Employment Law for Employers, Employees, and Independent Contractors

Clear legal guidance for workplace rights, employment agreements, severance, wage issues, contractor disputes, and employment-related risk.

Schedule a Consultation View Employment Services

Eric Lavender Law LLC helps employers, employees, and independent contractors understand workplace rights, reduce legal risk, and resolve employment-related disputes.

Whether you are hiring your first worker, reviewing a severance agreement, dealing with unpaid wages or commissions, managing a contractor relationship, or trying to resolve a workplace dispute, the goal is to help you understand your options and next steps.

Employment Law Services

Legal support for Illinois employers, employees, executives, managers, freelancers, independent contractors, and small business owners.

For Employers

  • Employee handbook review
  • Employment policy review
  • Offer letters and employment agreements
  • Independent contractor agreements
  • Employee versus independent contractor classification review
  • Wage and hour compliance review
  • Commission and bonus plan review
  • Restrictive covenant, noncompete, and nonsolicit agreement review
  • Separation and severance agreement drafting
  • Workplace dispute prevention and risk management

For Employees

  • Severance agreement review
  • Noncompete, nonsolicit, and confidentiality agreement review
  • Unpaid wage and overtime issues
  • Unpaid commission and bonus disputes
  • Wrongful termination concerns
  • Workplace retaliation concerns
  • Discrimination and harassment concerns
  • Employment contract review
  • Demand letters and pre-suit dispute strategy
  • Settlement agreement review

For Independent Contractors

  • Independent contractor agreement review
  • Misclassification concerns
  • Unpaid invoice and payment disputes
  • Scope-of-work and deliverable disputes
  • Restrictive covenant and confidentiality terms
  • IP ownership and work-for-hire issues
  • Termination and nonpayment issues
  • Demand letters for unpaid work

Workplace Disputes and Claims

  • Unpaid wages
  • Overtime disputes
  • Commission disputes
  • Retaliation claims
  • Discrimination claims
  • Harassment claims
  • Wrongful termination issues
  • Employment settlement agreements

Hiring, Classification, and Compliance

  • First-employee legal checklist
  • Worker classification review
  • Independent contractor documentation
  • Offer letter review
  • Employee policy review
  • Wage, hour, and overtime risk review
  • Remote worker and multi-state worker issues

Separation, Severance, and Restrictive Covenants

  • Severance agreement review
  • Severance negotiation strategy
  • Release of claims review
  • Noncompete agreement review
  • Nonsolicitation agreement review
  • Confidentiality and nondisparagement terms
  • Post-employment restriction review

Common Reasons People Reach Out

“I received a severance agreement.”

Before signing, it can help to understand the claims being released, payment terms, confidentiality language, restrictive covenants, deadlines, and negotiation options.

“I am owed wages, overtime, commissions, or bonuses.”

Employment compensation disputes often turn on documents, deadlines, written policies, course of dealing, and the specific facts of the worker relationship.

“I am hiring workers or using contractors.”

Employers can reduce risk by reviewing classification, payment practices, offer letters, contractor agreements, handbook language, and workplace policies before problems arise.

How We Work

1. Understand the Workplace Issue

We start by identifying the parties involved, relevant documents, deadlines, employment status, compensation terms, and your goals.

2. Explain Your Options

You get clear guidance about your rights, risks, possible claims or defenses, negotiation options, and practical next steps.

3. Take Action

Depending on the matter, that may mean reviewing an agreement, drafting a letter, negotiating terms, evaluating claims, or preparing for a dispute.

Practical Help for Workplace Legal Issues

If you are dealing with a severance agreement, employment contract, unpaid wages, commissions, contractor dispute, workplace policy issue, or employment-related conflict, Eric Lavender Law LLC can help you understand your options and next steps.

Contact Us

Tell us what’s going on and we’ll review your message.

Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not include confidential, sensitive, or urgent information. See our Disclaimer and Privacy Notice.