Laura Feldman

Laura Feldman combines empathy with the skills of an experienced and agile litigator. She specializes in highly sensitive and often high-stakes legal matters, including claims of sexual assault, wage discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, whistleblowing, and retaliation. When representing individuals who have become targets of workplace misconduct, Laura employs thoughtful, creative, and assertive legal advocacy to leverage the law on their behalf, empowering her clients to reclaim their agency.

Laura often negotiates and litigates complex whistleblowing claims and FMLA issues. Her clients include employees who have been terminated or unfairly disciplined for reporting unlawful discriminatory conduct or refusing to participate in illicit behavior. She also regularly initiates legal action on behalf of workers who have been denied FMLA leave or have been retaliated against for availing themselves of necessary leave.

An Experienced Employee Advocate

Laura possesses rare litigation experience and insight, gained from the nine years she served as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency charged with responding to claims of workplace misconduct and defining official interpretations of federal non-discrimination law. At the EEOC, Laura’s primary role was to litigate discrimination, harassment, and retaliation cases. In addition to her litigation work, Laura also managed her office’s U visa program, screening undocumented immigrants who were victims of sexual assault, threats of violence, and assault in the workplace.

Laura also honed her skills as a workplace investigator while at the EEOC. She oversaw numerous aspects of investigative work, including participating in investigations, developing protocols for investigations, advising investigators, and analyzing investigative files.

Laura additionally served as an Attorney Advisor to the EEOC Commissioner Charlotte Burrows, advising her on sex discrimination and pregnancy discrimination matters and complex litigation. This behind-the-scenes experience has positioned her to expertly manage legal matters in court, in mediations, in arbitrations, and before the EEOC itself and the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR).

Achieving Success In & Out of the Courtroom

As a certified mediator and former legal negotiations teaching assistant, Laura appreciates that negotiating a resolution may be the best option for her clients seeking to avoid litigation, which can be financially and emotionally draining. Yet Laura is a trained litigator who is just as comfortable before a judge or arbitrator.

Laura has secured many victories in the courtroom and beyond. She won a jury verdict against a Fortune Top 20 company after a seven-day trial for a woman who accused her employer of allowing a customer to sexually harass and stalk her. Laura has also delivered results for her clients by arguing and winning motions for contempt of court, for summary judgment, and for sanctions. She has taken or defended over one hundred depositions.

Before joining The Prinz Law Firm, Laura specialized in labor and employment litigation at another boutique law firm. She had previously worked as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and served as an Attorney Advisor to EEOC Commissioner Charlotte Burrows. Prior to the EEOC, Laura developed experience representing employers in employment matters as an Associate at Paul Hastings LLP.

Laura is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law and Stanford University. She is grateful to have the opportunity to do the work that she loves.

Key Practice Areas

Laura’s practice is heavily concentrated on plaintiff-side employment litigation. She frequently represents executives who have hit the proverbial glass ceiling, medical professionals, marketing and PR professionals, sales professionals, and Spanish speakers.

Laura has wide-ranging experience in employment negotiations and litigation. Her primary practice areas include the following:

• Sexual harassment
• Sexual assault
• Pregnancy discrimination
• Race and sex discrimination claims
• Wage discrimination
• Disability discrimination
• Retaliation
• Whistleblower claims
• Family medical leave violations (FMLA)
• Wage violations
• Workplace investigations

Laura also advises executives on non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements, and has experience litigating defamation, USERRA (military discrimination), and breach of contract claims.

Education

• J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 2008

• A.B., Stanford University, 2003

Professional and Bar Association Memberships

• Member, National Employment Lawyers Association (Illinois), 2017 to present

• National Institute in Trial Advocacy (NITA)
  • Scholarship Recipient, Deposition Skills Training, 2017
  • Trial Skills Training graduate, 2012

• Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force
  • Labor Trafficking Subcommittee Member, 2013-2018

• Impact Fund
  • Selected for Intensive Class Action Training Institute, 2015

• American Bar Association Equal Employment Opportunity (ABA EEO) Committee
  • Fellow with Full Scholarship, 2013-2015

• Chicago Appleseed
  • Board Member, 2009-2013
  • Board President, 2012-2013

Awards & Recognitions

• Awarded Northwestern Law’s SFPIF Young Alumni Award in recognition of outstanding commitment to public interest work, March 2020.

• Named by Super Lawyers as an Illinois Super Lawyer (top 5% of all lawyers), 2019 to present.

• Awarded $30,000 post-graduate Stanford Haas Center for Public Service Fellowship.

• Received Good Apple award for service to Chicago Appleseed.

Publications & Presentations

• Understanding Mental Health Conditions Under the ADA and FMLA, National Employment Lawyers’ Association Illinois Seventh Circuit Conference, February 2023.

• The Fall of Roe and the Workplace, Chicago Bar Association, September 2022.

• The FMLA at 30, Chicago Bar Association, May 2022.

• 2020, 2021, 2022 Midwinter Meeting Report of 2020 FMLA Cases, ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law Committee Subcommittee on the FMLA, Contributing Author.

• Evidentiary Issues in Sex Harassment Cases, National Employment Lawyers’ Association Illinois Seventh Circuit Conference, February 2020.

• Best Practices for Physicians Writing Doctor’s Notes, Rush University Medical Center (RUSH), May 2019.

• #MeToo in the Law: A panel discussion on sexual harassment in the legal workplace (co-panelist with then-Chief Judge Ruben Castillo) Seventh Circuit Bar Association Diversity and Inclusion Committee, January 2019.

• Investigating Allegations of Systemic Discrimination, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chicago District Office, June 2018.

• Pregnancy Discrimination Post-Young v. UPS, Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section (CBA YLS), October 2017.

• Pregnancy Discrimination Claims in Light of Young v. UPS, National Employment Lawyers Association Illinois (NELA IL), September 2017.

• Ethical Concerns When Conducting Internal Investigations, EXCEL Conference, June 2017.

• Keynote Speaker, Northwestern University School of Law Inaugural Public Interest Social, January 2017.

• Federal and State Protections for Workers with Pregnancy-Related Conditions, Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Labor and Employment Committee, January 2016.

• Civil Rights Issues Affecting Low-Wage Workers, Chicago Kent College of Law, October 2015 and November 2014.

• What U.S. EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Means for Grooming and Dress Code Policies, American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, July 2015.

• Legal Issues Affecting Temporary Workers, Coalition Against Workplace Sexual Violence, October 2014.

• Know Your Rights, Muslim American Society and Bridgeview Mosque, May 2014.

• Bringing Employment Discrimination Claims on Behalf of Immigrant, Migrant and Other Vulnerable Populations, EEOC Technical Assistance Program Seminars (TAPS) Wisconsin, June 2013.

• Successfully Overcoming Employers’ Scorched-Earth Defense Tactics, Minnesota Trial, Summer 2013.

• An EEOC Attorney’s Perspective, 2013 Human Resources Seminar, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, April 2013.

• United We Stand: Effectively Representing Immigrants in Employment Cases, National Employment Law Association (NELA) National Conference, March 2013.

Presentations in Spanish:

• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Information for Immigrant Workers, Mujeres Latinas en Acción.

• Know Your Rights, Mexican Consulate, August 2011-2014.