Mikela T. Sutrina is an associate in the Labor and Employment Practice Group in the firm’s Chicago office. Ms. Sutrina advises private and public employers on a range of workplace issues, such as compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, discrimination and harassment, safety, performance management, leaves of absence, safety, compensation, and terminations.
She defends employers in numerous cases in state and federal court, as well as before federal, state and local administrative agencies in matters of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistle-blower actions, and breach of contract, especially as it relates to restrictive covenant agreements and misappropriation of trade secrets. Ms. Sutrina has represented employers in both single and multi-plaintiff matters, as well as class and collective actions.
She also counsels employers on a multitude of human resources issues, including personnel policies, federal and local leave laws, wage and hour issues, employee handbooks, severance and separation agreements, trade secret protection, and non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. Ms. Sutrina assists clients in drafting and structuring executive employment, separation, and retention agreements, as well as restrictive covenant and other employment agreements.
Ms. Sutrina also regularly conducts internal investigations and audits on behalf of her clients regarding sexual harassment, discrimination, wage and hour compliance, among other issues affecting the workplace. Ms. Sutrina has interfaced with various federal, state and local agencies on behalf of her clients in conducting wage and hour audits.
She also conducts interactive trainings on issues such as recruitment, sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying and other workplace behavior, discipline, and general legal compliance with federal, state and local laws and other regulations.
In addition to employment litigation and day-to-day counseling, she has significant experience analyzing the enforceability of non-competition restrictions and other restrictive covenants on a nationwide basis and in structuring enforceable restrictive covenant agreements to best protect her clients’ business interests.
Ms. Sutrina has experience in both prosecuting and defending actions involving trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, and the enforcement of restrictive covenants. She also works with clients involved in mergers and acquisitions to assess and evaluate the labor and employment liabilities associated with a specific transaction, and to develop business-oriented and creative solutions to issues that may arise in any given transaction.
Ms. Sutrina also has general litigation experience, with a particular focus in the areas of consumer fraud and consumer privacy litigation. She has defended both individual and class action litigation brought under various state and federal consumer fraud and privacy statutes.
Education:
- J.D., Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, 2012
- B.A., University of Denver, 2008
Admissions:
- Illinois
- Missouri
Cost
Rate : $$$