Protecting Employers Since 1985

Jennifer Adams Murphy
Managing Shareholder
(630) 377-1554
Ms. Murphy has represented clients before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois and U.S. Departments of Labor and various Illinois circuit and appellate courts as well as federal district and appellate courts in Illinois and throughout the Midwest.
Location
Saint Charles, Illinois
Bar Admissions
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar
JENNIFER ADAMS MURPHY has over 30 years of experience in employment and commercial litigation and counsel. Ms. Murphy is a cum laude graduate of Marquette Law School where she served as Articles Editor in its Law Review.
Following graduation from law school, Ms. Murphy was appointed as the judicial clerk to Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis J. Ceci. After her clerkship, Ms. Murphy’s career has included work as a litigator for a major Chicago law firm and 30 years of private practice providing counsel and litigating various employment issues such as:
- Drafting handbooks, employment policies, executive employment agreements, non-competes and NDAs;
- Counseling on employee discipline/terminations, medical leaves and ADA accommodation;
- Providing training on employment laws and procedures;
- Reviewing and counseling regarding FLSA exemption classifications; and
- Representing employers in litigation of wage claims and audits (federal /state court/DOL/IDOL) and litigation of discrimination/harassment, failure to accommodate, FMLA, BIPA, non-competes and trade secrets claims (federal/state court/EEOC/IDHR/IHRC proceedings).
Ms. Murphy has four wonderful adult children, two living on opposite coasts, one in college and one living at home where she has a very small dog, a large fish tank and two rabbits. In her spare time, she enjoys biking through forest preserves, gardening, cooking and trying to learn new skills.
Ms. Murphy was selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers list 2020 through 2022, an exclusive list recognizing no more than five percent of attorneys in Illinois.
Representative Cases
- Summary judgment won in ADA and FMLA case (federal district court/2021);
- Won dismissal in insurance collection litigation through arbitration, Nebraska state court litigation(through appeal) and ultimately obtained voluntary dismissal in Illinois federal court action (2016-2021);
- Won dismissal of state court non-compete lawsuit (2020);
- Won dismissal of FLSA collective action (federal district court 2019);
- Tried and won sex harassment case before IHRC (2019);
- Won dismissal of retaliatory discharge lawsuit (2018);
- Obtained TRO and six figure settlement in trade secret, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference and conspiracy case (2015 – 16)
- Won affirmance in appellate court of summary judgment in breach of employment contract and tortious interference claim (2014);
- Won summary judgment in federal race discrimination and whistleblower lawsuit (2014);
- Won dismissals of two federal collective action lawsuits filed alleging claims under the FLSA (2013-14);
- Won dismissal of state court breach of employment contract /intentional interference with employment expectancy lawsuit (2013);
- Won dismissal of state court disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit (2013)
- Won reversal of IDES successor determination resulting in reimbursement to client in excess of $160,000 (2013).
Areas of Practice
- Employment Counsel and Litigation
- Appellate Practice
- Non-compete Contracts and Litigation
- Compensation Counsel and Wage Disputes and Litigation
- Arbitration Agreements and Representation
- Defamation Litigation
- Commercial Counsel and Litigation
COVID-19 Resources
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Education
Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- J.D. cum laude
- Honors: Top ten percent
- Law Review: Marquette Law Review, Articles Editor
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- B.A.
- Major: Political Science and Economics
- Major: Economics
Professional Associations and Memberships
Chicago Bar Association
State Bar of Wisconsin
Illinois State Bar Association
Classes and Seminars
- Diversity Training Seminar, DuPage County Bar Association
- Bracing for Me Too, May 23, 2018
- Dealing with depression and anxiety in the workplace, April 28, 2017
- Best practices to avoid costly wage and hour litigation, October 17, 2016
- What to do When Employees Steal your Trade Secrets and Customers!
- The Disloyal Employee: 10 Keys to a Binding Non-Compete Agreement
- Unpredictable Winds of Litigation: Arbitration Agreements (Value & Enforceability)
- Time to [Re]Consider an Arbitration Policy?, October 31, 2014
- Winning with Your Poker Face – Settlement Strategies
- You Can’t Take It With You – Drafting, enforcing and hiring employees subject to non-compete and trade secret agreements
- “Sex in the City” (And in the Workplace): What to do when Porn, “Sexting” and other raunchy stuff shows up at work
Published Works
- Illinois Supreme Court’s Decision on Biometric Information Privacy Act Opens Door to More Litigation, February, 2019
- A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION TO AVOID EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE WAGE CLAIMS, January , 2019
- Politics and Religion in the Workplace – “Backlash Discrimination” of Muslims and Middle Eastern Employees, 2017
- Watch Out! The New Year Brings New Laws, 2017
- New Protection for your Trade Secrets Under the New Federal “Defend Trade Secrets Act”, 2016
- Time to [Re]Consider an Arbitration Policy?, 2015
- Best Practices for Compliance with Illinois Employment Laws for Newly Licensed Cannabis Businesses, 2014
- Employment At-Will Argument Prevails against Contract Claim Asserted by Former Employee, 2013
- Relief for Employer Facing Trumped up Claims, 2013
- Illinois Gender Violence Act – Another Reason to be Vigilant in the Enforcement of Anti-Sexual Harassment Policies, 2012
- Illinois Appellate Court Allows Plaintiff to Proceed in Claim of Negligent Supervision against Southwest Airlines Regarding Flight Attendant’s Alleged Harassment through use of Company Computers and Cell Phones, 2012
- Employers Receive an 11th Hour Reprieve on DOL Minimum Salary Rule – Federal Judge Blocks Overtime Rule From Going Into Effect as Planned, On December 1st., November, 2016
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