Anne E. Larson

Anne Larson is a Shareholder in the firm’s Chicago office.  Anne concentrates her practice on management-side labor and employment matters and defends discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower, non-competition and FLSA disputes, including EEOC systemic investigations and class actions.

She excels at litigation prevention when advising businesses on their hiring and firing practices, reductions-in-force, disability accommodations, FMLA and social media issues.  Anne also directs targeted FLSA compliance audits and conducts interactive anti-harassment, wage and hour and HR training.

Anne recently spoke on “Fingerprints, Voice Patterns, and Retinal Scans – The Risks of Using Employee Biometrics” in Phoenix on May 10, 2018, and in Chicago on May 22-23, 2018. She regularly speaks on sexual harassment prevention, social media and LGBTQ and transgender issues in the workplace.

Anne also spoke on “The Three Ps of the 30(b)(6) Deposition: Preparation, Preparation, and Preparation” at the Corporate Counsel Exclusive in Boca Raton on November 10, 2017. Another recent presentation was “When Looks Deceive: Detecting and Accommodating Invisible Disabilities” in San Diego on May 5, 2017.

Personally, Anne has a passion for the arts and has served as President of the Board for both Shattered Globe Theatre and Hedwig Dances. She also served as Co-Chair of the Chicago Community Trust’s Young Leaders Fund (YLF), an organization that seeks out and makes grants to local not-for-profits dedicated to the arts, children and economic redevelopment.

Education:

• J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1988
• B.A., Bronze Tablet, summa cum laude, University of Illinois, 1985

Admitted to Practice:

• Illinois
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California
• U.S. District Court, District of Arizona

Experience:

• Won summary judgment for Fortune 500 company in putative nationwide FLSA collective action and IMWL class action.
• Received “no cause” findings on separate regional and state-wide EEOC systemic background check claims against Fortune 1000 company.
• Achieved dismissal of nationwide sexual harassment class action against Fortune 500 company; subsequently won summary judgment for the employer on plaintiff’s individual Title VII and state law claims asserting that plaintiff was sexually harassed and forced to submit to nonconsensual sex with her manager. The individual plaintiff made a $1.2 million settlement demand and used the media to publicize her case.
• Obtained a TRO enjoining a Fortune 500 vice president from working for a competitor.
• Barred plaintiff from deposing Rule 30(b)(6) corporate designee for failure to confer on defendant’s objections or follow the court’s discovery dispute procedures.
• Created new law in the Southern District of Ohio regarding use of plaintiff’s demand letters to meet matter in controversy amount for diversity of citizenship to support removal from state to federal court.

Professional Activities:

• Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law – Officer, Board of Directors and Co-Chair of Programming
• The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, American Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Illinois Bar Association & Arizona Bar Association
• Society of Human Resources Professionals (SHRP)
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)