Laura M. Leahy

Senior Counsel

Overview

Laura is a labor and employment attorney with more than a decade of legal experience spanning complex litigation, public sector advocacy, and executive legal leadership. Early in her career, during her decade as a criminal prosecutor, Laura learned that those she represented did not just need someone to fight for them; they also need understanding and empathy. As a result, she connects with clients on a deeper level, a skill that allows her to anticipate and address needs efficiently and comprehensively. 

Laura spent majority of her career as a prosecutor, where she represented victims of crime, conducted numerous bench and jury trials, and developed a reputation for meticulous case preparation, courtroom confidence, and strategic judgment. She later switched to a labor an employment-focused position for a union, where she was responsible for all things labor-related including negotiating multi million dollar collective bargaining agreements and building and managing the organization’s legal department.

As senior counsel in the firm's Labor, Employment & Immigration Service Group, Laura advises clients across all industries with their employment litigation and counseling needs, including wage and hour disputes, discrimination, wrongful termination, workplace investigations, and labor and union relations. She is skilled at drafting and reviewing employment contracts, managing legal compliance, and counseling on current regulations and legislation as well as representing individuals and entities in forums including, but not limited to, federal, state, and local agencies and human resources and personnel boards. Collaborative by nature, Laura leverages mutual respect while building crucial partnerships to ensure the best outcome for her clients. 

Membership & Involvement

  • Volunteer: The John Marshall Law School Trial Advocacy and Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, 2010 - Present; Empire Mock Trial, 2020- Present; Women Everywhere, 2016 - 2022; Women's Insight and Support Through Education, 2016 - 2022; The Chicago Lighthouse, 2016-2022.

Court Admissions: Illinois; U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Resources & Insights

Education

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, J.D., 2008

Elmhurst University, B.A., 2003

Admissions

  • Illinois
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