Michael J. Sheehan

USA: Illinois

McDermott Will & Emery
444 West Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60606-0029
United States

Tel: +1 312 984 2040

Email: msheehan@mwe.com
Web: www.mwe.com

Michael Sheehan concentrates his practice on employment litigation with a focus on prosecuting and defending unfair competition litigation involving large scale raiding, inevitable disclosure of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty and non-compete agreements. A nationally recognized litigator, Michael has extensive courtroom experience, having tried dozens of cases to verdict across the United States. He has acted as lead counsel and successfully defended private and public companies against age, gender, race, retaliation, sexual harassment and trade secret/raiding cases. He has also litigated numerous large scale wage and hour class actions in state and federal court.

On a daily basis, Michael provides strategic counseling to private equity and public company clients, negotiating the on-boarding and exits of CEOs and other C-Suite executives, investigating #MeToo sexual harassment, Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and other whistleblower complaints. Clients state Michael has “a pragmatic and efficient approach and a great understanding of our business and internal needs,” Chambers USA.

Michael is the global head of McDermott’s Employment Practice Group. Prior to joining McDermott, Michael was global co-chair of the employment group and chair of the US employment group for a leading international law firm.

With lawyers in the United States, Europe and Asia, along with a broad network of professional advisors worldwide, we help clients attract and retain workers at every level, enter and exit markets as business conditions warrant, develop and implement effective employment policies, identify and protect trade secrets and other confidential information, and negotiate and enforce a range of employment contracts.

In the United States, we help employers ensure compliance with relevant legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, as well as related national, state, and local legislation and ordinances wherever our clients do business.

Our team provides clients with a fully informed appreciation of the potential risks and exposures of their employment policies and decisions. We are regularly engaged in all forms of litigation, including civil trials in matters that involve individual wrongful discharge, ERISA, employment discrimination, related employment torts, and enforcement of or defending against non-competition clauses. We are equally adept at handling labor injunction proceedings and administrative proceedings before governmental agencies such as, the US Department of Labor, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board.

Our diverse set of experiences provides a firm foundation to navigate the risks associated with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. We also have in-depth knowledge of data-privacy laws, related compliance matters and internal investigations. Clients can rely on McDermott for all of their labor and employment needs across multiple jurisdictions—a necessity for businesses everywhere.

 
“Global head of the firm’s employment group Michael Sheehan specializes in unfair competition disputes. Clients describe him as “a terrific attorney.”
Chambers & Partners