Michael H. Cramer

Mr. Cramer counsels and represents employers on a wide variety of labor and employment-related legal matters. He has advised clients ranging from small non-profits to Fortune 500 companies on employment matters, negotiated cost-effective resolutions to troubling disputes, and litigated to victory.Based on peer surveys, Mr. Cramer has achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer review rating (AV), and has been named among the Best Lawyers in America, a Leading Lawyer and an Illinois Super Lawyer. Mr. Cramer’s employment litigation practice includes discrimination and harassment cases, wage and hour collective actions, and restrictive covenant litigation. Examples of his work include:Defending employers including retail chains, restaurant chains, and manufacturers in numerous class and collective actions involving alleged wage and hour violations; Defeating a former employee’s attempt to certify a class of more than 200 employees alleging denial of overtime pay, then defeating the remaining plaintiff’s claims at trial; Winning summary judgment on behalf of employers in numerous discrimination and retaliation suits; Defeating a 27-count federal lawsuit brought by the former chief executive of a non-profit organization against the entity and each of its board members; Defeating an age and sex discrimination suit in a federal jury trial; Guiding employers through high-stakes internal investigations and termination situations; Training in-house counsel, HR professionals and entire workforces on subjects including anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, internal investigations and workplace bullying; and Assisting clients to reduce EEOC charges and lawsuits by counseling HR and management on policies and all potentially volatile disciplinary and termination decisions. A frequent speaker and writer on labor and employment law topics, Mr. Cramer serves on the Labor & Employment Advisory Committee for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education.