JULIE O’DONNELL ALLEN has litigated employment discrimination claims before state and federal administrative agencies and in court, and arbitrated disputes under collective bargaining agreements.
Ms. Allen also has extensive experience in investigating, resolving and litigating claims involving sexual harassment. She has investigated allegations against senior officials in corporations, and investigated a widespread hostile environment case for a major corporation. In other cases, she has counseled employer representatives through the investigation process. She has helped employers avoid publicity and prevent discrimination lawsuits from being filed by resolving potentially damaging claims through corrective action, settlement or mediation.
She has also worked with clients to develop their reasonable accommodation process required under the ADA and has litigated claims under the ADA. She counsels clients in all aspects of their employment practices, including workforce reductions, affirmative action obligations, hiring and termination decisions, and personnel manuals and policies. For example, she has drafted employment contracts for key employees, assisted public utilities, a major ad agency and other major employers in workforce reductions. In corporate acquisitions she has assisted in determining which employees to retain and which to terminate and structuring the process so that the result is fair and does not provoke a lawsuit.
Ms. Allen has extensive experience in training managers, as well as entire workforces at very large corporations and not-for-profit organizations in general employment practices and specifically in harassment prevention.
Prior to joining the firm in 1985, Ms. Allen had a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Donald P. Lay, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She has published “A Positive Theory of the Employment Discrimination Cases,” 16 Journal of Corporation Law No. 2, Winter 1991, and “Federal Remedies in Employment Discrimination Actions,” Illinois Institute on Continuing Legal Education.