| Legal Experience
Upon graduation from law school, Ms. O’Brien joined Laner, Muchin, Dombrow, Becker, Levin and Tominberg, Ltd. in 1989.
She is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and its Attorney Hiring Chairperson.
Ms. O’Brien was selected as one of the “Top 50 Women Attorneys in Illinois” for 2010 and 2011. Additionally, she is
included in the list of Illinois’ Super Lawyers (2005-11); Top Lawyers in Illinois - Labor and Employment Law Related
(2010); and the Leading Lawyers Network of Top Lawyers. She also has received the highest Martindale-Hubbell Peer
Review Rating for ethical standards and legal ability.
For more than 20 years, Ms. O’Brien has represented public and private sector employers in numerous areas of labor and
employment law, including: collective bargaining negotiations, grievance and interest arbitrations; anti-harassment,
anti-discrimination and diversity in the workplace educational programs; drafting and enforcement of confidentiality,
non-competition and other restrictive covenant agreements; prevention assistance and compliance obligations under the
Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Workers' Adjustment and Retraining Notification
Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and all other state, federal and local employment and labor laws. Ms. O’Brien has served
on the Adjunct Faculty of the Loyola School of Law where she taught Employment Discrimination law.
Admissions Information
Ms. O’Brien is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the
Northern District of Illinois and the Illinois Supreme Court.
Bar Association and Other Memberships
Ms. O’Brien is an active participant and she has held numerous leadership positions with the Illinois State Bar Association,
including serving as Chairperson of the Labor and Employment Law Section Council (2003-04) and Chairperson of the
Committee on Mentoring (2007-08). Ms. O’Brien is a past Co-Chair and Executive Committee member of the Chicago Bar
Association’s Alliance for Women. She is a founding Board member of the Cynthia L. Bischof Memorial Foundation and
serves as a volunteer “Courtwatcher” to the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network. She also serves on the Board
of Governors of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago, the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the John
Marshall Law School Alumni Association, and the Advisory Board of the Children’s Oncology Services, Inc. (COSI). Ms.
© Laner Muchin
O'Brien was previously honored by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as one of “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Age 40 to Watch”,
and she received a Distinguished Service Award from the John Marshall Law School Alumni Association.
Education Summary
Ms. O’Brien graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Law Enforcement
Administration. She obtained her Juris Doctor Degree from The John Marshall Law School in 1989. While attending law
school, Ms. O’Brien served on the Editorial Board of the John Marshall Law Review.
Personal Data
Ms. O’Brien resides in Chicago, Illinois.
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