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  1. Professionals

Kara E. Cooper

Partner

Chicago

+1 312-558-3763

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Kara focuses her practice on labor and employment litigation, representing employers in state and federal court proceedings, administrative proceedings, arbitration, and mediation. In addition to her labor and employment litigation practice, Kara also drafts employment contracts, workplace policies, and employee handbooks and counsels clients on labor and employment-related issues in large corporate transactions.  

Kara counsels clients on a wide variety of labor and employment matters, including wage and hour class and collective actions, restrictive covenant prosecution and defense, internal investigations, work-force reductions, leaves of absence, employee misclassification, as well as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and ERISA benefit claims. Kara represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as in proceedings before various government agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. In addition, Kara provides advice and counsel on labor and employment issues arising in mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions. Kara also assists clients in drafting employment contracts, separation agreements, human resource policies, and employee handbooks. Kara has also prepared and conducted labor and employment trainings for clients.

Recent Experience

The Sterling Group Creation of Compost360 and Acquisition of Nature’s Choice
R1's Acquisition of VisitPay
California Independent Contractor Class Action for Luxury Spirits Brand

  • The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2023–2025

Capabilities

Labor & Employment
Public Companies
Financial Services
Medical Devices
Health Care

Recent Experience

The Sterling Group Creation of Compost360 and Acquisition of Nature’s Choice
R1's Acquisition of VisitPay
California Independent Contractor Class Action for Luxury Spirits Brand

Credentials

Education

Kara received a B.A., magna cum laude, in history and English in 2013 from Vanderbilt University and a J.D., cum laude, in 2016 from Northwestern University School of Law where she was editor-in-chief of the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business.

    Admissions
    • Illinois

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    Capabilities

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