Tracey L. Truesdale

Ms. Tracey Truesdale has practiced in the area of labor and employment law since 1991. She has spent most of her career in private practice, first with the labor and employment boutique Murphy, Smith & Polk and later with Ogletree Deakins when the two firms merged in 1999.  Ms. Truesdale also has practical employee relations and human resources experience, having worked in-house at CNA Insurance as Employee Relations Director in 2005-2006.

Education:

• J.D., with honors, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1991
• B.A., summa cum laude, Mundelein College, 1988

Admitted to Practice:

• Illinois
• Supreme Court of Illinois
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth and Seventh Circuits
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, including Trial Bar, Central District of Illinois and Southern District of Illinois

Experience:

Ms. Truesdale’s employment law practice ranges from preventive counseling on such matters as employee handbooks, family/medical leave, military leave, wage/hour, personnel policies and employee discipline and discharge issues to litigation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) of claims under federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws, state contract and tort law issues and benefit claims matters.

She has successfully handled numerous sexual harassment, ADA, age and race discrimination cases, and is experienced in conducting supervisory training, internal investigations and counseling on investigatory procedures.

Her labor law practice includes advising companies in their collective bargaining strategies and tactics, representation of a major domestic steel producer in final offer interest arbitration proceedings, representation of companies in union organizing and decertification campaigns, defense of unfair labor practice charges and labor arbitration.

Ms. Truesdale also has experience advising and defending employers on OSHA matters, including counseling management on compliance with regulatory requirements; representing employers in negotiations with federal OSHA over citations and penalties; and investigating, defending and litigating employee claims of retaliation under OSHA.

Professional Activities:

• American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
• Chicago Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)