E. Jason Tremblay

Partner

Mr. Tremblay is a Partner in Arnstein & Lehr’s Litigation Department. He focuses his practice in employment and commercial litigation.  In the commercial area, Mr. Tremblay represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of complex business and tort litigation matters, including matters involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, interference with contract, shareholder disputes and insurance coverage.  In the employment area, Mr. Tremblay has extensively addressed, through counseling, negotiation or litigation, a broad range of key issues critical to the evolving workplace. He has particular expertise representing employers in both federal and state court, as well as administrative tribunals, in a wide variety of lawsuits, including the enforcement of restrictive covenants, Title VII, ADA and ADEA discrimination and retaliation claims, FMLA interference claims, trade secret, and unfair competition matters. He frequently reviews and drafts employment and independent contractor agreements, severance agreements, employment policies and employee handbooks. Mr. Tremblay represents a diverse client base, including financial institutions, universities, municipalities and companies in the information technology, printing, manufacturing, consulting and retail industries.

Professional Activities and Achievements

Mr. Tremblay graduated from law school with High Honors and received the CALI Award for Academic Excellence in Legal Writing. Mr. Tremblay was a judicial extern for then Presiding Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He also served as a certified mediator through the Center For Conflict Resolution and mediated numerous cases involving landlord-tenant disputes, juvenile court referrals and employment discrimination. Throughout law school, Mr. Tremblay also served as a Law Clerk with the Office of the General Counsel at the Illinois Institute of Technology.  He is currently an active member in the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations, the Greater O’Hare Association, the Small Business  Advocacy Council and is also a member of several regional chambers of commerce.

Recent Publications & Lectures

Mr. Tremblay recently authored the second edition of  “The Employment Law Toolkit – How to Protect Your Business From Liability and Comply with State and Federal Employment Laws,” a comprehensive summary of significant employment and labor issues facing employers in today’s business environment. He is the author of “12 Steps to Avoid Employment Related Liability,” published in Employment Law360 (May 2, 2008), and “Properly Investigating Complaints of Harassment-How to Limit a Company’s Exposure,” published in Business Law Today (September/October 2008). Mr. Tremblay also co-authored “The Rooker-Feldman Doctrine: An Analysis of its Application in Today’s Legal Environment,” Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report (2008).

He has also authored the following articles:

“Government Set To Crack Down on the Use of Independent Contractors” for the General-Counselor.com blog (February 2010)

“Pending Federal Employment Legislation: Employers Beware!” for Arnstein & Lehr’s Employment Law Update (July 2009)

“Avoiding Employment-Related Litigation in 2009 and Beyond: 14 Preventative Measures Every Employer Should Complete” HR Advisor (May-June 2009)

“Department of Labor’s New Regulations Under the Family and Medical Leave Act” for Arnstein & Lehr’s Employment Law Update (January 2009)

“Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 Changes Again” for Arnstein & Lehr’s Employment Law Update (January 2009)

“FMLA is Amended to Extend Leave of Absence for Military Families” (February 2008)

“The Illinois Human Rights Act Now Provides Employees With Access to a Jury Trial in State Court” for Arnstein & Lehr’s Employment Law Update (October 2007)

“Properly Investigating Complaints of Harassment: How to Avoid Turning a Weak Harassment Claim Into a Strong One” for Arnstein & Lehr’s Employment Law Update (September 2007) and Employment Law360 (May 15, 2008)

“Beware When Employees Call in Sick: Employer’s Growing Obligations Under the FMLA” for Arnstein & Lehr’s Employment Law Update (August 2007)

“The Impact of New Federal Class Action Legislation on Employment Litigation,” for Arnstein & Lehr’s Employment Law Update (August 2007)

Mr. Tremblay has presented  seminars entitled, “The New ADA Amendments Act” and  “Implications of the Americans With Disabilities Act When Responding to Threats of Student Violence” (September 2008). In addition, Mr. Tremblay presented a seminar on “How to Protect Your Company’s Competitive Advantage With or Without Restrictive Covenants” (March 2006).  He also frequently presents seminars to industry groups on cost-effective steps employers can take to protect their assets and avoid litigation.

Education

Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D. with high honors, 2000; Order of the Coif)
Franklin and Marshall College (B.A., 1996)
University of Aberdeen, Scotland (1995)

Bar Admissions

State of Illinois; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (including Trial Bar); U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit