Brian M. Dougherty

Brian Dougherty is a Partner in the Chicago office of GRSM.  He represents clients with matters under state and federal anti-discrimination laws, employment termination, breach of contract, the Uniform Commercial Code, trade secrets, business torts, and preference avoidance actions under the United States Bankruptcy Code.

Brian has litigated many complex landlord/tenant matters, including casualty insurance, accelerated rent and lienholder rights, and has counseled clients concerning their business practices based on recent developments and changes in the law. He regularly practices in Cook and DuPage Counties, as well as in federal court. Brian has successfully argued numerous pre-trial motions and also participates in settlement conferences, arbitrations and trials.

Admissions

• Illinois
• Wisconsin
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern and Central Districts of Illinois
• U.S. District Court, Eastern Distrcit of Wisconsin
• Federal Court Trial Bar

Memberships

• Illinois State Bar Association
• DuPage County Bar Association

Community Involvement

• Board Member, Illinois Independent Living Center in Naperville, Illinois, May 2022-July 2024

Publications

• Business Email Compromise: How the Courts Are Addressing Civil Liability, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, January 2024
• The “Relation Back” Rule: Be Cautious of Why You Are Adding New Defendants, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, May 2023
• Illinois Contract Law on Force Majeure, Impossibility, Impracticability and Commercial Frustration in the Age of COVID-19, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, June 2020
• The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act: What Employers Should Know, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, October 2019
• Tortious Behavior Against Employees: Strategies and Defenses, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, September 2019
• Defending Against Sexual Harassment: The Employer’s Perspective, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, March 2018
• The Americans with Disabilities Act’s Limitations: Not A Tool for the Brazen, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, January 2018
• New Overtime Rule Impacts Exempt Employees, Illinois State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section, August 2016
• Defending Against Sexual Harassment: The Employer's Perspective, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, March 2018
• The Americans with Disabilities Act’s Limitations: Not a Tool for the Brazen, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association January 2018
• Labor and Storage Liens Under Illinois Law, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, February 2016
• Proving Discrimination Circumstantially Through Pretext, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, May 2015
• Illinois Pregnancy Discrimination Law, Illinois State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, February 2015
• Erosion of the At-Will Employment Relationship: Discipline/Termination Policies and Procedures, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, May 2014
• Illinois Unemployment Case – An Overview of the Process, Illinois State Bar Association, March 2014
• Federal Successor Liability Under ERISA and the MPPAA, Illinois State Bar Association, July 2013
• Commercial Lease Assignments: A Litigation Perspective, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, November 2012
• Navigating the Attorney’s Fees in Wage Actions Act, Illinois State Bar Association Labor and Employment Section, July 2011
• Judicial Estoppel: How non-Disclosure Of A Cause of Action In A Bankruptcy Case Could Spell Doom For A Subsequent Civil Action, Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association, December 2010

EDUCATION

J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 1999

B.A., cum laude, Loyola University Chicago, 1996
 

HONORS

Super Lawyers® distinction in Labor and Employment (2024)