Derek G. Barella

Derek counsels clients on compliance with the myriad of labor and employment laws and regulations they face at the federal, state, and local levels. He assists with the negotiation, preparation, and administration of employment agreements and compensation programs, and regularly advises clients on the human relations impacts of organizational change. Derek is particularly interested in coaching leaders with respect to employee engagement—adopting an engagement mindset and utilizing the right practices to advance it.

For clients facing disputes, Derek has substantial experience litigating a range of labor, employment, trade secrets/employee mobility, and employee benefits claims on an individual, collective, and class basis. He has particularly deep experience with labor litigation before the NLRB, federal courts (including Section 10(j) injunction actions), state courts, and arbitrators. As concerns trade secrets disputes, Derek has represented clients on both sides of the bar—those suing to enforce contractual covenants and protect business assets, and those defending against such claims. Regarding employee benefits matters, Derek has litigated individual claims and multiple class action lawsuits for alleged vested retiree medical benefits.

Beyond litigation, Derek regularly represents clients in all phases of anticipated and actual labor disputes, including developing collective bargaining strategies, proposals, and contingency plans, participating in labor negotiations, maintaining operations during work stoppages, and responding to labor union corporate and in-plant campaigns and secondary pressure tactics.

Derek also frequently assists clients facing labor union organizing campaigns and in representation cases before the NLRB. This work includes delivering leadership training, conducting risk assessments, implementing engagement initiatives, and providing representation through all phases of union certification and decertification campaigns and election proceedings.

Derek’s practice crosses a wide range of industries, including representing clients in the manufacturing, transportation, logistics, financial services, and energy sectors, as well as cultural institutions and nonprofit organizations. Derek also has developed particular experience working with health care systems and addressing the unique labor and employment relations issues arising in that sector.

Outside of the labor and employment space, Derek enjoys teaching first through eighth grade students in the Chicago Public Schools as part of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago’s Lawyers in the Classroom program.