McDonald Hopkins welcomes Labor and Employment attorney Rachel Mahoney

McDonald Hopkins is proud to welcome Rachel Mahoney to its Litigation Department and Labor and Employment Practice Group. Rachel helps employers navigate the legal and practical challenges that arise throughout the employment relationship. She represents employers in employment litigation, administrative proceedings, workplace investigations, and day-to-day employment matters.

Rachel said she saw McDonald Hopkins as a destination firm, not just another stop in her career.

“I was drawn to the firm’s entrepreneurial spirit, collaborative culture, and commitment to providing sophisticated legal services while maintaining the kind of personal relationships with clients and colleagues that I believe are essential to exceptional legal work,” she said. “Just as importantly, I saw an opportunity to contribute to something larger than my individual practice by helping build and grow the firm’s Labor and Employment presence in Chicago.”

Rachel has experience handling disputes involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour issues, leave and accommodation matters, restrictive covenants, and other complex employment-related claims.

Whether she is defending a company in litigation, advising a client through a difficult employee situation, or helping a business think proactively about workplace risk, she approaches each matter with an understanding that the legal answer is only part of the solution.

“In labor and employment law, no two matters—or clients—are ever exactly alike. Employment issues sit at the intersection of law, business, and people, and I particularly enjoy helping clients navigate that intersection,” she added.

Throughout her career, Rachel has represented employers in state and federal court and before administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Illinois Department of Human Rights. Her litigation experience includes individual employment disputes, class and collective actions, wage and hour matters, restrictive covenant disputes, biometric privacy claims under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and disability-accessibility litigation.

“Rachel takes a highly collaborative and practical approach to client service. She believes the best outside counsel are not simply lawyers who know the law, but trusted advisors who understand their clients’ business, priorities, risk tolerance, and people. Because of that approach, she is a great fit for the labor and employment team,” said Jim Boutrous, Chair of McDonald Hopkins’ Labor and Employment group.