about us ATTORNEYS: Penny Nathan Kahan Principal Email: Selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer and One of the Top 50 Female Lawyers in Illinois, May 2006. Recognized as a "Leading American Attorney" since year 1998. Elected as a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2000. Elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, 2002. Penny Nathan Kahan has almost 25 years of experience representing employees in negotiating, litigating and resolving employment disputes arising out of federal, state and local employment laws as well as contractual disputes including restrictive covenants and compensation plans. Her particular areas of expertise are representation of senior executives and professionals in the negotiation of employment contracts and separation agreements as well as strategic resolution of workplace disputes. Ms. Kahan has extensive experience in handling cases involvoing harassment in the workplace, and "whistleblower" cases including those arising out of Sarbanes-Oxley. She is also experienced in doing independent investigations of harassment claims and other cases involving workplace misconduct. She has completed the Employment Law Mediator training program sponsored by the Alliance for Education in Dispute Resolution and the Cornell/Perc Institute on Conflict Resolution and is available as a neutral to mediate employment-related cases. Ms. Kahan writes extensively on both the substance and practice of employment law and frequently lectures on a wide variety of employment topics. Her most recent publications are the Chapter on "Focus Groups and Mock Jury Trials" for the book Litigating the Sexual Harassment Case, Second Edition, published by the American Bar Association in April, 2000 and the article, "Mediation as a Model for Resolving Employment Disputes in the New Millennium," 1 Employee Rights Quarterly 4 (Spring 2001). Penny Nathan Kahan has been honored as one of the Top 50 Female Lawyers in Chicago for both 2005 and 2006 and in May of 2005, as reported in Chicago Magazine, she was selected in a Law and Politics Survey of her peers as an Illinois Super Lawyer. In the year 2000, Penny was elected a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Law and was elected a Fellow in the American Bar Foundation in 2002. She has been a member of the Leading Lawyers Network since 1998. Quite active in several legal organizations, Penny has received numerous awards and honors. She is one of the founding members of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) where, until 1996, she served as an Executive Board member and Treasurer. She is the founder of the Illinois affiliate of NELA and serves on its Executive Board Admitted: 1979, Illinois, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, including Trial Bar and U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Education: University of California at Berkeley, California, (Boalt Hall) J.D., 1978; Roosevelt University, B.A., 1966; University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (completed one year of post-graduate studies in social work, 1968-1969). Member: Illinois State Bar Association; Labor and Employment Law Section Council, 1990-1992; National Employment Lawyers Association (Member, Executive Board, 1985-1995; Treasurer, 1993-1995; Founder and Chair, Illinois Chapter, 1985-1992); National Employee Rights Institute/Workplace Fairness (Executive Board, 1996-2001); American Bar Association, Litigation Section; Chicago Bar Association, Labor and Employment Committee; Leading Lawyers Network; Leading American Attorneys; The Lawyers Club of Chicago. Author: "Summary Judgment in Employment Cases: When and Why?," and "Harassment Law Update," American Law Institute-American Bar Association ('ALI-ABA") Continuing Legal Education Course of Study (September 2005); "Mediation as a Model for Resolving Employment Disputes in the New Millennium," 1 Employee Rights Quarterly 4 (Spring 2001); "Jury Science: Focus Groups and Mock Jury Trials in Trial Preparation" Chapter in Litigating the Sexual Harassment Case, Second Edition, (ABA 2000); "Evaluation and Investigation of Discharge Claims: Employee's Perspective," Employment Termination Handbook, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 1994; "Privacy Issues," Employment Discrimination and Employment Termination , Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (1990); "Evaluating the Plaintiff's Employment Case," Employment Termination and Related Workplace Issues Handbook, Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, Supplement (May 1998); Employment Litigation: Forms and Publications, Matthew Bender, 1991; Civil Rights Litigation and Attorney Fees Annual Handbook, Volume VI, Clark Boardman Co., Ltd., 1990. Recent Speeches: "Employment Practices," Executive Partner Forum, Cisco Systems (January, 2006); "Summary Judgment in Employment Cases: When and Why?," and "Harassment Law Update," American Law Institute, American Bar Association ('ALI-ABA") Continuing Legal Education Course of Study (September 2005); "Selecting a Case for Mediation: A Plaintiff's Attorney's Perspective," National Employment Lawyers Association Indiana, Indianapolis, IN, June, 2005; "Settling the Case: Strategies for Negotiating the Best Outcome for Your Client," National Employment Lawyers Association, Litigating Harassment Claims, Chicago, IL, March 12, 2005; Panelist, "Training on Breast Cancer and Legal Advocacy," ABA Commission on Women and The Women's Bar Association of Illinois, Chicago, IL, October 29, 2004; "Deposition of Adverse Party Witness in Sexual Harassment and Hostile Work Environment," Chicago Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Chicago, IL, March 5, 2004; Speaker: NELA 14th Annual Convention, "Taking a Deep Breath, Stress Management for the Plaintiff's Employment Lawyer," June 2003, Vail, Colorado; PLI-31st Annual Institute on Employment Law, "How to Win a Motion for Summary Judgment in Discrimination or Harassment Retaliation Cases," November 7, 2002, Chicago, Illinois; PLI-32nd Annual Institute on Employment Law, "Discovery Issues in Employment Discrimination Cases," October 2003, Chicago, Illinois; ABA Annual Meeting, "The 'Rambo' Adversary: How to Deal with Difficult or Unethical Opposing Counsel," August 2001, Chicago, Illinois; "Sexual Harassment Law Update" American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, May 17, 2000; "Successful Negotiation Techniques for Employment Cases" National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Washington D.C., June 23, 2000; The Twelfth Annual EEO Conference, "Effectively Handling and Resolving EEO Disagreements," May 13, 1999; Panelist, "Current Developments in Employment Law," ALI-ABA, July 23-25, 1998, 1999, 2001, Santa Fe, New Mexico; "Accommodations of Religious Beliefs and Practices in the Workplace," Decalogue Society, June 10, 1998; EEO Mediation Conference, Loyola University, Institute of Human Resources and Industrial Relations; Workshop in "Case Selection and Preparation for Mediation," Chicago, Illinois, April 24, 1997. Advisory Boards: Editorial Advisory Board, Estimating and Proving Damages in Employment Cases, James Publishing; Advisory Board, Employee Rights and Employment Policy Law Journal, Workplace Fairness and Institute for Law and the Workplace, 2000-present. DePaul University School of Law, Center for Dispute Resolution, 2002-2004. Representative Cases: Dinkins v. Varsity Contractors, Inc., 2005 WL 599979 (N.D. Ill. 2005) (denying employer's Motion for Partial Summary Judgment on FMLA claim); Bowers v. Radiological Society of North America, 2000 WL 716036 (N.D. III. March 18, 2000) (denial of employer's two Motions for Summary Judgment in same-sex harassment case); Hall v. Carlson, 1987 WL 6298 (N.D. III. Jan, 30, 1987) and 1985 WL 2412 (N.D. III. Aug. 28, 1985) (limiting claim to principal of High School in employment case); Hall v. Board of Education, 639 F. Supp. 501 (N.D III 1986) (denial of employer's Motion for Summary Judgment); Belda v. Morse-Diesel, Inc., 1990 WL 207441 (N.D. III. Dec, 1990) (denial of employer's summary judgment motion); (subsequent verdict for employee, doubled because of proof of willful violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act); Kirstein and Cook Spring Co., Ch. No. 1984CF699150, 1991 WL 699150, 1991 WL 698581, 1991 WL 698594, and 1991 WL 698150 (Ill. HRC July 22, 1991, May 24, 1991 and Mar. 28, 1991) (upholding judgment for employee in claim of age discrimination); Kingsbury and Rogers Engineering Corp., Ch. No. 1991 Ca 3706, 1993 WL 818060 (Ill. HRC May 7, 1993) (ruling in favor of employee); Vajda v. Arthur Andersen & Company, 253 III. App. 3d, 345 (1st Dist. 1993) (reversing employer's Motion for Summary Judgment in implied contract case arising out of personnel policies); Bristow v. Drake Street Inc., 41 F.3d 345 (7th Cir. 1995) (reversing verdict for employer in claim for breach of contract); Lynn v. Acme Metals, Inc., No. 94 C 5633, 1995 WL 472747, 1995 WL 370230 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 8, 1995 and June 20, 1995) (ruling in favor of employee); Linda Place v. Abbot Laboratories, Jury Verdict of $500, 000 December 1998, Northern District of Illinois (sexual harassment/retaliation against employer Abbot Laboratories). LEGAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL: Debi Agostinelli Office Manager Email: Debi came to us with over 25 years of law firm office management experience. Her skills incorporate a wide range of duties to insure that our law firm runs smoothly. She handles all of our billing, accounts receivable and accounts payable, as well as all the day-to-day responsibilities of running the business office. Education: Southern Illinois University, B.S. in Accounting, 1997.