True to her Midwestern roots, attorney Elizabeth Chavez earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate (JD) Degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. In Law School, Elizabeth was an active member of Loyola’s Mediation Team. She earned a Mediation Certification and acted as a court-appointed mediator in small claims court. She also co-founded the International Dispute Resolution Leadership Council, an international organization created by students and young professionals around the world with the main purpose of promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution and encouraging youth around the world to develop the leadership skills to build a better future. During her 3L year, Elizabeth worked at the Public Defender’s office, where she got hands-on experience litigating cases under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

After Law School, Elizabeth quickly joined Foote, Mielke, Chavez & O’Neil, LLC (“FMCO”). Elizabeth currently manages FMCO’s employment practice and is known as a zealous advocate for Plaintiffs across the country. Elizabeth counsels and represents employees in a variety of employment litigation matters including discrimination (based on age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, and sexual orientation), sexual harassment, Family Medical Leave Act, and retaliation claims. Her vast experience in litigating employment matters, from single-plaintiff discrimination suits to collective and class wage claims, affords her knowledge and aptitude that is simply unmatched.

Elizabeth has dedicated a majority of her practice to protecting workers’ rights. She has notable experience prosecuting claims in front of administrative agencies and in state and federal courts. In addition to employment litigation, Elizabeth represents Plaintiffs in complex civil litigation ranging from business disputes to antitrust, consumer fraud and injury cases. She has impressive experience litigating multi-district litigation (“MDL”) cases on behalf of individuals who have been harmed or injured.

Elizabeth offers a level of advocacy, compassion and dedication to her clients that is truly unparalleled. Elizabeth has been recognized as a SuperLawyers “Rising Star” from 2019 through 2022, an honor only adorned by 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois. In September of 2020, Elizabeth was selected as a “Civil Plaintiff—Top 40 under 40” Trial Attorney by the National Trial Lawyers. Elizabeth also currently serves on Public Justice’s Board of Directors, where she is also active in several sub-committees. Elizabeth serves as the Executive Vice-Chair to Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Society’s Labor and Employment Committee. 

Elizabeth is a member of AAJ, Public Justice, the Chicago Bar Association (“CBA”), the Federal Bar Association (“FBA”), the National Employment Lawyer Association (“NELA”), National Trial Lawyers (“NTL”) and the American Bar Association (“ABA”). She is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.

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Areas of Practice
  • Employment Litigation
  • Discrimination
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Retaliation
  • Wage & Hour
  • Complex Civil Litigation
  • Business Disputes
  • Antitrust
  • Consumer Fraud
  • Personal Injury
Bar Admissions
  • Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
Education
  • Loyola University Chicago School of Law
    • Juris Doctor
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
    • B.A.
  • The Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke University School of Law (2021)
    • Advanced Certification in Mass Tort and Multidistrict Litigation
Representative Cases:
  • Annoereno, et al., v. Claire’s Stores, Inc., 14-cv-07744
  • Baranowska v. Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc., 19-cv-6844
  • Garner v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation, 18-cv-03789
  • Gomez v. River Trails Condominium Association, 19-cv-06157
  • In Re Androgel Related Cases
  • In Re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation, MDL 2406
  • In Re Jimmy John’s Overtime Litigation, 14-cv-05509
  • In Re Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2545
  • In Re Wholesale Grocery Products Antitrust Litigation, MDL 2090
  • Jones v. TSG Staffing, LLC., 18-cv-10321
  • Nuger v. Tomy International, 17-cv-01993
  • Sheldon, Hunsberger v. State Farm, et al., 19-cv-01080
  • Wallace-Howell v. Ultra Foods, 16-cv-07578
  • Watt, et al. v. Fox Restaurant Venture, et al., 17-cv-02104
  • Wittorp v. Battaglia Food Service Distributors, 19-cv-06555
Speaking Engagements and Publications
  • Mass Torts Made Perfect Speaker: Class Actions in Insurance Claims, Las Vegas, NV (Class Action Law Track) (October, 2022)
  • Attorney-Client Privilege and the Work Product Doctrine, LawPracticeCLE (January 2021)
  • Advanced Employee Handbook Drafting, LawPracticeCLE (September 2020)
  • Social Media & the Law: Intellectual Property, Employment and the Duty of Professionals, LawPracticeCLE (January 2020)
  • Understand and Effectively Maximize Job-Protected Leave Entitlement Under the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, as amended (“FMLA”); LawPracticeCLE (January 2020)
  • Workplace Changes and Challenges: Hot Topics and Emerging Employment Law Issues; LawPracticeCLE (March 2019)
  • Hasta La Vista v. I’ll Be Back: empowering employees to Understand and Effectively Maximize Job-Protected Leave Entitlement Under the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, as amended (“FMLA”); LawPracticeCLE (March 2019)
  • Drafting Employee Handbooks: Navigating the Complicated Practicality of the Employee Handbook; LawPracticeCLE (December 2018)
  • Keep This Between Us: The Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine; LawPracticeCLE (December 2018)
  • A Lawyer’s Guide to the Employee Handbooks; mylawCLE and Wolters Kluwer CLE Broadcast (October 2017)
  • HIPAA Law for Lawyers: A Must-Know Guide to New Compliance Requirements; mylawCLE and Wolters Kluwer CLE Broadcast (September 2017)
  • Understanding the Basics and Not-So-Basics of the Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine; mylawCLE and Wolters Kluwer CLE Broadcast (September 2017)
  • International Trademark Registration: Advantages and Disadvantages of International Registration (IR) Through the Madrid Protocol; mylawCLE and Wolters Kluwer CLE Broadcast (September 2017)
  • Sexual Harassment and Hostile Work Environments; Kane County Bar Association CLE Presentation (May 2017)
Achievements and Professional Memberships
  • 2020—Present: Board of Directors Member, Public Justice
  • 2020—Present: Board Development and Nominating Committee Member, Public Justice
  • 2020—Present: Case Development/Special Projects Committee Member, Public Justice
  • 2020—Present: Membership, Outreach & Diversity Committee Member, Public Justice
  • 2020—Present: Executive Vice-Chair to Chicago Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Society’s Labor and Employment Committee.
  • 2020—Present: AAJ New Lawyer Division Public Justice Liason
  • 2020-2021: “Civil Plaintiff—Top 40 under 40” Trial Attorney by the National Trial Lawyers
  • 2019—2021 Rising Star, SuperLawyers
  • 2019—2021 Chicago Magazine Outstanding Young Lawyers in Illinois
  • Advanced Certificate in Mass-Tort MDL, Bolch Judicial Institute, Duke University School of Law (2020)
  • Certificate in Mass-Tort MDL, Bolch Judicial Institute, Duke University School of Law (2019)
  • Administer Justice volunteer attorney (2018-present)
  • 2017 Top 20 Jury Verdict (Illinois)
  • Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) certified mediator
  • Member of Chicago Bar Association, American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Women Antitrust Plaintiffs’ Attorneys (“WAPA”), Public Justice, American Association for Justice (“AAJ”) and National Employment Lawyers Association (“NELA”)
  • What’s New in 2022: An Employment Lawyer’s Guide to trending topics in 2022, LawPracticeCLE (November 2021)