Employment Counsel, Americas Resume


Heaven Desai Employment Counsel, Americas (312) 555-4837 heaven.desai@example.com linkedin.com/example/heavendesai Chicago, IL 60606 STRENGTHS Sensitive Investigations Led difficult conduct and retaliation matters with careful interviews, evidence review, and clear findings. Leaders trusted the process. Executive Counseling Turned complex employment risk into concise choices for People leaders and executives. That clarity helped decisions move forward. Global Coordination Aligned counsel across Americas, APAC, and EMEA on workforce questions. Colleagues relied on consolidated advice. Scalable Guidance Built practical playbooks for investigations, accommodations, performance, and separations. People teams gained consistency. Dispute Management Managed agency charges and threatened claims with disciplined strategy, budgets, and outside counsel coordination. SKILLS Employment Counseling Workplace Investigations Employee Relations Wage and Hour Compliance Leaves and Accommodations Performance Management Terminations Agency Charges Litigation Management Contractor Classification Employer of Record Cross Border Remote Work Mobility Risk Permanent Establishment Risk Compensation LANGUAGES English Native 40 Spanish Beginner 10 MY CAREER SUMMARY Employment counsel with eight years of progressive experience advising technology, financial services, payments, and regulated business clients on workforce matters across the employee lifecycle. Advises People leaders and executives on hiring, employment agreements, performance management, accommodations, leaves, wage and hour compliance, separations, compensation, benefits, equity, and conduct concerns. Leads sensitive workplace investigations from intake through findings and resolution, while managing agency charges, disputes, outside counsel, litigation strategy, and legal spend. Coordinates employment advice across the Americas, APAC, and EMEA, including contractor classification, employer of record arrangements, cross border remote work, mobility exposure, and permanent establishment risk. Converts complex legal analysis into concise guidance, practical playbooks, and consistent decisions for distributed teams. EXPERIENCE Senior Employment Counsel Meridian Payworks July 2023 - Present Chicago, IL Leads U.S. employment counseling for a regulated payments platform, partnering with People leaders, executives, compensation teams, and global counsel on sensitive workforce decisions and scalable legal operations. Advised People leaders on hiring agreements, performance, accommodations, leaves, wage compliance, and separations. Directed retaliation investigations through interviews, evidence review, findings, and resolution recommendations for executives. Built investigation, accommodation, performance, and separation playbooks for consistent People team decisions. Coordinated Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Australia advice on classification, EOR, remote work, and mobility. Managed agency charges and threatened claims through strategy, budgets, outside counsel, and disciplined legal spend. Counseled compensation teams on incentive plans, equity communications, benefits, and remuneration questions in regulated units. Employment Counsel Harborline Financial Technologies June 2020 - June 2023 Milwaukee, WI Served as primary employment law partner for People operations at a growing financial software organization, translating workforce risk into practical guidance during expansion and restructuring. Led harassment, discrimination, conflict, and conduct investigations, producing factual records and remediation recommendations. Reworked employment templates and national policies around evolving state and federal requirements. Managed agency matters and pre litigation disputes through preservation, factual development, and executive updates. Evaluated worker classification and cross border engagement questions for remote personnel and contractors. Counseled People operations on leaves, accommodations, wage compliance, performance, termination, benefits, and compensation. Converted complex employment analysis into concise guidance for distributed business and People stakeholders. Employment Associate Barton, Hale & Pierce LLP October 2018 - May 2020 Chicago, IL Counseled corporate clients through employment decisions, investigations, agency matters, and multistate policy work, consolidating legal analysis for distributed workforces. Counseled clients on hiring, discipline, performance, leave, accommodations, and termination decisions. Conducted workplace investigations through interview planning, credibility assessments, factual summaries, and recommended next steps. Defended employers in agency charges through strategy, position statements, discovery, and negotiation preparation. Reviewed handbooks, policies, agreements, and separation documents for federal and multistate compliance. Researched wage, restrictive covenant, classification, and leave issues for executive guidance. Coordinated local counsel across jurisdictions and consolidated advice for clients with distributed workforces. Junior Employment Associate Caldwell & Rowe LLP September 2017 - September 2018 Chicago, IL Supported senior attorneys on employment counseling and litigation for technology, professional services, and financial services clients, building a strong foundation in investigations and compliance. Prepared guidance on wage, leave, accommodation, discrimination, and discipline issues under attorney supervision. Built factual chronologies and document collections for investigations, agency responses, and employment disputes. Drafted handbook provisions, employment agreements, separation documents, and manager guidance. Supported discovery and case preparation through document review and witness preparation materials. Monitored multistate employment law developments for counseling and policy updates. Supported technology and financial services clients during sensitive employment decisions and litigation preparation. PROJECTS Global Workforce Legal Playbook 2025 Created a practical framework for contractor classification, employer of record arrangements, cross border remote work, mobility exposure, and permanent establishment review across global regions. Workplace Investigation Framework 2024 Built an intake through resolution framework for sensitive workplace investigations, giving People partners clearer documentation, escalation, interview, findings, and resolution guidance. LEADERSHIP & AWARDS Recognized by People leadership for practical guidance during sensitive employee relations matters. Selected by business executives as a trusted advisor for regulated workforce decisions. EDUCATION Juris Doctor Loyola University Chicago School of Law GPA: 0 2017 Chicago, IL Coursework: Employment Law, Labor Law, Civil Procedure, Professional Responsibility Bachelor of Arts in Political Science University of Wisconsin Madison GPA: 0 2014 Madison, WI Coursework: Constitutional Law, Public Policy, Administrative Law, Legal Institutions CERTIFICATIONS Illinois State Bar, Active 2017 Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder 2022 TECHNICAL SKILLS Employment Law: Employee relations, employment agreements, wage and hour compliance Workplace Investigations: Intake planning, witness interviews, evidence assessment Dispute Management: Agency charges, pre litigation disputes, litigation strategy Global Workforce: Contractor classification, employer of record, cross border work People Operations: Performance management, accommodations, leaves Compensation Programs: Benefits, equity, incentive plans Policy Development: Handbooks, manager guidance, legal playbooks Outside Counsel: Counsel strategy, budget review, legal spend Legal Research: Federal law, state law, multistate compliance Investigation Documentation: Interview plans, factual chronologies, findings SKILLS Employment Counseling Workplace Investigations Employee Relations Wage and Hour Compliance Leaves and Accommodations Performance Management Terminations Agency Charges Litigation Management Contractor Classification Employer of Record Cross Border Remote Work Mobility Risk Permanent Establishment Risk Compensation PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Illinois State Bar Association, active member since 2017. Association of Workplace Investigators, certificate holder and professional member since 2022. LANGUAGES English (Native) Spanish (Beginner) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Work Status : Authorized to work in United States. No sponsorship required. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Work Status : Authorized to work in United States. No sponsorship required. REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST