IPS21 The Future of Work

Kelly Coyle Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Clark Baird Smith LLP

Kelly Coyle is a Partner with Clark Baird Smith LLP. Kelly focuses her practice on helping employers successfully navigate through a range of labor and employment law issues. Kelly’s labor experience includes litigating grievance arbitration matters; litigating both representation and unfair labor practice cases before the ILRB and ELRB; and counseling employers on their rights and obligations under the Illinois Labor Acts and their respective collective bargaining agreements. 

In addition to her labor experience, Kelly also focuses on assisting employers with their non-union, employment matters. Kelly regularly counsels and represents employers regarding statutory medical leave issues under the FMLA and ADA, disability concerns under Illinois and Federal law, fitness for duty issues, and PSEBA matters. Kelly also has experience representing employers in employment discrimination claims before the IDHR and the EEOC. Additionally, Kelly has conducted multiple, neutral workplace misconduct investigations on behalf of employers; and has conducted numerous trainings related to anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies and best practices, and regularly assists public employers on the handling of FOIA requests.

Prior to joining Clark Baird Smith LLP, Kelly gained invaluable experience working for the ILRB as an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). As an ALJ, Kelly was responsible for conducting numerous hearings, addressing a variety of pretrial issues, conducting in-depth labor law research, and drafting more than a dozen decisions. 

In 2018 and 2019, Leading Lawyers recognized Kelly as an “Emerging Lawyer” in the Labor Law (Management) field. Leading Lawyers grants less than 2% of Illinois attorneys the distinction of Emerging Lawyer.

JP JP Fyans III Related Seminars and Products

Legal Counsel

Teamsters Local Union No. 916

J.P. joined Teamsters Local 916 in 2008 as their legal counsel and he represents our members on disciplinary matters, grievances, contract negotiations and arbitrations. Originally from Springfield, J.P. received his Bachelor of Arts from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington and his Juris Doctorate Degree from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Wisconsin, and the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois. In 2012, JP was named to the Springfield Business Journal’s “40 under 40.” In 2014 JP joined Local 916’s Executive Board as the Recording-Secretary. Since 2016, JP has served as a Trustee to the Teamsters Employer’s Welfare Trust of Illinois overseeing and administrating health care plans for Teamster members. He has presented numerous times at the Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Law Conference and at the statewide NAACP conference. He also sits on the Joint Council 25 TVIP committee. He and his wife, Kristin, live in Sherman with their sons Jackson and Charlie.

Susan M. Matta Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.

Susan is a shareholder with Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy, P.C.  Her union career began in 1995, when she entered the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute’s Apprenticeship Program, and later became a staff union organizer at UFCW Local 951, where she worked on NLRB election campaigns and corporate pressure campaigns.  After graduating from law school, Susan served as a Law Fellow with Service Employees International Union on a corporate pressure campaign against a local hospital chain, where she represented individuals who were sued for medical debt.  Susan then served as the General Counsel for Service Employees International Union, Local 73 for almost ten years, where she represented both public and private employees.  As in-house General Counsel, Susan gained invaluable and extensive knowledge of the institutional concerns and needs of unions, conducted numerous trainings for both staff and members, and gained extensive experience representing the union in negotiations, arbitrations, State and Federal Court, and before the National Labor Relations Board, Illinois Labor Relations Board, Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, Illinois Department of Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.   

In 2013, Susan transitioned to private practice with Carmell Charone Widmer Moss & Barr, where she became a partner and focused on representing firefighter clients.  She is also experienced at representing firefighter unions in contract negotiations, contract enforcement, interest arbitration, unfair labor practice proceedings, and court litigation.  In 2022, she joined Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy, P.C., where she continues to represent public and private sector clients.

Amber Spainhour Related Seminars and Products

Labor Relations Administrator

State of Illinois, Central Management Services

Amber Spainhour is Assistant Director of Labor Relations at the State of Illinois, Department of Central Management Services. Amber leads and assists in negotiating State of Illinois master collective bargaining agreements, including the State’s largest contract with AFSCME, covering approximately 38,000 employees. She provides advice on interpretation of complex collective bargaining agreements and statewide personnel policies to agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor. She also serves on a team developing statewide labor policy for employees under the Governor and represent the State in grievance and unfair labor practice hearings with various labor unions. Amber received a B.S. from Eastern Illinois University and an M.P.A. from the University of Illinois Springfield.