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
- OSHA Issues Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 - (Posted On Thursday, April 16, 2020)
- Important Guidance from the Department of Labor and the IRS Regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act - (Posted On Wednesday, April 01, 2020)
- Hashing Out the New Illinois Marijuana Law - (Posted On Thursday, August 29, 2019)
- Is Publicizing Your Legal Violations on Social Media a Good Idea? The Answer May Not Surprise You - (Posted On Thursday, May 23, 2019)
- Paid Parental Leave: Exception or Trend? - (Posted On Tuesday, October 30, 2018)
- Parental Leave: Employee Benefit or Employment Discrimination? - (Posted On Tuesday, July 10, 2018)
- The 12 Months of HR Compliance - (Posted On Tuesday, March 06, 2018)
- Preventing Your Business from Becoming the Next Harassment Headline in the #MeToo Era - (Posted On Wednesday, November 29, 2017)
- Farewell to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Final Rule - (Posted On Thursday, October 26, 2017)
- Illinois Employers Beware: Slope of Negligent Supervision and Retention Claims May Have Just Become More Slippery - (Posted On Wednesday, May 10, 2017)
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.