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, July 17, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, April 17, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, April 3, 2018
- National Automatic Merchandising Association Annual Expo; Las Vegas, NV, March 21, 2018
- SmithAmundsen Seminar, Chicago, IL; Webinar, March 7, 2018
- National Automatic Merchandising Association; Webinar, January 30, 2018
- SmithAmundsen, The Horton Group; Chicago, IL, January 23, 2018
- Illinois Restaurant Association; Webinar, January 16, 2018
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, December 5, 2017
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce; Webinar, November 15, 2017
- Is Your Workplace Café Socially Savvy?National Automatic Merchandising Association's Coffee, Tea & Water Conference; Grapevine, TX, November 6, 2017
- NAMA Coffee, Tea and Water Conference; Grapevine, Texas, November 6, 2017
- Arizona Automatic Merchandising Council & California Automatic Vendors Council Annual Meeting; San Diego, CA, September 21, 2017
- SmithAmundsen Seminar; Lombard, IL, September 13, 2017
- Brando's Speakeasy, June 21, 2017
- Clear Law Institute; Webinar, July 19, 2017
- Illinois Restaurant Association; Chicago, IL, May 31, 2017
- USLAW, Conference; Chicago, IL, May 2017
- National Automatic Merchandising Association's OneShow; Las Vegas, NV, April 19, 2017
- The Clear Law Institute; Webinar, March 29, 2017
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce; Webinar, December 15, 2016
- Clear Law Institute; Webinar, December 7, 2016
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, Webinar, November 15, 2016
- It's About More Than Which Bathroom: Gender Identity Issues - Changing Ideas, Changing the WorkplaceProfessional Liability Underwriting Society, Chicago, IL, September 14, 2016
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, Webinar, July 27, 2016
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, July 21, 2016
- June 23, 2016
- Clear Law Institute, Webinar, June 13, 2016
- National Automatic Merchandising Association, Chicago, IL, April 13, 2016
- Park Hyatt, Chicago, IL, February 18, 2016