Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Illinois, 2001
- United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2001
- United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2007
- United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2006
- Federal Trial Bar, 2005
Education
Michigan State University (B.A., Political Science/Pre-Law, 1998)
DePaul University College of Law (J.D., 2001)
Profile
Rachel Bossard chairs the Firm’s Labor and Employment law practice group. She represents employers in all aspects of the law including client counseling, training, litigation and benefits. She has extensive experience representing for profit and not-for-profit employers, including corporations, schools, colleges, universities, nursing homes, and municipalities. She has vast trial experience in both state and federal court and has litigated and mediated hundreds of employment law matters filed with various governmental agencies. Ms. Bossard has argued before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on multiple occasions regarding issues such as discrimination, retaliation and failure to accommodate.
Ms. Bossard routinely drafts and reviews all types of employment documents for clients and assists them in making personnel decisions in compliance with the laws. She is very focused on risk management and her clients express their appreciation for her efficient and pragmatic approach. Ms. Bossard is a frequent lecturer on employment law issues and has a tremendous amount of experience presenting and training on important employment topics such as harassment prevention, accommodating disabilities, and wage and hour issues, both in-person and via webinar.
Ms. Bosssard also provides counseling and strategic advice to executives, including negotiating employment agreements and transition agreements, and advising on issues involving post-restrictive covenants, deferred compensation, and other benefits.
Experience
Successfully negotiated numerous key executive employment agreements as part of asset purchase transactions and business succession planning;
Structured a number of early retirement incentives, which have been successful in reducing company overhead without resorting to involuntarily layoffs;
Conducted several internal investigations of employee complaints in the workplace and provided strategies for addressing the conduct uncovered;
Performed internal audits and advised on job classification issues pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act for various types of employers;
Regularly provides a wide range of employee benefits guidance and advises clients regarding interpretation of plan language; and
Drafted, revised, and litigated a number of employee non-compete/non-solicitation agreements.
A representative selection of published opinions:
Morris v. Catholic Bishop of Chicago, 16-C-7916 2018 WL 2087450 (N.D. Ill.)(Obtained dismissal with prejudice of age discrimination claims brought against Archdiocese.)
Holmes v. Housing Authority of Joliet et. al., 1:14-CV-03132 2015 (N.D. Ill.) (Obtained dismissal with prejudice of former employee’s claims of sexual harassment under Title VII and race discrimination under Section 1981 against individual Executive Director)
Nowaczyk v. Joliet Catholic Academy, No. 14 C 3710 2014 WL 3642197 (N.D. Ill.) (Obtained dismissal with prejudice of Title VII discrimination, retaliation and breach of contract claims against two religious orders)
Green ex rel. Estate of Webster v. Housing Auth. of City of Gary, 10 N.E.3d 518 (2014) (Appellate court affirmed summary judgment in favor of housing authority finding no duty with respect to wrongful death claim)
Vraniskoska v. Franciscan Communities, Inc., 2:11-CV-308 2013 WL 4647224 (N.D. Ind.) (Obtained summary judgment on former employee’s allegations of disability discrimination and failure to accommodate under the Americans with Disabilities Act)
Helm v. Ancilla Domini College, 3:11-CV-212, 2012 WL 4120006 (N.D. Ind.) (Obtained summary judgment on former employee’s Title VII claims of race discrimination and retaliation)
Montgomery v. DePaul University, 1:10-CV-0078, 2012 WL 3903784 (N.D. Ill.) (Obtained summary judgment on former faculty member’s allegations of race discrimination and retaliation in connection with the University’s decision to deny tenure)
Rowe v. Gary Housing Authority, et al., No. 2:06 CV 291, 2008 WL 754254 (N.D. Ind.) (Obtained summary judgment on former employee’s claims of deprivation of liberty and property interest in her job pursuant to the 14th Amendment)
MacGregor v. DePaul University, 1:10-CV-00107, 2010 WL 4167965 (N.D. Ill.) (Obtained dismissal with prejudice on faculty member’s untimely claims of discrimination and retaliation)
Hoppe v. Lewis University, 1:09-CV-03430, 2011 WL 4578352 (N.D. Ill.) (Obtained summary judgment on tenured faculty member’s claims of discrimination, retaliation and failure to accommodate under Title VII and the Americans with Disability Act)
Samuel Pope, Jr. v. Gary Housing Authority, 2:09-CV-301, 2012 WL 1035449 (N.D. Ind.) (Obtained a dismissal with prejudice of Section 1983 allegations against Housing Authority)
Upton v. DePaul University, 1:09-CV-3954, 2012 WL 3096676 (N.D. Ill.) (Obtained summary judgment on former employee’s claims of discrimination and retaliation under Title VII and Section 1981)
Hoppe v. Lewis University, No. 11–3358 2012 WL 3764717 (7th Cir.) (Successfully argued before the appellate court and obtained a decision affirming the granting of summary judgment in favor of University on tenured faculty member’s claims of discrimination, retaliation and failure to accommodate under Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act)
Professional/Community
Strategic Partner, Chicago Family Business Council at DePaul University
Defense Research Institute
National Association of College and University Attorneys
Board of Directors, Lakeview YMCA
Chair U.S./Canada Employment Law Group for Lawyers Associated Worldwide 2019 – present
Pressroom
News
- January 4, 2021
- December 17, 2020
- November 19, 2020
- October 26, 2020
- September 1, 2020
- August 14, 2020
- July 9, 2020
- June 29, 2020
- June 23, 2020
- June 15, 2020
- June 12, 2020
- June 9, 2020
- May 28, 2020
- May 26, 2020
- May 22, 2020
- May 8, 2020
- May 8, 2020
- May 7, 2020
- April 29, 2020
- April 28, 2020
- April 8, 2020
- April 6, 2020
- April 6, 2020
- April 2, 2020
- March 30, 2020
- March 30, 2020
- March 28, 2020
- March 26, 2020
- March 24, 2020
- March 23, 2020
- March 21, 2020
- March 18, 2020
- March 18, 2020
- March 2, 2020
- December 13, 2019
- December 9, 2019
- December 6, 2019
- November 9, 2019
- Update to Department of Labor's New Overtime RuleOctober 18, 2019
- The Illinois Workplace Transparency Act takes effect January 1, 2020August 26, 2019
- August 7, 2019
- Certain Chicago employers soon required to provide notice of schedule changesJuly 24, 2019
- July 23, 2019
- July 16, 2019
- March 15, 2019
- March 8, 2019
- Six Tips for Employers following the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Rosenbach v. Six Flags Entertainment Corp.February 4, 2019
- January 10, 2019
- October 29, 2018
- Inaugural program prepares professionals for their new roles as directorsAugust 28, 2018
- August 2, 2018
- July 12, 2018
- May 11, 2018
- May 4, 2018
- December 7, 2017
- October 5, 2017
- June 5, 2017
- November 23, 2016
- Begin planning now for December 2016 roll-outOctober 28, 2016
- October 19, 2016
- October 12, 2016
- March 22, 2016
Publications
- December 11, 2018
- For The Defense, January 2018