Margo Wolf O'Donnell

Shareholder

T: +1 (312) 609 7609 F: +1 (312) 609 5005

Chicago

Margo Wolf O’Donnell is a Shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the firm’s Litigation and Labor and Employment practice areas.

Ms. O’Donnell is an experienced litigator who handles a variety of cases, including litigation involving restrictive covenants, business torts, employment issues, intellectual property and class action defense. Ms. O’Donnell’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. She has represented her clients from the initial litigation stages through trial and appeal. Using her wide–ranging perspective and background, Ms. O’Donnell has successfully resolved many disputes on behalf of her clients through negotiation, mediation and settlement before and during trial.

Ms. O’Donnell also acts as a business adviser to her clients, helping them to anticipate and prevent disputes. She regularly counsels clients on a variety of employment-related issues, including individual and group discharges, releases, confidentiality agreements, noncompetition agreements and internal investigations. She is a frequent speaker and has been widely quoted by various national media outlets on topics relating to the prevention of litigation.

Ms. O’Donnell was selected by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company as one of "40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch." Leading Lawyers Network named Ms. O’Donnell as one of the Top 100 Leading Women Lawyers in Illinois, and she was selected for inclusion in 2012 Illinois Super Lawyers. Ms. O'Donnell also received an "AV Preeminent" Peer Rating by Martindale-Hubbell (the highest possible rating).

• Margo Wolf O’Donnell Contributes “Closing Argument” Column in Chicago Lawyer
• Margo Wolf O'Donnell Elected to Board of Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law Firms

• Commercial Litigation
• Employment Litigation
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Trade Secrets/Unfair Competition

• J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1994
• B.A., magna cum laude, Yale University, 1990

• Illinois
• US District Court, Northern District of Illinois (including Trial Bar)
• US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
• US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Margo Wolf O'Donnell

visit superlawyers.com

• Vedder Price Diversity Committee
• American Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association
• Advisory Board, Illinois Restaurant Association
• Auxiliary Board, Art Institute of Chicago
• Board of Directors, Yale Club of Chicago 
• Board of Directors, Secretary and Co-Chair of Community Outreach, Coalition of Women's Initiatives
• Development Committee, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
• Top 100 Leading Women Lawyers in Illinois, Leading Lawyers Network
• Top 100 Leading Women Business Lawyers in Illinois, Leading Lawyers Network

Speaking Engagements and Publications

• Speaker, Northwestern Law Women's Leadership Coalition (WLC) Week and Symposium (February 2011).
• Speaker, Yale Women in Leadership Conference (November 2010).
• Speaker, "Avoiding Legal Pitfalls in Social Media Marketing," Illinois Restaurant Association (August 2010).
• Speaker, "2010 Hot Topics in Employment Litigation," Illinois Restaurant Association (March 2010).
• Speaker, Northwestern Law Women’s Leadership Coalition (WLC) Week and Symposium (February 2010).
• Speaker, "Success Strategies for Women in Law Firms," Coalition for Women in Law Firms (April 2009).
• Speaker, "Illinois Wage and Hour Update," Vedder Price and Illinois Restaurant Association Immigration and Employment Law Update for the Hospitality Industry (September 2008).
• Speaker, "How to Handle Problems with Your Employees," Philadelphia National Candy and Gift Show (September 2008).
• Speaker, "Preventing Employment Litigation," Annual Convention of Retail Confectioners International (June 22, 2008).
• "An Update on the Latest United States Litigation," Mealey’s Subprime Mortgage Litigation and Insurance Coverage Conference (June 19, 2008).
• Speaker, "Rainmaking, Negotiating and Collaborative Development," LexisNexis Women in the Legal Profession Summit (April 2008).
• Speaker, "FLSA and FMLA Update," Club Accountants Association of America (April 2008).
• Speaker, "Workplace Harassment," Lorman Education Services (April 2008).
• Speaker, "How Restrictive Covenants Can Help You and Hurt You," Vedder Price Employment Law Conference
  (May 2007).
• Speaker, "The Bank Secrecy Act," Community Bankers Association of Illinois (November 2006).
• Author, "Strategies to Manage and Reduce the Risks of Employment Litigation," Leading Lawyers on Employment Contracts, Workplace Discrimination and Dispute Resolution (October 2006).
• Author, "Preventing Expensive Patent Litigation," The Business Edge (April 2006).
• Speaker, "Interviewing Techniques for Internal Investigations," Lorman Education Services (March 2006).
• Commentator, "Turning the Tables," Chicago Tribune (April 6, 2005) and Carolina Woman (September 2005).
• Speaker, "Hiring From the Competition," Law Seminars International (September 2005).
• Commentator, Roundtable on Fines Versus Incarceration, Courts Today (July/August 2005).
• Speaker, "Minimizing The Risks of Patent Litigation," National Institute for Women Corporate Counsel (July 2005).
• Speaker, "Preventing Employment Litigation," Club Accountants Association of America (January 2005).
• Commentator, "Paid Off Time For Fathers Is Small, Growing Trend," Orlando Sentinel and Chicago Tribune
  (November 2003).