Heather R. Becker

Heather joined Laner Muchin in 2006 as an associate and has been a partner of the Firm since 2009.  Prior to joining Laner Muchin, Heather was an associate at a large, Chicago-based law firm where her practice focused on labor and employment counseling and litigation and general business litigation. 

Heather now concentrates her practice on representing public and private sector employers before federal and state courts and administrative agencies in all types of employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment and retaliation litigation, wage and hour and wage payment claims, civil rights and constitutional claims, whistleblower claims, and employment contracts disputes involving trade secrets, non-competes and restrictive covenants.  

Heather also provides counseling services to her clients on a day-to-day basis to help them develop policies and procedures to minimize risk, train employers on best practices to improve employee relations, and develop practical solutions to resolve complex employment disputes before they mushroom into litigation matters. 

HONORS, MEMBERSHIPS AND PUBLICATIONS

• Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Management, 2024
• Recognized by Chicago Lawyer’s 2023 Top Women in Law List
• Honored on the Illinois Super Lawyers list and former honoree on the Rising Stars list in Employment Litigation
• Illinois Emerging Lawyers by Leading Lawyers
• Top Forty Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois, 2016, Law Bulletin Publishing Company
• Panelist, "Navigating the Coronavirus: Best Practices for Employers," ChicagoSHRM Webinar, March 2020
• Author, "A New Year Brings New and Amended Laws in Illinois" ChicagoSHRM (December 2019)
• Author, “The Supreme Court Says Class Action Waivers Are Enforceable, But Are Arbitration Agreements Right For Your Organization?" ChicagoSHRM (June 2018) 
• Member, Illinois Bar Association and American Bar Association
• DePaul Law Review, Editor in Chief
• Speaker, Annual SHRM Conference (June 2018) 
• Author, The Push for Equal Pay Through “No Salary History” Laws, ChicagoSHRM Legal Update (August 2017)
• Author, Is Your Company Prepared for the New Cook County and City of Chicago Sick Leave Ordinances?, ChicagoSHRM Legal Update (June 2017)
• Other writings published in the DePaul Law Review, the ABA’s Section of Litigation, Employment and Labor Relations Newsletter, the Illinois Bar Journal and the 35th and 36th Annual Institute on Employment Law Treatises

Below are representative samples of the types of matters Heather handles on behalf of Laner Muchin clients:

Defending employers and individually-named defendants in discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.

Defending public sector employers and individually-named defendants in constitutional and civil rights cases before federal courts.

Defending employers in wage and hour lawsuits involving collective and class claims in federal and state courts.

Defending employers and individually-named defendants in employment-related tort actions in federal and state courts.

Defending employers in whistleblower actions in federal and state courts.

Seeking injunctive relief in trade secret, non-compete and restrictive covenant matters, and negotiating business-oriented resolutions with adverse parties in such contract disputes.

Conducting corporate investigations on behalf of employers on a broad range of topics, including complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and other employment-related matters.

Training of executives, managers and employees on a range of employment-related topics, including discrimination, harassment and retaliation, leave laws, workplace accommodations, background checks, effective documentation, and best practices.

Providing employment-related advice on a variety of issues, including discipline, performance improvement, leaves of absence, workplace accommodations, and best practices.