Karin Anderson

Karin Anderson is a partner with OKGC and has been with the firm since 2011. Karin has been practicing employment law for over 15 years and has successfully represented both public and private clients in federal and state court, at administrative agency proceedings and at settlement conferences. She focuses her practice on employment law, §1983 civil rights litigation, municipal liability defense, and general tort defense.

Karin has extensive experience with cases involving harassment, discrimination and retaliation under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act. Karin has successfully defended her clients in federal court winning jury trials and summary judgment motions in cases involving these laws. At the state level, Karin recently won her appeal of a case of first impression in the Illinois Appellate Court for the Fourth District regarding the proper removal of a village police chief from his appointed position.

Karin is the Vice Chair of the Employment Law Committee for the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel (IDC) and has written featured articles for the IDC Quarterly magazine on changes to the FLSA and the impact of legalized marijuana on workplace policies. Karin also prepares employment policies and provides advice to clients on day-to-day employment matters including compliance with the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Program Act, the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, the Illinois Minimum Wage Law and a number of other federal and state laws. Before joining OKGC, Karin operated her own firm and provided consulting and training services for private employers on compliance with anti-discrimination statutes, various leave laws, employment contracts and miscellaneous human resource matters. She also prepared personnel policy manuals for companies with offices in all 50 states.

Karin presents seminars and training sessions on trending employment law topics, such as the impact of legalized marijuana in the workplace, reasonable suspicion training, the new salary thresholds under the FLSA, determining independent contractor status, and provides updates on the concealed carry laws, the FMLA, military leave laws and other new or amended employment laws. Past seminars include effective workplace investigations, retaliation, whistle blowing and the First Amendment, and equal employment opportunity issues.

Before becoming an attorney, Karin worked as a Child Welfare Specialist first with Catholic Charities and then with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She worked with abused and neglected children in Cook County and helped find safe, permanent homes for the children. While studying and living abroad, Karin volunteered with various social services agencies, helped Somali, Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees in Egypt seek political asylum and taught English to Kurdish refugees in Sweden. Currently, Karin speaks and raises funds on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Make-A-Wish Foundation and advocates for children with special needs and their families.

Areas of Focus

• Employment Law
• Civil Rights Law
• Municipal Liability Defense
• General Tort Defense

Education

• DePaul College of Law, J.D., 2002 (summa cum laude; Order of the Coif; CALI Award in Disability Law; Dean’s Scholar)
• American University in Cairo, Presidential Intern, 1989-1990
• Harvard University, A.B., 1988 (cum laude; Dean’s List; Radcliffe Scholar)
• Jämshög Folkhögskola, Sweden, Year Abroad Program, 1987-1988

Representative Cases

• Lane v. Village of Heyworth, 2019 IL App. (4^th) 180488 (July 31, 2019) – Won a case of first impression regarding the proper removal of a village police chief from his appointed position.
• Hoekstra v. City of Momence, et al., 17 CV 2040 (C.D. Ill., March 11, 2019) – Won summary judgment on all of police officer’s claims of age discrimination under the ADEA, violations of equal protection rights under §1983 and retaliation under Title VII.
• Warren v. Kendall County Sheriff, et al., 15 CV 496 (N.D. Ill., July 27, 2018) – Secured jury verdict in favor of defendants on all claims after trial on federal claims of gender discrimination and retaliation under Title VII and violation of equal protection rights under §1983.
• Henderson v. Douglas County, No. 12-2180 (C.D. Ill., March 28, 2014)—Jury verdict in favor of the Douglas County State’s Attorney in disability discrimination suit under the ADA.
• Bell v. City of Harvey, 2014 WL 257857 (N.D. Ill., Jan. 22, 2014)—Won summary judgment on police officer’s claim of retaliation under the ADEA.
• Stevens v. Weiss, 2013 WL 4780768 (C.D. Ill., Sept. 5, 2013)—Won summary judgment on former employee’s §1983 claims of false arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution against Circuit Clerk.
• Harris v. Village of Calumet Park, 2013 WL 773016 (N.D. Ill., Feb. 28, 2013)—Won summary judgment on police officer’s claims of gender discrimination, hostile work environment and retaliation under Title VII, violation of equal protection rights under §1983 and a Monellclaim under §1983 against the Village, Mayor and Police Chief.

Admissions

• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
• United States District Court for the District of Colorado
• Illinois