Jennifer Long
Special Counsel
Duane Morris LLP
190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60603-3433
USA
Phone: +1 312 499 6736
Fax: +1 312 277 6612
Email: JLong@duanemorris.com

Jennifer Long practices in the area of employment law. Ms. Long has provided legal counsel on all aspects of employment law to clients ranging from startups to major multinational companies. She has been involved in matters related to code of conduct and restrictive covenant development and compliance, global restructurings and reductions in force, and employee liabilities related to multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions.

Ms. Long also has been primary defense attorney in claims involving discrimination and employment practices, including those arising under Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, WARN and equivalent state laws, including class actions. She has negotiated settlement and conciliation agreements with state and federal agencies on behalf of major corporate clients as well as employment and separation agreements with senior executives, and has prepared and assisted in the implementation of employee handbooks, policies and procedures. She also has prosecuted restrictive covenant enforcement actions on behalf of employers against former employees.

Ms. Long served as judicial extern to the Honorable Kenneth J. Ripple of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ms. Long is a summa cum laude graduate of the Valparaiso University School of Law, where she was note editor of the Valparaiso University Law Review, and a magna cum laude graduate of Valparaiso University.

Areas of Practice

• Employment and Labor Law

Representative Matters

• Obtained dismissal of disability discrimination claims filed with the Illinois Department of Human Rights against financial services firm.
• Counsel to a nationwide high-end restaurant chain regarding WARN Act and federal, state and local issues related to site closures and layoffs in numerous states.
• Represented major financial services firm in defense of a number of Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower and employment tort cases. All have been resolved to the employer's satisfaction.
• Represented a major multinational fast-food franchisor in Title VII, § 1981 and employment tort case. Won dismissal on dispositive motion.
• Represented a large affordable-housing employer in defense of an FLSA collective action for unpaid wages and overtime based on misclassification as "exempt." Achieved a global court-approved settlement based only on the amount claimed by the individually named plaintiff after eliminating potential for class certification.
• Represented a large shopping-mall-based retail employer in defense of an FLSA collective action for unpaid wages and overtime based on misclassification as "exempt." Achieved a global court-approved settlement based only on the amount claimed by the individually named plaintiff after eliminating potential for class certification.
• Represented a closely held retail bank in administrative trial of customer's public accommodation discrimination claims. Won defense verdict and award of attorneys' fees for plaintiff's discovery abuses.
• On behalf of an IT industry client, won dismissal of 10 wage-and-hour claims before the Illinois Department of Labor and affirmation by the Office of Chief Legal Counsel, and avoided a potential 30-plus-claimant class action suit with the potential of more than $1 million in claims and criminal charges against company executives.
• Saved more than $200,000 on behalf of a client and avoided a state and/or federal contracting bar while acting as primary negotiator in the settlement of 100-plus class claims brought by the Illinois Department of Labor under the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act.
• Avoided further legal action and the assessment of financial penalties and contracting bars by successfully defending several manufacturing and retail industry clients in actions brought by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance.
• Represented a fast-food industry client in the resolution of a sexual harassment and assault complaint. Avoided the filing of a threatened $1 million claim without payment to claimant.
• Enabled numerous U.S.-based public companies to protect their competitive positioning by advising them regarding the implementation of restrictive covenants and confidentiality agreements in up to 50 different countries concurrently.
• Assisted numerous U.S.-based public companies in implementing global Sarbanes-Oxley compliance programs and other corporate governance reforms by advising them in the implementation of employee policies, codes of conduct and ethics on a global basis.
• Advised a U.S. public company regarding employee transfers arising out of a $260 million acquisition involving more than 500 employees located in 36 jurisdictions.
• Advised a U.S. public company regarding employee transfer issues related to a $225 million acquisition involving employees domiciled in more than 20 countries.
• Advised a U.S. public company regarding the outsourcing of information technology and business processes in a transaction resulting in employee transfers in 39 countries.

Professional Activities

• American Bar Association
  - Labor and Employment Law Section
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association

Admissions

• Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Experience

• Duane Morris LLP
  - Special Counsel, 2006-present
• Baker & McKenzie
  - Senior Associate, 2000-2005
• Lord, Bissell & Brook
  - Associate, 1996-2000

Selected Publications

• Author, "Illinois Bans Employers from Asking Employees or Applicants to Disclose Social Media Passwords," Duane Morris Alert, August 7, 2012
• Illinois Chapter Author, How to Hire and Fire in 96 Jurisdictions, Multilaw
• Author, "EEOC Provides Guidance for Employers Preparing Employee Separation Agreements," Duane Morris Alert, July 24, 2009
• Author, "Executive Orders Signify Beginning of Obama Administration's Labor-Friendly Policies," Duane Morris Alert, March 3, 2009
• Co-author, "Employers Must Act Promptly to Comply with the Revised Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations," Duane Morris Alert, December 11, 2008
• Author, "Email and Attorney-Client Communications: A Primer for Creating Privilege Logs," ABA Commercial & Business Litigation, Spring 2008
• Author, "Amendment to Illinois Human Rights Act Opens Door for Jury Trials in State Courts," Duane Morris Alert, December 19, 2007
• Co-Author, "Employment Considerations," Pre-Transaction Restructuring Handbook, P. Denwood ed., 2005
• Co-Author, "Old Wine in a New Bottle?" Final FLSA Overtime Coverage Regulations, 2004
• Author, "Employment Practice Liability Insurance," Litigation Insurance Disputes, § 18.04, E. Zulkey ed., 2001

Selected Speaking Engagements

• Panelist, "The Road Less Traveled: Alternative Schedules," Avenues to Advancement: Ms. JD's Third Annual Conference on Women in Law, November 21, 2009
• "Countdown to Compliance," Final FLSA Overtime Coverage Regulations, 2004
• New Employment Regulations and Supreme Court Decisions, 2003