Our Attorneys

Steven L. Brenneman

Steven Brenneman is a capital partner and Chair of the Employment Law Group. He brings over 30 years of experience representing clients in a broad range of employment and labor law matters.

Steve provides practical advice and counseling to employers on a wide range of issues affecting the employment relationship, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, wage and hour issues, employee handbooks and personnel policies, leave management and workplace accommodations, reductions in force, hiring and background checks, and strategies for employee discipline and termination. He also has deep experience advising clients and handling disputes over employment contracts, restrictive covenants, and trade secrets, including numerous high stakes temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction hearings. Steve also advises clients on labor and employment aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and other business restructurings.

Steve has extensive experience as a litigator in the trial and appellate levels of federal and state courts across the country, as well as administrative agencies. He produces excellent results in a cost-effective manner while handling a broad range of employment and labor disputes, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of non-competition agreements and other contracts, violations of federal and state wage payment laws, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, ERISA, the WARN Act, fraud, defamation, and other workplace torts. Steve has also represented employers in labor arbitrations and labor injunction litigation. His efforts have yielded favorable results in many reported decisions involving Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Section 1981, the Fair Labor Standards Act, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, employment torts, and other employment claims.

Steve is editor-in-chief of the Illinois Employment Law Letter, a newsletter written to help Illinois employers stay current on state and federal employment law developments.

• Koehler v. Sara Lee Corporation, 2013 WL 6773642 (E.D. Wis. Dec. 23, 2013) Steve represented Sara Lee in an action brought by a former plant human resources manager alleging he was fired in retaliation for his opposition to alleged improper pay practices and noncompliance with affirmative action obligations. At the conclusion of discovery, the court granted the company’s motion for summary judgment.
• Khan v. S&C Electric Company, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131712 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 14, 2012) Steve represented the employer in an action brought by a former employee alleging disability discrimination and retaliation. The company’s position was that the plaintiff was terminated because his medical restrictions precluded him from performing essential job functions and thus he was not a qualified individual. At the conclusion of discovery, the court granted the company’s motion for summary judgment.
• Sara Lee Corporation v. Burns, No. 1:11 cv 7577 (N.D. Ill.) Steve represented Sara Lee in an action alleging breach of a non-competition agreement and misappropriation of trade secrets. The plant manager instrumental in designing and starting up the client’s state-of-the-art production facility resigned to take a similar position with a competitor. On the fourth day of trial, with the judge’s involvement, the parties reached a settlement that included activity restraints on Sara Lee’s former employee, reporting and monitoring to enforce the agreement, and defendants’ reimbursement of Sara Lee’s computer forensics costs.
• Chan v. S&C Electric Company, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70927 (N.D. Ill. June 27, 2011) Steve represented the employer in this action brought by a current employee who alleged that she was discriminated against on the basis of national origin in that the company allegedly denied her overtime, denied her job transfers, denied her training, and subjected her to a hostile work environment. At the conclusion of discovery, the court granted the company’s motion for summary judgment on all claims.
• Ortiz v. Exmark Manufacturing Company (a Toro subsidiary) (Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission Charge No. 1-13/14-3-44827-RS) obtained dismissal and finding of lack of reasonable cause on a charge of discrimination filed by a former employee alleging she was subjected to sexual harassment and terminated on the basis of sex and in retaliation for her alleged protected activity.
• Pliant Corporation v. Jordan, et al. (N.D. Ill.) Steve represented an individual and two sales brokerage companies accused of misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with contract, and civil conspiracy. The individual we represented allegedly was an inventor and one of the world’s foremost experts in chemical formulations relating to agricultural plastic film. After expedited discovery involving large amounts of electronically stored information, and full preparation for an anticipated four-day evidentiary hearing on plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction, the parties reached a negotiated settlement on the morning the trial began.
• Equitec Group v. Yamaguchi, No. 09 CH 16171 (Circuit Court of Cook County) Steve represented an employer in the business of developing and selling financial trading and market-making software tools, against a former IT employee arising from a violation of a covenant not to compete.  After the entry of a Temporary Restraining Order in favor of the client, the parties negotiated a stipulated injunction order on favorable terms for the client.

• Beach v. Yellow Freight System, 312 F.3d 391 (8th Cir. 2002) (same-sex sexual harassment)
• EEOC v. Yellow Freight System, 253 F.3d 943 (7th Cir. 2001) (en banc) (Americans with Disabilities Act)
• Matthews v. Rollins Hudig Hall, 72 F.3d 50 (7th Cir. 1995) (Federal Arbitration Act/age discrimination)
• Roger v. Yellow Freight System, 21 F.3d 146 (7th Cir. 1994) (retaliatory discharge)
• Bojda v. Black Dot Graphics, 1994 U.S. App. LEXIS 117 (7th Cir. 1994) (age discrimination/reduction in force)
• Alipourian v. Etihad Airways, 2023 WL 5934897 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 12, 2023) (discovery disputes)
• Alight Solutions LLC v. Thomson, 2023 WL 2599868 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 22, 2023) (restrictive covenants, trade secrets, retaliation, and discrimination)
• Alipourian v. Etihad Airways, 2022 WL 847559 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 22, 2022) (lack of personal jurisdiction)
• House v. S&C Electric Company, 2015 WL 1594137 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 7, 2015)(sex and race discrimination)
• Koehler v. Sara Lee Corporation, 2013 WL 6773642 (E.D. Wis. Dec. 23, 2013) (retaliation)
• Khan v. S&C Electric Company, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131712 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 14, 2012) (disability discrimination and retaliation)
• Chan v. S&C Electric Company, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70927 (N.D. Ill. June 27, 2011) (national origin discrimination)
• Shaffer v. Combined Insurance Company of America, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20689 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 18, 2003) (Title VII timeliness)
• Carroll v. Yellow Freight System, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16743 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 24, 2003) (racial harassment and discrimination)
• Tressel v. Combined Insurance Company of America, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4818 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 27, 2003) (age discrimination and retaliation)
• Lemieux v. Consolidated Freightways, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9114 (N.D. Ill. June 10, 1998) (retaliatory discharge)
• Orphanos v. Charles Industries, Ltd., 3 Wage & Hour Cas. 2d (BNA) 924 (N.D. Ill. 1996) (FLSA and state wage payment laws)
• Duncan v. Consolidated Freightways, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12964 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 7, 1995) (ADA, infliction of emotional distress)
• Hawkins v. Toro Co., 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS (N.D. Miss. Feb. 2, 1995), aff’d, 66 F.3d 321 (5th Cir. 1995) (breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing)
• Malik v. Ravenswood Hosp., 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2514 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 3, 1994) (Section 1981 race discrimination)
• Oliver v. Brookfield, Inc., 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9491 (N.D. Ill. July 13, 1993), aff’d, 19 F.3d 1436 (7th Cir. 1994) (race discrimination)

Steve is editor-in-chief of the Illinois Employment Law Letter, a monthly newsletter written to help Illinois employers stay current on state and federal employment law developments.

2018 Publications

• Be Careful How You Word Your Job Ads, or Risk Violating Title VII July 26, 2018
• Court Tells White Sox to Grab Some Bench as Team Strikes Out on CBA Preemption Play July 23, 2018
• Screening Candidates with Too Much Experience a Potential ADEA Violation June 6, 2018
• Vacation Pay Lawsuit Takes Excursion to Appellate Court and Back March 9, 2018

2017 Publications

• Court Weighs Illinois Bus Driver’s Obesity as a Disability Under the ADA February 22, 2017
• Illinois Court Takes Charge, Finds No Charge in Disability Case February 2, 2017

2016 Publications

• New Illinois law bans noncompetition agreements for low-wage workers December 21, 2016
• FLSA: Do Tipped Workers Have a Minimum Wage Claim? October 10, 2016
• Illinois supervisor’s unfiltered comments put city in hot water August 17, 2016
• New Chicago Ordinance Will Require Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave June 22, 2016
• Illinois Court finds Chicago eatery’s FLSA claims unappetizing May 26, 2016
• New Overtime Rules May 18, 2016
• Retaliation: 7th Circuit blows whistle on insubordinate workers February 16, 2016
• University of Illinois gets schooled on offer letter requirements January 13, 2016

2015 Publications

• CLIENT ALERT: Restrictive Covenants November 12, 2015
• Termination: Caseworker’s claim she was forced out doesn’t play October 28, 2015
• Racial discrimination or poor performance? The 7th Circuit must decide October 21, 2015
• Employment agreements: Guaranteed employment term bores Illinois cylinder maker September 09, 2015
• Racial discrimination: Lack of evidence for termination leads to claim July 13, 2015
• FLSA: Illinois window-cleaning company sparkles in overtime exemption ruling June 03, 2015
• When is a general contractor an ‘employer’ of subcontractor’s workers? May 08, 2015
• EEOC issues long-awaited proposed regulations on wellness programs under the ADA April 16, 2015
• Deductions from pay: Court curbs cab drivers’ wage claims April 13, 2015
• Acceptable-use policy may render employer liable for ignoring e-mail threats March 16, 2015
• 7th Circuit Court says FedEx’s workers’ comp policy absolutely improper March 11, 2015
• Termination: Illinois Supreme Court Tips Scale for Employers February 03, 2015

2014 Publications

• Illinois Supreme Court Reaffirms Employment-At-Will Has Only Narrow Exceptions December 15, 2014
• New laws affecting Illinois employers take effect January 1 December 12, 2014
• Illinois governor signs law prohibiting criminal history inquiries on job applications July 22, 2014
• Race discrimination: Employer’s poor time records, documentation could cost them June 24, 2014