Our firm has recovered millions for clients in employment disputes.
We represent employees and employers in discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, severance, and HR compliance matters across Illinois.
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The cases below represent a sample of our work. Every client’s situation is unique, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. But they illustrate the types of cases we handle and the level of advocacy our clients can expect.
Discrimination
We represent employees who have been fired, demoted, harassed, or denied opportunities because of their protected characteristics. Our employment discrimination attorneys have litigated cases under Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and other federal and state laws.
$1.825M
Gender Discrimination & Civil Rights Violations — City of Chicago
The situation: Five female paramedics were subjected to gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation by the City of Chicago. They faced different terms and conditions of employment than their male counterparts and were punished for raising complaints.
What we did: We represented all five paramedics in a civil rights action against the City, pursuing claims for gender discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and violations of their civil rights.
The result: $1.825 million recovery.
Read more about this case in our press coverage →
Sexual Orientation & Race Discrimination — Hospital
The situation: A Black labor and delivery nurse was targeted by a new supervisor after the supervisor discovered the nurse was married to a woman. The supervisor told her, “Maybe labor and delivery isn’t for you.”
What we did: We filed suit in the Northern District of Illinois pursuing claims for race and sexual orientation discrimination under Title VII and the Illinois Human Rights Act.
The result: Recovered total damages.
Robinson v. Mercy Hospital & Medical Center et al., 21CV04725, N.D. Ill.
Additional Discrimination Results
Pregnancy & Family Status Discrimination 5 cases
Pregnancy discrimination — national university. Represented a renowned national lecturer against one of the nation’s top universities. Secured a settlement reflecting the full value of her claims.
Pregnancy discrimination — fitness company. Fitness instructor terminated following maternity leave. Recovered lost wages and additional damages. Williams-Garcia v. Health Track Sports Wellness, LP, 17CV0081, N.D. Ill.
Pregnancy & disability discrimination — nursing home. Recovered compensation reflecting the severity of the employer’s conduct. Sattler v. Bridgeway Senior Living, LLC, Case No. 2021L009354, Cook County.
Pregnancy discrimination — social work agency. Licensed clinical social worker told her position no longer existed after pregnancy leave. Secured a significant settlement.
FMLA retaliation — nursing home. Director of nursing discriminated against for using FMLA leave to care for her daughter. Case resolved on favorable terms. Keagle v. The LaSalle Group, Inc., 15CV1389, N.D. Ill.
Disability Discrimination & Failure to Accommodate 7 cases
Disability discrimination — banking executive. Executive with a neurological tremor written up for being “disruptive” and terminated. Secured significant compensation.
Disability discrimination — vegan food company. Director of Food Science faced changed behavior after taking time off for wife’s cancer treatments. Obtained a settlement including compensation for lost wages and emotional distress.
Disability termination — organ donation organization. Fired because employer claimed it was “not able to accommodate her restrictions.” Negotiated a substantial settlement. Peplow v. Gift of Hope, 18CV5216, N.D. Ill.
Disability discrimination — daycare employee. Terminated within five minutes of disclosing her disability. Meaningful financial recovery. Marginean v. Safari Childcare, Inc., 16CV4540, N.D. Ill.
Disability accommodation — digital agency. Successfully resolved with the accommodations and compensation the client deserved.
Disability accommodation — software company. Case concluded on favorable terms. Smolich v. PeopleAdmin, Inc., 17CV8037, N.D. Ill.
Disability termination — radio station. Marketing director terminated due to mental health condition. Client received full compensation.
Sexual Harassment & Gender Discrimination 2 cases
Sexual harassment & retaliation — international ratings firm. Female ratings expert experienced sexual harassment and was set up to fail after complaining. Obtained compensation for the harassment and retaliatory conduct.
Gender harassment — engineering firm. Female civil engineer endured continuous comments about her appearance. Terminated after complaining. Negotiated substantial compensation and a neutral reference.
Race & National Origin Discrimination 4 cases
Race discrimination — Big 3 credit card company. Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shut out of meetings and decision-making. Negotiated exit plus $150,000 settlement.
Race discrimination — Comcast. Two employees of color terminated in alleged reduction-in-force. Full compensation for lost wages. Jordan v. Comcast Corp., 16CV11599, and Pickens v. Comcast, 16CV11730, N.D. Ill.
National origin & sex discrimination — web designer. Viciously targeted due to national origin, sex, and disability. Make-whole compensation. Chawla v. Alliance Entertainment LLC, 16CV9561, N.D. Ill.
National origin discrimination — Cook County Hospital. Head of Emergency Medicine pushed out after 27 years while organization hired outside his protected class. Successful appeal and trial. Awaiting verdict.
Age Discrimination 2 cases
Age discrimination — nursing home. Employee over 40 terminated due to age. Settlement greatly exceeding employer’s initial offer. Feehan v. The Pointe at Kilpatrick, 16CV2601, N.D. Ill.
Age & disability discrimination — manufacturing. Long-time shop worker discriminated against. Favorable resolution. Buegel v. Eirich Machines, Inc., 15CV7403, N.D. Ill.
Whistleblowing & Retaliation
Employees who report illegal conduct deserve protection — not punishment. Our retaliation and whistleblower attorneys have a track record of holding employers accountable.
Whistleblower Retaliation — Insurance Company
The situation: An employee discovered the company was making misrepresentations to consumers and reported it internally. She was excluded from meetings, outings, and placed on a performance improvement plan — a classic retaliation playbook.
What we did: Pursued whistleblower retaliation claims and demonstrated the adverse actions were a direct consequence of the employee’s protected reporting.
The result: Obtained compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, and the retaliatory conduct.
Whistleblower Retaliation — Biotech Company
The situation: A high-level engineer blew the whistle on a publicly traded American biotech company. He faced swift retaliation for his protected disclosures.
What we did: Represented the engineer in his whistleblower claims and pursued full compensation for the career damage caused by the retaliation.
The result: Secured a settlement reflecting the severity of the retaliation and the strength of the engineer’s claims.
Additional Retaliation Results 6 cases
COVID-19 whistleblower — private school principal. Retaliated against after raising COVID-19 safety concerns and mandatory reporting obligations. Severance package exceeding school’s initial offer by 4x.
Gender harassment retaliation — municipal botanist. Restored to her position with full back pay — one of the strongest outcomes available in employment law.
Witness retaliation — village telecommunicators. Employer stripped them of retiree health benefits for testifying. Restored benefits completely in perpetuity. Bower et al. v. Village of North Riverside, 2020 L 007068, Cook County.
Fraud & harassment whistleblower — medical office manager. Terminated after reporting fraud and supervisor’s harassment. Compensation reflecting both claims.
Breach of contract — international university. Renowned female cinema director pursued claims against ivy league university abroad. Substantial financial recovery.
Retaliation — global construction company. High-level engineer raised concerns. Resolved on favorable terms with significant compensation.
Severance Negotiations & Contract Disputes
We help employees at every level negotiate severance packages, review contracts, navigate non-compete restrictions, and resolve breach of contract disputes. Our severance agreement review starts at a flat fee of $750.
$1M+
C-Suite Exit Negotiation — Publicly Traded Pharmaceutical Company
The situation: A 20-year veteran of a pharma company’s C-suite needed to negotiate his exit to accept a role as president and CEO of a new venture. Complex compensation, equity, and restrictive covenant issues.
What we did: Negotiated full exit terms including compensation for unvested equity, transition of benefits, and release from restrictive covenants.
The result: Client departed with a comprehensive exit package valued at over $1M and was free to assume the CEO position immediately.
Additional Severance & Contract Results 11 cases
Change-in-control — global company comptroller. Secured compensation terms matching her value following a change-in-control.
Non-compete escape — private equity advisor. Freed from a draconian non-compete blocking his career for two years. Transitioned without interruption.
Executive incentive compensation — insurance company. Negotiated exit for VP including resolution of deferred compensation the employer initially refused to pay.
Long-term incentive — food additive company. Ensured CFO received full value of long-term incentive payments upon departure.
Executive severance — management consulting firm. Secured guaranteed incentive compensation and enhanced severance at publicly traded firm.
Executive departure — commercial real estate. Negotiated exit protecting reputation and future career options. Executive later ran for Congress.
Startup equity & non-compete — CEO Chief of Staff. Advised on non-compete obligations given equity stake, enabling informed career decision.
Pregnancy-related severance — global relief fund. Negotiated severance significantly above initial offer for discrimination claims.
Harassment severance — marketing firm. Substantial financial compensation and neutral reference for sexual harassment and national origin claims.
Unpaid wages — marketing company. Client paid every dollar owed, in full.
Minimum wage violations — jewelry store. Full recovery of all unpaid wages. Rupani et al v. SOHA, Inc. et al., 16CV9533, N.D. Ill.
Employer Representation & Corporate Clients
We serve as outside employment counsel providing HR compliance, contract drafting, litigation defense, severance agreements, non-compete services, and culture consulting.
Design firm — Emergency TRO
Obtained a temporary restraining order after a former employee posted sexual images of the business owner online. Acted swiftly to protect the client’s reputation and personal safety through emergency court intervention.
Large counseling organization (200+ employees)
Providing comprehensive HR compliance services including policy development, employee handbook creation, management training, and ongoing employment law counsel.
Large non-profit ending youth homelessness All employment law services including current defense in federal court.
International Asian-inspired boutique hotel Employment law counsel for all hospitality needs.
Slot machine entertainment provider Defense litigation. Settled claim for nuisance value.
Photography platform Worker classification compliance including California ABC test analysis.
International e-commerce company Ongoing outside counsel including active litigation defense.
National healthcare staffing firm Multi-state compliance, policy development, and handbook review.
Regional concrete finishing business Policies, handbook production, and management training.
Non-profit for community-based arts Organizational culture and employee separations.
Web-development company (multi-state) Employment law counsel and compliance services.
Chicago staffing agency Contractor classification and Illinois compliance.
Matrimonial law firm Disgruntled employee resolution.
Family law firm Severance reviews, negotiations, and compliance.
Third-party logistics brokerage Commission dispute settled for nuisance value.
Fitness technology company COVID-19 protocols and return-to-work policies.
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From HR compliance to litigation defense, we’re your employment law partner.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you handle cases outside of Chicago?
While our office is in Chicago, we represent clients throughout Illinois in both federal and state court. Many of our cases are filed in the Northern District of Illinois, but we also handle matters in state courts across the Chicago metropolitan area and beyond.
How much can I recover in an employment discrimination lawsuit in Illinois?
Recovery depends on the facts of your case. Available damages can include back pay, front pay, compensatory damages for emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees. Federal law caps compensatory and punitive damages based on employer size, while the Illinois Human Rights Act has its own remedies. During your consultation, we can provide a realistic assessment of the potential value of your specific claims.
Disclaimer: The cases and results described above are representative of the types of matters handled by Cramer Law Group. Every case is unique, and the results obtained in prior cases do not guarantee a similar outcome. Some case details have been generalized to protect client confidentiality.
