Kevin Kelly helps clients solve labor and employment law problems with practical, cost-effective solutions. Kevin counsels clients in a variety of industries on a wide range of labor and employment issues on a daily basis. He is also an experienced litigator who has defended clients in actions covering the gamut of labor and employment law claims, including: discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims under state and federal law; class/collective action wage and hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law; whistleblower claims; and claims for breach of contract, defamation and a wide range of other torts.
Kevin Kelly helps clients solve labor and employment law problems with practical, cost-effective solutions. Kevin counsels clients in a variety of industries on a wide range of labor and employment issues on a daily basis. He is also an experienced litigator who has defended clients in actions covering the gamut of labor and employment law claims, including: discrimination, retaliation and harassment claims under state and federal law; class/collective action wage and hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law; whistleblower claims; and claims for breach of contract, defamation and a wide range of other torts.
Kevin is particularly experienced in traditional labor issues, such as union election campaigns, strikes and picketing, and negotiation of collective bargaining agreements. He has handled numerous labor arbitrations involving a variety of issues, and he regularly counsels companies in the construction, residential management and other industries on labor-management relations issues, including discipline and discharge of union employees and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements. Kevin is counsel to a multiemployer bargaining association in the residential management space, and he is also counsel to two Taft-Hartley trust funds.
In addition to his experience in employment discrimination, wage and hour, whistleblower and labor litigation, Kevin has also represented clients in non-competition and trade secret litigation in a variety of forums. He has prepared viable restrictive covenants for companies, and he has drafted numerous employment and severance agreements for C-level executives and other employees.
Kevin regularly assists clients with workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance reviews, reductions in force, employee handbook reviews, ADA reasonable accommodation issues, compliance with state and federal leave laws and local sick leave ordinances, implementation of pre-dispute arbitration programs, OSHA compliance and affirmative action issues. He often conducts workplace training for supervisors on a variety of employment law topics.
Kevin is well versed in the numerous issues stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak, such as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), stay-at-home and related orders, and all of their impacts on employers, employees and independent contractors, including critical infrastructure and essential services determinations, paid and unpaid leave, layoffs, pay reductions, reduced hours, furloughs, downsizings, expanded unemployment, and their interaction with numerous local, state and federal laws and regulations. Many of these issues have significant interactions with employee benefits, tax, Small Business Administration, and other issues, where we collaborate closely with our colleagues experienced in those practice areas.
Kevin's experience includes:
Appellate Decisions
Significant Reported District Court Decisions
Other Significant Cases/Representations
with honors
, University of Chicago Law School, 1999with honors
, University of Chicago, 1992