Benesch is pleased to announce that Margo Wolf O’Donnell has been named Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. Margo, a seasoned litigator who handles cases involving restrictive covenants, employment issues and intellectual property in a variety of business sectors, will serve alongside partner Eric Baisden, as Co-Chair.
“Margo’s work within the Labor & Employment Practice Group has been stellar. But more than that, Margo is a leader, and her character is of the highest caliber,” said Gregg Eisenberg, Benesch Managing Partner and Executive Committee Member. “She is a champion of diversity, as the depth and breadth of her work shows. Margo is exactly the type of person and legal talent we’re recruiting as we continue to grow.”
Margo’s experience includes federal, state and administrative agency litigation involving allegations of sex, race, national origin, disability and age discrimination, wage-and-hour violations and breach of contract.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Margo. Her talent and commitment to diversity already has served Benesch—and her clients—well,” said Baisden. “Her skills and her willingness to be an ambassador for the practice will continue to be an asset and we’ll all benefit from her leadership.”
Margo and Eric will work closely together to continue to carry out the strategic growth plan of the group across all of the firm’s offices. With Margo’s’ promotion, Benesch adds leadership depth to its full-service Labor & Employment Practice Group, which handles a full range of employment law matters.
She has received numerous accolades for her work. Crain’s Chicago included Margo in its inaugural list of “Most Influential Women Lawyers in Chicago.” Margo has been recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America, and as one of the “Top 10 Women Employment Management Attorneys in Illinois” by Leading Lawyer. Chambers & Partners recognized Margo as an “Inspiring Role Model Promoting Gender Diversity.”
Additionally, Margo is Past President and recipient of the Leadership Award of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, and she is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Margo serves on the Boards of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, Yale Chicago, the Woman's Athletic Club of Chicago and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.
Margo is based in Benesch’s Chicago office, home to a core group of Labor & Employment practitioners, and supported by 20 top employment attorneys across other Benesch offices nationwide, making it one of the most well-regarded labor practices in the country. U.S. News & World Report gave Benesch’s labor group first-tier rankings in four metropolitan categories and the group was recognized in Best Law Firm/Best Lawyers and Chambers & Partners.
The Benesch Chicago office has grown from just two attorneys in 2016 to 40 attorneys, with plans to double in size by 2019.