Employment

Heidi Eckert represents clients in all aspects of employment, labor, and civil rights disputes.

Heidi is an active litigator who has defended claims in state and federal courts as well as before governmental agencies. She has also arbitrated and mediated numerous matters to successful resolution on behalf of her clients.

Her litigation experience includes assisting clients with a wide variety of employment matters including claims of discrimination, harassment, ADA violations, and retaliation. Heidi also represents clients in matters involving civil rights claims, the majority of which are defended in federal court.

In addition to litigating workplace law claims, Heidi provides proactive advice and training to employers on a variety of employment issues and counsels them on developing and implementing processes consistent with their business objectives and applicable labor laws.

Representative Experience

» Successfully defended a predominantly African-American police department in a jury trial involving allegations of racial discrimination of a Caucasian police officer who was terminated from his position.

» Won a motion to dismiss on behalf of a corporation in a suit alleging Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations, sex discrimination in the workplace, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

» Successfully obtained Motion for Summary Judgment on behalf of a national hotel chain in a suit alleging discrimination and retaliation.

» Granted Motion to Dismiss when defending the sheriff of a county in Illinois against a plaintiff seeking to recover damages allegedly sustained as a result of the death of plaintiff’s son following the sheriff’s alleged failure to provide timely and proper medical care.

» Granted Motion for Summary Judgment on behalf of an Illinois county in a complaint alleging violations of 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 and state law claims of willful and wanton actions stemming from plaintiff’s son’s suicide attempt while at the county jail.

» Successfully obtained jury verdict in favor of all defendants in defense of an Illinois county in a trial that involved a complaint alleging that the county’s sheriff’s department deputy employed excessive force during plaintiff’s arrest, and that the deputy unreasonably entered the plaintiff’s home in violation of the Fourth Amendment.