New Practice Group to Serve Construction and Trucking Companies who use Independent Contractors

Wessels Sherman has launched a brand new legal practice group to advise Illinois construction and trucking companies on how to stay out of trouble under the new Illinois Employee Classification Act.

Construction and trucking companies who use independent contractors in Illinois are in great need of in-depth legal advice, according to Wessels Sherman partners.

According to Joerg, “There is a harsh new law in Illinois that became effective January 1, 2008 that construction and trucking companies who use independent contractors need to be forewarned about. Construction and trucking companies need to make important defensive changes in order to lower their liability in using independent contractors.”

According to Joerg, attorneys in the Wessels Sherman practice group have successfully represented construction and trucking companies before many government agencies on the issue of the independent contractor classification. Wessels Sherman attorneys have also effectively represented clients in a broad range of investigations into independent contractor status.

We note that under the Illinois Employee Classification Act, construction and trucking companies who are found to have misclassified independent contractors are subject to civil and even criminal penalties.

We provide articles about the Illinois Classification Act on our site. Please go to our articles under the Independent Contractor topic to read more.

Wessels Sherman Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Clients under the Illinois Employee Classification Act

Nancy E. Joerg is nationally recognized in the area of independent contractor and contingent workforce issues. She aggressively represents companies audited by the Illinois Department of Employment Security and has also represented businesses before governmental agencies throughout the United States. She also works with companies in drafting independent contractor agreements and has prepared thousands of employee handbooks with contingent workforce issues in mind. Ms. Joerg has represented management before the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the United States Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board. Ms. Joerg speaks and writes nationally on a number of legal matters, including independent contractor status, unemployment insurance concerns, wage and hour matters and issues affecting the contingent workforce. She has authored a book for Commerce Clearing House entitled Welcome to the World of Independent Contractors and Other Contingent Workers. In addition, she has testified for state and federal government bodies on the defense of independent contractor status, and was instrumental in securing business friendly legislation that supports the use of independent contractors. Ms. Joerg is deeply involved in consulting with construction and trucking companies who are concerned about the Illinois Employee Classification Act.