Michael F. Hughes is a member of Neal Gerber Eisenberg’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. Mike represents and counsels employers in a wide range of labor and employment matters, including litigation related to non-competition and other employment contracts, trade secrets matters, wage and hour disputes under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and employment discrimination claims under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and related state and municipal employment rights statutes.

Mike also represents employers in traditional labor relations matters.  He frequently represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board in representation and unfair labor practice cases and counsels employers during union organizing drives and NLRB-conducted elections.  Mike also represents employers during collective bargaining and grievance negotiations and regularly represents employers in arbitration hearings.

Mike counsels employers in employment-related immigration matters and frequently secures, on behalf of employers, H-1B and other non-immigrant visa status for foreign employees from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Mike also counsels employers on work authorization matters, including the proper use of Form I-9 and the Federal E-Verify system.  Mike has conducted numerous I-9 audits to ensure his clients’ compliance with their work authorization obligations.

Presentations:

• Speaker, “New FMLA Regulations, A Closer Look,” Illinois Manufacturer’s Association, Naperville, Illinois, February 24, 2009
• Speaker, “First Things First: Determining Eligibility Under the FMLA and Planning for FMLA Leave,” Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg Business Law Seminar Series, February 11, 2009
• Speaker, “Avoiding Costly, Yet Common, Employment Law Mistakes,” International Roofing Expo, Las Vegas, February 3, 2009
• Speaker, “Briefing on the New Amendments to the FMLA Regulations,” Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg Business Law Seminar Series, December 11, 2008
• Speaker, “Charting a Safe Course to Avoid Retaliation in the Workplace,” International Public Management Association for Human Resources Convention, Las Vegas, October 22, 2008
• Speaker, “Immigration Issues in Employment,” MRA – Institute of Management, Inc., February 7, 2008
• Speaker, “Understanding the Impact of Technology in the Workplace,” Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg Breakfast Seminar Series, October 19, 2006

Recent Publications:

• Author, “Is a ‘Legitimate Business Interest’ Needed to Enforce Non-Compete Agreements? Illinois Appellate Court in Sunbelt Rentals v. Ehlers Says, ‘No!’,” HR Specialist, October, 2009
• Author, “Seventh Circuit Applies Clarified ADEA ‘But-For’ Standard”, HR Specialist, August, 2009
• Author, “Illinois Law Prohibiting Use of E-Verify Ruled Invalid,” HR Specialist, April, 2009
• Author, “DHS Issues Supplemental Final No-Match Rule; After Implementation Blocked by Court, DHS Re-Issues Safe Harbor Provisions,” Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg Labor and Employment Alert, November, 2008
• Author, “Vetting the Workforce,” Professional Roofing Magazine, March, 2008

• Illinois, 2003

• Illinois Institute of Technology (B.S., 1993)
• Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D., 2003) High Honors; Received Certificate in Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate Program; Received 6 CALI Excellence For The Future Awards.