Margaret Kostopulos

She has bargained both initial and successor contracts for employers. In addition to her litigation and collective bargaining experience, Margaret serves as a labor and employment advisor to public and private employers, advising general counsel, managers, department heads, supervisors and directors in all areas of employment and personnel issues. These issues include contract enforcement, interest arbitration, employee discipline and discharge including prosecuting cases before Boards of Fire and Police Commissioners, discrimination, strike management, and compliance with federal and state labor and employment laws.

Margaret has represented employers through union elections and in the defense of unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB and ILRB. She has also represented employers in employment disputes before the Illinois Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and in state and federal court. She has represented employers in grievance arbitrations as well as a variety of employment litigation issues. In addition, she has represented public clients through mediation and arbitration.

In her capacity as a school attorney, Margaret serves as board attorney to school boards. She advises school districts, officials and staff on all areas of law affecting school districts including special education issues, student discipline, student residency, homeless rights, tenure rights, personnel matters, grievance processing, general compliance with the Illinois School Code and discipline of teachers, administrators and other employees. 

Margaret has authored articles on issues of interest to employers and has spoken on all facets of labor relations, employment policies and other topics before employer groups. She has conducted training programs for a variety of employers and associations on Illinois labor and employment law issues. Margaret authored chapters for IICLE on labor law and collective bargaining.