Tracy M. Billows

Ms. Tracy M. Billows is a partner in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Chair of the Chicago office Labor & Employment Department, concentrating her practice on representing and counseling employers throughout the country in the entire range of employment law matters. Her work has included the representation of Fortune 500 companies, as well as medium and small sized employers.

Ms. Billows represents employers in single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, and class action litigation matters related to employment discrimination claims under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and similar state discrimination laws. Ms. Billows utilizes SeyfarthLean to improve the leave and accommodation policies and practices of clients, providing clients a consistent approach to managing these complex issues.

Ms. Billows provides extensive advice and counseling to clients on a wide array of Human Resources topics and issues, including policy development and review, auditing the Human Resources functions, leave and absence management, EEO compliance, reductions in force, employee relations, labor relations, performance management, discipline and discharge and various other areas, with an emphasis on instituting best practices and avoiding litigation.

Ms. Billows has conducted training for employers throughout the country and through Seyfarth Shaw at Work, including in the areas of leave management and reasonable accommodation, EEO and non-harassment, Employee Handbooks, Codes of Conduct and Ethics, managing within a union environment and positive employee relations.

Ms. Billows brings a unique perspective to her clients. Prior to her legal career, she was a human resources executive in the corporate community. With first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by her clients, Ms. Billows is able to advise them in all areas of labor and employment law including employment policies and employee handbooks, training programs, and the application of federal, state and local employment laws, and various other compliance issues.

Education:

• J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology (2001)
  • Certificate in Labor and Employment Law
• M.S., Loyola University, Chicago (1997)
• B.A., DePaul University (1995)

Affiliations:

• American Bar Association (Member, Practice and Procedure Under the NLRA Subcommittee)
• Chicago Bar Association
• Society for Human Resource Management (Member)
• HRMAC (Human Resources Management Association of Chicago – Former Co-chair of the Employment Relations Subcommittee)
• American Cancer Society – Former Chair of Chicago Downtown Regional Leadership Board of Directors