Erin McAdams Franzblau

Erin McAdams Franzblau is a Partner in the Litigation Practice Group, with a focus on helping companies navigate employment laws. Erin litigates employment matters, counsels employers on nearly every sub-specialty of employment law, and acts as employment counsel for M&A transactions. She also serves as the firm’s Associate General Counsel for Employment Matters.

In her counseling practice, Erin assists organizations with a wide range of day-to-day employment issues, including personnel policies and procedures, executive employment and independent contractor arrangements, accommodations, restrictive covenants, employee misclassification risks, and internal investigations. She also counsels clients on adapting to the evolving landscape of medical and recreational marijuana legislation, including in the areas of drug testing, corrective action, and accommodation requests.

Erin is experienced in all stages of litigation, from inception through trial and post-trial appeals, and she has won summary judgment for her clients on a range of employment matters. She regularly defends employers in a wide range of class and collective actions, single-plaintiff disputes, and restrictive covenant matters before federal and state courts and administrative bodies. In her class action practice, she has represented companies against claims brought under state and federal antidiscrimination laws, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Erin also has an active OSHA practice. She regularly guides clients through investigations, emergency responses, and litigation against state and federal agencies, including whistleblower claims brought by the Department of Labor.

In her pro bono practice, Erin is committed to advocating for the rights of women and children. She has represented sexual assault survivors in their efforts to seek civil restraining orders, and secured relief for a refugee client under the Violence Against Women Act, allowing the client to gain resident status in the United States. She has also represented prisoners in Section 1983 actions and achieved favorable settlements on behalf of her clients. In 2018, she was honored by Legal Aid Chicago for her work representing sexual assault survivors.

Erin is a frequent writer and speaker on employment law issues, including topics such as personnel management, COVID-19 compliance, and marijuana legislation. She is active in the bar, and is currently Vice President and an Executive Board member of the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter. Erin is also committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and currently serves as Chair of the Steering Committee for the firm’s Women’s Leadership Council.

Prior to joining Freeborn, Erin practiced employment litigation at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and clerked for the Honorable William J. Zloch, United States District Judge of the Southern District of Florida.