Photo of Abad Lopez

Abad Lopez Member

Areas of Practice

Industries

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut 
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California

Education

University of Illinois College of Law, J.D., 2001
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, B.A., 1998

Language

  • Spanish

Abad Lopez leads Chicago’s labor and employment practice, focusing on representing corporate clients with complex employment matters, including class action and multiplaintiff employment discrimination and harassment lawsuits, state law overtime class actions, privacy claims, FLSA collective actions, and trade secret and restrictive covenant matters. He represents employers throughout the U.S. in matters arising under federal and state anti-discrimination laws, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the FMLA, labor-management relations laws, and state law wrongful discharge claims. Abad also advises clients on preventive measures, including reviewing policies, counseling on disciplinary actions and investigations, negotiating severance and executive employment agreements, and conducting employment practices reviews. He has also counseled numerous clients in complying with BIPA disclosures and policies pre and post-litigation. Abad has almost two decades of experience representing Fortune 50 employers in a wide array of labor and employment matters.

Prior to joining Dykema, Mr. Lopez was served in various leadership roles at other international law firms and Fortune 50 corporations.

Experience

Trial Experience 

Mr. Lopez serves as an experienced trial lawyer that multiple Fortune 50 companies turn to for their defense. Mr. Lopez is a member of the Trial Bar and has tried cases in numerous forums, from federal and state courts, to several administrative agencies. His jury trial experience includes the defense of federal civil rights violations and state law retaliation claims. When appropriate, Mr. Lopez has also been able to resolve cases favorably prior to trial.

Wage and Hour Experience 

Mr. Lopez has also successfully defended against wage and hour claims through all phases of litigation, from early-stage motion practice, through summary judgment, class or collective action certification, jury trials and appeals. He has defended claims involving the alleged misclassification of independent contractors, exempt status classification, reimbursement of business expenses, failure to provide benefits contributions, detention of tips and gratuities, Sunday and holiday premium pay, missed meal breaks, and off-the-clock work.

Employment Practices Counseling 

Mr. Lopez also advises employers on compliance measures, including reviewing employment policies, counseling on disciplinary actions and investigations, negotiating severance and release agreements, and conducting employment practices training and reviews. In addition, Mr. Lopez has negotiated employment agreements and non- compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements for a wide range of employers.  He also works in tandem with Dykema’s Corporate team in conducting employment due diligence.

Representation of large manufacturer in putative BIPA class action filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois alleging the use of “hand” biometric timekeeping system.

Representation of food manufacturer in one of the first BIPA class action (based on “finger-based” biometric timekeeping system) cases filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, including being one of the first law firms to file motion to dismiss based on lack of standing in state court. Case sought to certify a class of all current and former employees who utilized biometric timekeeping system.

Walmart Stores, Inc., adv. Tooley (S.D. IN) (defense of Title III of the ADA claim)

Costco Wholesale Corporation, adv. Robles(N.D. IL) (defense of nationwide Title III of the ADA class action)

Costco Wholesale Corporation, adv. Soto (Jackson County, MO) (trial counsel for retaliation claim)

TJX Companies, Inc., adv. Milot (S.D. Ohio) (obtained complete dismissal of Tittle VII discrimination claim)

Rangel v. Commonwealth Hospitality, (successfully defended wage hour class and collective action under federal and state law)

United Healthcare Services, Inc. adv. Beevers, (S.D. Tex.) (successfully defended nationwide FLSA alleging misclassification of nurses)

United Healthcare Services, Inc. et al. adv. Cohen, (C.D. Cal.) (successfully defended nationwide FLSA collective action and California-wide class action alleging unpaid pre- and post-shift work and missed meal periods by telesales employees)

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. et al. adv. Peters, (D. Kan.) (successfully defended nationwide FLSA collective action alleging unpaid pre- and post-shift work by customer service representatives)

Hyatt Corporation adv. Underwood, (M.D. Fla.) (successfully defended company against FLSA off-the-clock and tip credit claims by restaurant servers)

GC Services LP, adv. Gardner, (S.D. Cal.) (successfully defended company against class action claim that call center employees performed off-the- clock pre- and post-shift work and work during their meal periods)

Aldi, Inc. adv. McNelley, et al., (N.D. Ohio.) (successfully defended company against nationwide collective action claiming that Store Managers are misclassified as exempt under the executive exemption)

Gerhard v. D Construction, Inc., et al., (N.D. IL) (obtained summary judgment and dismissal of entire case, including claims for retaliatory discharge under the False Claims Act and disability discrimination under the ADA. Opinion published at 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35406).

Zimmerman, et al. v. Rush Hour Event, LLC, (N.D. IL) (limited putative collective action alleging misclassification of independent contractors to nominal settlement of individual claims)

Pontrelli v. Tax Airfreight, Inc., (N.D. IL) (successfully defended Americans with Disabilities Act claim)

Hendersen v. TJX Companies, Inc., (E.D. Mich) (successfully defended Title VII discrimination claim)

Odneal v. TJX Companies, Inc., (E.D. Mich.) (obtained dismissal of Title VII race discrimination claim)

Tosti v. NBC Merchants, Inc., (S.D. Ind.) (defended FMLA retaliation case, resulting in favorable settlement)

Wakely, et al. v. Marshalls of MA, Inc., (E.D. Mich.) (obtained complete summary judgment in race discrimination case)

Laramore v. Security Consultants Group, Inc. (Circuit Court of Cook County, IL) (obtained nominal settlement in race, age, and religious discrimination and retaliation case under Illinois Human Rights Act)

Sliger v. Prospect Mortgage, LLC, (E.D. CA) (successfully defended nation-wide wage and hour misclassification case brought by mortgage loan officers)

DeBerry v. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (N.D. IL) (obtained complete dismissal of race discrimination claim)

Blog Posts

Memberships & Involvement

American Bar Association

Hispanic National Bar Association

Community/Civic Activities

Board Member, Hispanic National Bar Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Awarded by Negocios Now in the "Who's Who in Hispanic Chicago" Award, 2018-2019