Lessons from Recent Strikes

Bill Gleason Related Seminars and Products

Petrarca, Gleason, Boyle & Izzo

William F. Gleason is a founding member and partner with the law firm of Petrarca, Gleason, Boyle & Izzo, LLC. He earned his Juris Doctorate from IIT-Chicago Kent Collee of Law and was an inaugural member of the Honors Law Program.  During law school he worked in the school’s in-house law clinic.

Mr. Gleason concentrates his practice in the general representation of school and municipal clients. In representing these entities, he routinely counsels clients on employee rights and benefits, student rights/discipline, Open Meetings Act and FOIA compliance. He also advises clients through the collective bargaining process and has negotiated with various groups of employees for both schools and municipal clients.

In addition to these practice areas, he also regularly represents clients in various litigation matters and through all phases of litigation including trial and appeal. He has also represented numerous clients before the Illinois Appellate Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. His experience includes cases involving sexual assault, premises liability, student discipline, student residency, improper non-renewals under the School Code, Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADEA, ADA, equal protection, due process, willful and wanton supervision, First Amendment claims, conspiracy claims, retaliation claims, excessive force, unlawful search and seizure, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, construction disputes, breach of contract claims and tenured teacher dismissal cases.

Representative Decisions

• Mitchell v. SPEED, 386 Ill.App.3d 106 (1st Dist. 2008)
• Bryant v. Bd. of Ed. of Bremen CHSD 228, 347 Fed.Appx. 250 (7th Cir. 2009)
• Warning v. SPEED, 242 Ill.2d 92 (2011)
• Wynn v. Bd. of Ed. of Elementary S.D. 159, 815 F.Supp.2d 1007 (N.D. Ill. 2011)
• People ex rel. Madigan v. Bertrand, 2012 IL App (1st) 111419
• Bd. of Ed. of Du Page H.S. Dist. 88 v. Pollastrini, 2013 IL App (2d) 120460
• Henyard v. Village of Dolton, 2016 IL App (1st) 153374

Christopher Hoffmann Related Seminars and Products

Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn

Christopher Hoffmann is the Chair of the Labor & Personnel Practice Group at Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn LLP. He has significant experience advising employers, human resource professionals, and school leaders to help them navigate the myriad of day-to-day employment challenges. Chris has successfully defended employers in cases involving discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and other traditional labor law and union/management issues at both the federal and state court level. Employers turn to Chris for his insights and experience in labor and employee relations issues such as: FMLA, FLSA, ADA accommodation, workplace violence and harassment, performance evaluations, and employee discipline.

While in law school at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chris was a judicial extern to the Honorable Allen S. Goldberg of the Circuit Court of Cook County, IL, and a legal extern with the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Chris served in the United States Marine Corps for four years, and as a Sergeant he led engineering and utility projects while aiding humanitarian relief efforts in Africa and southeast Asia.

Rob Lyons Related Seminars and Products

Illinois Education Association, NEA - Retired

I graduated from Loyola University of Chicago and the John Marshall Law School. I have practiced union side labor and employment law since 1983. Since 1991 I have represented educational employees with the Illinois Education Association. I formally retired from the IEA in 2022 and have remained active in the practice. I currently serve as CLE Coordinator for the Education Law Section of the Illinois State Bar Association.