Katherine A. Manuel

Katherine has extensive experience drafting and arguing non-dispositive and dispositive motions and appeals, taking and defending depositions, mediating settlements, participating in administrative agency investigations, fact-finding conferences and hearings, and issuing and responding to discovery, in single and multi-plaintiff matters and class and collective actions. Katherine practices in both federal and state court, and her courtroom experience includes first chairing one jury trial, second-chairing three jury trials, and motion practice. Recently, in a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Eastern Division), Katherine won a defense verdict for the defendant university on the plaintiff’s retaliation claim.

Representative Matters at Ogletree Deakins

Employment Litigation

• Defended university against race, national origin and disability discrimination and equal protection claims brought by former Director of Administrative Operations in the Department of Pediatrics at the College of Medicine.  Successfully dismissed all claims at summary judgment in the Northern District of Illinois.  Sharma v. Bd. of Trustees of the Univ. of Illinois, et al., No. 17-CV-7378, 2023 WL 6388256, at *1 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 29, 2023).
• Defended national security contractor against disability discrimination and failure to accommodate claims brought by former systems engineer in the Northern District of California.  Successfully dismissed all claims at summary judgment.  Walker v. National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, No. 21-cv-09037-WHA (N.D. Ca. Aug. 10, 2023).
• Defended university against discrimination, whistleblower and retaliation claims brought by former library employee in the Northern District of Illinois.  Successfully dismissed all discrimination and whistleblower claims at summary judgment.  Kotoklo v. DePaul Univ., No. 20-CV-0635, 2021 WL 4477947, at *1 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 30, 2021).
• Successfully defended sports apparel and equipment company through injunction hearing in restrictive covenant action filed by competitor in the Northern District of Illinois. Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary injunction denied. Riddell, Inc. v. BSN Sports, LLC and Shawn Stimmel, Case No. 18-c-8062 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 9, 2019) (Bucklo, J.).
• Defended multinational conglomerate corporation that operates in the fields of industry, worker safety, health care and consumer goods against Equal Pay Act claims and Title VII/ADEA sex and age discrimination claims brought by current employee in the Central District of Illinois. Employee voluntarily dismissed claims at close of discovery. Cox v. 3M Company, 17-cv-04324-SLD-JEH (C.D. Ill. June 6, 2019).
• Defended university against discrimination, retaliation, harassment and equal protection claims brought by current university professor in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s claims at summary judgment. Choi v. Bd. of Trustees of Univ. of Ill., et al., Case No. 16-cv-11627 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 3, 2019).
• Defended former vice chancellor of university against Title VII/Section 1981 failure to promote race discrimination claims brought by former engineer in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s claims at summary judgment. Barnes v. Bd. of Trustees of Univ. of Ill., et al., Case No. 16-cv-08278 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 25, 2019).
• Defended former vice chancellor of university against Title VII/Section 1981 failure to promote race discrimination claims brought by former engineer in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s claims at summary judgment. Jones v. Bd. of Trustees of Univ. of Ill., et al., Case No. 16-cv-10258 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 22, 2018).
• Defended pet products retailer against ADA disability discrimination and failure to accommodate claims brought by former distribution center employee in the Northern District of Illinois. Partially dismissed employee’s claims (disability discrimination) at summary judgment. Kottke v. PetSmart, Inc., Case No. 16-cv-08849 (N.D. Ill. July 6, 2018).
• Defended online mobile application-based technology company against a variety of claims brought by former ride sharing driver in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed driver’s claims at summary judgment. Mohammed v. Lyft, Inc., Case No. 16-cv-02470 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 27, 2017).
• Defended multinational telecommunications corporation against former employee’s race discrimination claim in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s claim at summary judgment. Brown v. Illinois Bell Tel. Co., No. 14 C 9160, 2017 WL 3189342 (N.D. Ill. July 27, 2017).
• Defended former athletic club supervisor against former employee’s tortious interference and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s complaint. Rees v. Freewalt, No. 16 L 5920 (Cook Cnty. Cir. Ct. Mar. 31, 2017).
• Defended university against Illinois Human Rights Act retaliation claim brought by former police officer in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s claim at summary judgment. Heard v. Bd. of Trustees of Univ. of Ill., Case No. 2015 L 008517 (Cook Cnty. Cir. Ct., Mar. 3, 2017).
• Defended pet products retailer against former employee’s Family and Medical Leave Act and disability discrimination/accommodation claims in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s claims at summary judgment. Upheld by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. McQuillen v. PetSmart, Inc., No. 15 C 9953 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 16, 2017), aff’d, No. 17-1456, 2017 WL 3432405 (7th Cir. Aug. 10, 2017).
• Defended university against police officer’s remaining Title VII/Section 1981 retaliation claim at jury trial in the Northern District of Illinois.  Successfully obtained defense verdict for the university.  Robinson v. Bd. of Trustees of Univ. of Ill., et al., Case No. 13 C 4859, (N.D. Ill. Apr. 29, 2016), aff’d in part, 894 F.3d 818 (7^th Cir. July 2, 2018).
• Defended athletic club against former employee’s retaliatory discharge claim in the Northern District of Illinois.  Successfully dismissed employee’s complaint.  Rees v. LTF Club Mgmt. Co. LLC, Case No. 15-cv-10411 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 8, 2016).
• Defended multinational telecommunications corporation against current employee’s race discrimination and retaliation claims in the Northern District of Illinois.  Successfully dismissed all but 1 of employee’s claims in the complaint.  Brown v. Illinois Bell Telephone Co., Case No. 14-cv-9160 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 18, 2015).
• Defended university against discrimination and retaliation claims brought by two police officers in the Northern District of Illinois.  Successfully dismissed 8 of 9 claims at summary judgment.  Spangler and Robinson v. Bd. of Trustees of Univ. of Ill., et al., Case No. 13 C 4859, 2015 WL 6784339 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 6, 2015).

• Defended insurance company against former employee’s age discrimination, breach of stock option agreement and wage claims in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed employee’s claims at summary judgment.  Schneider v. Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc., No. 13 C 06108, 2015 WL 5731852 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 30, 2015).
• Defended electropolishing company against former employee’s retaliatory discharge claim in Illinois state court. Successfully dismissed employee’s claim at summary judgment. Ragona v. Able Electropolishing Co., Inc., No. 13 L 008861 (Cook Cnty. Cir. Ct., Jan. 8, 2015).
• Defended insurance company against former employee’s disability discrimination, failure to accommodate and retaliation claims in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed a portion of claims in complaint, resulting in a stipulated dismissal with prejudice. Freeman v. Travelers Companies, Inc., No. 13 C 05876, — F. Supp. 2d —, 2014 WL 3889054 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 8, 2014).
• Defended for-profit college against former employee’s age, disability and gender discrimination, equal pay, failure to accommodate, FMLA, breach of contract and tort claims in the Northern District of Illinois. Successfully dismissed a portion of claims in complaint, resulting in a non-monetary dismissal with prejudice. Britton v. ITT Technical Institute, Case No. 13-cv-6547, 2014 WL 1568684 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 17, 2014).

Charges

• Defended numerous clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and Illinois and Wisconsin state agencies against current and former employees’ discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, commission, OSHA and other labor and employment related claims.

Education

• J.D., Hamline University School of Law, 2009
• B.A., University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 2006

Admission to Practice

• California
• Minnesota
• U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
• Illinois
• Wisconsin
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Central and Northern Districts of Illinois (member of the Trial Bar in N.D. Ill.)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Northern Districts of California

• American Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association
• Minnesota State Bar Association
• State Bar of Wisconsin

• Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the EEOC’s Final Regulations” – Amelia Island – November 14, 2024
• Ogletree Deakins Briefing – “Best Practices: Legally Defensible Performance Management” – San Francisco – April 19, 2023
• Workplace Strategies Seminar – “It’s a Matter of Faith: An Update on Religious Discrimination and Accommodation Issues” – Phoenix – May 5, 2022
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Sexual Harassment Training Requirements in Illinois: What Employers Need To Know” – October 2020
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “COVID-19 Update for Illinois Employers” – May 8, 2020
• Ogletree Deakins Briefing – “Illinois Law Update: New Laws and Amendments” – Chicago and Oak Brook – October 2019
• Grundy Will HR Association Training – “Amendments to the Illinois Equal Pay Act (IEPA)” – Joliet – September 2019
• Chicago Roofing Contractors Association Webinar – “Workplace Harassment Training” – November 2018
• Ogletree Deakins Attorney Training Webinar – “2017 Illinois Law Update” – December 2017
• Ogletree Deakins Attorney Training – “To Leave or Not To Leave: Navigating the ADA and the FMLA” – Chicago – April 2017
• Chicago Franchise Association Training – “Fair Labor Standards Act Update” – Chicago – December 2016
• Illinois Chamber of Commerce Webinar – “What to Expect When Your Employee is Expecting: Pregnancy in the Workplace” – May 2016
• Ogletree Deakins Attorney Training – “What to Expect When Your Employee is Expecting: Pregnancy in the Workplace” – Chicago – August 2015
• National Business Institute Webinar – “Hiring and Firing Law” – March 2015
• National Business Institute Webinar – “Hiring and Firing Law” – June 2014
• Minnesota State Bar Association Investigator Training – “The ADA, FMLA and Workers’ Compensation” – Minneapolis – March 2013
• Institute for Paralegal Education Webinar – “A Paralegal’s Guide to Federal Court” – February 2013
• Southern Minnesota Area Human Resource Association Employment Law Seminar – “The Enemy’s Point of View: Hot Topics in Employment Litigation from the Perspective of an Employee’s Attorney” – Mankato – June 2012
• Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute – “Public Sector Employee Speech: Whistleblowing and the First Amendment” – Saint Paul – May 2012
• Minnesota Chapter of Legal Nurse Consultants – “Whistleblower Litigation: Martyrs and Tattletales” – Minneapolis – May 2010

• Best Lawyers in America (2023)
• Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2015-2023)
• Hamline University School of Law Dean’s List (2007, 2008, 2009)
• Hamline University School of Law National Moot Court Competition Team (2008 and 2009)
• Minnesota Justice Foundation Public Service Achievement Award (2009)
• Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers Magazine (2021)