Sheryl Jaffee Halpern is a Principal at Much Shelist's Chicago office. Sheryl helps employers make important decisions in a way that is designed to minimize risk. She counsels business owners and senior leaders on a wide range of business and employment matters, providing clear and direct guidance that promotes legal compliance while remaining cognizant of practical workplace realities her clients face.
Sheryl prides herself on being responsive and detail-oriented. As a strategic advisor, she is supported by Much's full-service team to help clients address complicated day-to-day legal issues as well as big picture business objectives.
At Much, Sheryl is a member of the Management Committee, where she helps chart the firm's long-term direction and strategic growth. She also co-leads Much University, the firm's continuing education and professional development initiative, and serves as chair emeritus of the Much Women's Initiative.
In her practice, Sheryl listens to – and truly hears – her clients so that she can develop an understanding of the unique legal and business challenges they face. She recognizes that building a relationship involves more than just attending to the project at hand, and she works hard to get to know her clients – the businesses and the people – so they can count her among their trusted advisors. Sheryl's primary area of emphasis is employment law, but she often functions as outside in-house counsel to her clients.
Employers can benefit from Sheryl's advice in many respects. She and her team help employers avoid risky workplace situations by implementing sound best practices, such as:
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Adopting a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to discrimination, harassment, wage-and-hour, and other employment-related issues in an effort to prevent claims
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Developing noncompete, non-solicitation, confidentiality, and other agreements that are designed to protect an employer's business interests and updated to comply with evolving laws
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Implementing measures for protecting confidential information and relationships with customers and employees
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Carrying out hiring, firing, or "rightsizing" decisions in a manner that minimizes risk
Sheryl has successfully represented employers at state and local human rights agencies, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, state unemployment agencies, the U.S. Department of Labor and state departments of labor, and in state and federal courts.
Prior to joining Much, Sheryl was a partner in a small Chicago firm, where she established and grew the labor and employment practice. Sheryl speaks at legal and industry conferences and seminars on a broad range of labor and employment topics.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Sheryl Jaffee Halpern
- When an Employee Threatens Violence, What's an Employer to Do? - (Posted On Monday, March 05, 2012)
- Q&A / Exploring Global Opportunities: Challenges and Resources for Midwest Companies - (Posted On Tuesday, February 07, 2012)
- New IRS Program Allows Employers to Correct Worker Misclassifications at Greatly Reduced Penalty Rates - (Posted On Friday, November 11, 2011)
- Social Media in the Workplace: NLRB Offers Guidance for ALL Employers on Offensive Posts and Social Media Policies - (Posted On Thursday, September 22, 2011)
- Q&A for Employers: Understanding the Impact of Illinois' New Civil Union Act - (Posted On Wednesday, September 21, 2011)
- U.S. Supreme Court Decision May Dramatically Affect California Employee Arbitration Agreements - (Posted On Wednesday, June 15, 2011)
- Disabled or Not Disabled...That Is No Longer the Question: The ADAAA Necessitates a Shift In Focus for Employers - (Posted On Saturday, June 11, 2011)
- He's an Independent Contractor...Or Is He? - (Posted On Sunday, March 27, 2011)
- Three Key Things Employers and Employees Should Know about Social Media - (Posted On Wednesday, March 23, 2011)
- Employers Beware: The Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act Is Now More Expansive - (Posted On Saturday, January 22, 2011)
Sheryl Jaffee Halpern and her extensive coverage of Human Resources Issues has been selected for a National Law Review Go-To Thought Leadership Award. Ms. Halpern ’s insights into Parental Leave Regulations, the #MeToo Movement, Overtime and DOL regulations provide NLR readers with an important resource to aid in the understanding of the changing regulations in this area.