About Kimberly

Kimberly A. Yates focuses her practice on labor and employment litigation, particularly in the areas of: Wage and hour collective and class action matters Restrictive covenant contracts and non-competes cases Discrimination and retaliation lawsuits Originally from mid-Missouri, she currently resides in southern Illinois and predominately practices in Missouri and Illinois federal and state courts and represents clients across a multitude of industries, ranging from national restaurant chains and retailers to insurance brokerages and universities. She has specific experience with claims arising under: The Fair Labor Standards Act and Missouri Wage Laws Title VII The Americans with Disabilities Act The Family and Medical Leave Act The Missouri Human Rights Act Missouri and Illinois state laws governing the employment relationship She also drafted substantial portions of Missouri's revised Dram Shop law, which was subjected to heavy judicial scrutiny and survived a constitutional challenge. Additionally, Kim provides client counseling concerning risk management and compliance with state and federal employment laws. A frequent speaker and lecturer on labor and employment matters, she also trains executives and management on: Wage and hour compliance Personnel policies and practices Employee discipline and discharge Workplace safety Kim is a member of the core team of the firm's Associates Committee and a member of the Talent Advisory Council. In law school, Kim was lead articles editor for the Journal of Dispute Resolution. Prior to beginning a career in law, she worked for a global distribution company as a national account manager in its health and beauty care division and as a human resources executive.

Practice Areas

Education

• University of Missouri School of Law (Columbia), J.D., graduated 2000

Bar Admissions

• Missouri, The Missouri Bar
• Illinois, Illinois State Bar Association

Languages