Law Offices of Fern Trevino
Employment law for employees

Disclaimer:  Our law firm is a Chicago, Illinois employment law firm with three full-time employment lawyers:  Fern Trevino, Alenna K. Bolin, and Antoinette Choate.  The employment attorneys at our Chicago employment law firm handle exclusively employment-related matters.  This employment law site is not intended to give specific legal advice on employment law matters for wrongful termination or discharge, retaliation, sexual harassment, discrimination, race discrimination, gender discrimination, sex discrimination, national origin discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, religious discrimination, whistleblower, Sarbanes-Oxley, whistleblower, breach of contract, severance agreements, severance contracts, separation agreements, Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA, or other employment law matters.  Additionally, this employment law site is designed to provide you sufficient information to contact us as employment lawyers to assist you in your employment law claims or other employment law needs such as employment contract negotiation, separation agreement negotiation / severance agreement negotiation, and other employment law issues such as non-compete agreements or restrictive covenant advice.  As Chicago employment lawyers, we only represent current and former employees with employment concerns and employment law claims such as whistleblower claims, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), race discrimination, sex discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, disability discrimination, religious discrimination, age discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination , national origin discrimination, wrongful termination, Family and Medical Leave Act claims (FMLA claims), retaliatory discharge, wrongful termination, and retaliation claims.  As Chicago employment lawyers, we assist clients in negotiating employment contracts, separation agreements, and severance pay, and provide necessary information regarding the legal rights of employees as they are affected by non-compete agreements, covenants not to compete, or restrictive covenants.  This site is not intended to provide specific legal advice regarding these employment discrimination, employment termination, retaliation, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), or employment contract or separation agreement negotiations.  However, our employment lawyers are well-versed in employment law and can provide specific legal advice when consulted regarding an employment law claim or employment law concern.  Our employment lawyers have experience in federal court and state court and before various administrative agencies.  Such agencies include the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, EEOC, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights, IDHR.  The EEOC investigates employment law claims based on such employment laws as Title VII, which prohibits discrimination, termination, retaliation, or other adverse employment actions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.  The EEOC also investigates claims covered under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, ADEA, which prohibits discrimination, termination, retaliation, or other adverse employment actions against individuals on the basis of age, and the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA, which prohibits discrimination, termination, retaliation, or other employment actions against individuals with disabilities, and provides other protections for individuals with disabilities.  While it is not required that you have an employment law attorney with you, or that you be represented by an employment law attorney in order to file a charge of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation with the EEOC or IDHR, it is useful to note that an employment lawyer can provide valuable information to you regarding the legal rights of employees based on your employment law claims.  In addition, it is useful to seek the assistance of an employment law attorney because time restrictions may apply when you are filing a charge based on discrimination, unlawful termination, retaliation, or other such employment law actions.  Our employment attorneys also represent employees who have filed or wish to file lawsuits in court.  Our employment attorneys regularly practice employment law in both the Federal Courts and Illinois State courts in Chicago, and can provide employees with legal advice regarding their employment litigation claims.  Employment law claims under the FMLA for violation of the FMLA, including retaliation under the FMLA or discharge or denial or rights under the FMLA and claims under Section 1981 and Section 1983 go directly to the Federal Courts in Chicago instead of first passing through the Chicago administrative agencies such as the EEOC or IHRC.  The EEOC and IHRC and other agencies relating to employment law claims do not investigate claims under the FMLA for violation of the FMLA, including retaliation under the FMLA or discharge or denial or rights under the FMLA or claims under §1981 and §1983.  However, as stated, this employment law site is not specifically designed, nor should it be construed, to provide specific legal advice on such employment law claims.  Consult an employment law attorney for specific information regarding your employment law claim and rights you may have under applicable employment law.