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
- EEOC Provides Shot in the Arm to Employers with Long-Awaited Guidance on COVID Vaccines - (Posted On Tuesday, January 05, 2021)
- Stimulus Package: Employment Law Edition - (Posted On Tuesday, December 29, 2020)
- California Law Expands Presumption for COVID-19 Workers' Compensation Claims - (Posted On Friday, October 09, 2020)
- Closed Schools, Open Questions: FFCRA Leave and Education in a Pandemic - (Posted On Wednesday, September 16, 2020)
- Illinois Moves to Phase 4 of Re-Opening Plan - (Posted On Thursday, June 25, 2020)
- Supreme Court Rules Employers Cannot Discriminate Against LGBTQ Employees: Key Takeaways - (Posted On Thursday, June 18, 2020)
- Broadcast Your Safety: City of Chicago Promotes Self-Certification Program - (Posted On Monday, June 08, 2020)
- Is Your Employee's Confirmed COVID-19 Diagnosis a Recordable Illness Under OSHA's Recordkeeping Requirements? - (Posted On Thursday, June 04, 2020)
- Temperature Checks: Three Things to Know Before Screening Employees and Customers - (Posted On Friday, May 22, 2020)
- Legal Considerations for Reopening Business in the Time of Coronavirus - (Posted On Thursday, April 23, 2020)
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.