Jonathan M.Linas (Jon)

Partner

Chicago + 1.312.269.4245

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Jon Linas has nearly two decades of experience representing Fortune 500 employers in high-profile labor and employment matters. He has been designated a "Rising Star" by Law360 (one of seven nationally) and a "Next Generation Lawyer" by The Legal 500, among other honors.

Jon has extensive experience litigating labor and employment claims in courts and administrative agencies throughout the country, including jury trial experience. He was trial counsel to McDonald's USA in its high-profile litigation before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) alleging the company is a joint employer with its franchisees. In recent years, Jon has advised countless employers on matters arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently defending claims challenging clients' COVID-19 safety and health policies, including mandatory vaccination policies, in courts nationwide. Jon also has experience counseling and defending claims against health care employers, including a regional hospital system and a nationwide home health care provider.

Additional experience includes defending class and collective actions under wage-hour laws; claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws; trade secret and restrictive covenant claims and advice; and navigating high-stakes investigations and proceedings before federal and state administrative agencies.

Jon also has a robust counseling practice. He routinely advises on executive departures and related matters. He is an active speaker and writer who is particularly interested in the employment implications of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Jon is proud to serve the Chicago community. He recently served as chairman of the board of the Anixter Center, a century-old organization serving people with disabilities, behavioral health needs, and who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing.

Experience

  • J. M. Smucker Company secures complete dismissal in challenge to vaccination policyJones Day secured complete dismissal of all claims brought against The J. M. Smucker Company by former employees challenging their terminations pursuant to Smucker’s COVID-19 vaccination policy.
  • McDonald’s successfully resolves groundbreaking NLRB litigationJones Day successfully represented McDonald's USA, LLC and McDonald's Restaurants of Illinois, Inc., in the largest consolidated National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) litigation matter ever and one of the most important labor cases in the United States today.
  • Verizon obtains voluntary dismissal in alleged disability discrimination caseOn behalf of Verizon Communications Inc., Jones Day obtained plaintiff's voluntary dismissal of claims in which plaintiff alleged disability discrimination and retaliation in violation of Iowa law.
  • White Castle wins summary judgment and defeats class certification in FLSA caseJones Day successfully defeated Rule 23 class certification and won summary judgment for client White Castle System, Inc. on the individual Plaintiffs' claims in this case under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Illinois Minimum Wage Law, Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, and at common law.
  • SCI Illinois Services obtains 7th Circuit affirmance of dismissal of federal and state discrimination and retaliation claimsIn September 2014, The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment in favor of Jones Day client SCI Illinois Services, Inc., upholding the dismissal of plaintiff's claims of discrimination (based on race and sex) and retaliation under Federal and Illinois law.
  • McDonald's successfully defeats class certification in putative state-wide wage and hour actionJones Day successfully represented McDonald's in a class-action lawsuit filed by former McDonald's employees, asserting claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Missouri Minimum Wage Law, and common law theories of unjust enrichment, quantum meruit, and breach of implied contract.
  • Verizon Business obtains affirmance of summary judgment in Illinois employment action brought by former senior business consultantJones Day successfully defended its client, Verizon Business, against claims of age discrimination, breach of contract, violation of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collections Act, promissory estoppel, and quantum meruit in a complex case that included filings in three different jurisdictions over a two-year period.
  • RadioShack has all claims dismissed in wage hour class action suitJones Day was retained by RadioShack Corporation to defend a putative state-wide class- and collective-action alleging RadioShack violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, Illinois Wage Payment & Collections Act, and the Illinois Minimum Wage Law by failing to pay non-exempt store managers in Illinois for all hours worked and an individual claim for retaliatory discharge and violation of the Illinois Whistleblower Act.
  • McDonald's obtains voluntary dismissal from employee of McDonald's franchisee alleging discrimination and retaliationJones Day secured the voluntary dismissal with prejudice of all claims against McDonald’s Corporation in a lawsuit filed by a former mid-manager of a McDonald’s franchisee, who alleged that both the franchisee and McDonald's, as joint employers, discriminated and retaliated against him in violation of Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA, and Pennsylvania common law.
  • Lennox International successfully defends against FLSA nationwide collective actionJones Day represented Lennox Industries, Inc. in its defense of claims by a former Store Manager at a Lennox PartsPlus location in Illinois, who alleged that he and other Lennox PartsPlus Store Managers nationwide were improperly classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • American Commercial Lines obtains summary judgment in multi-million dollar retiree medical benefits caseOn November 30, 2010, Jones Day attorneys achieved a significant summary judgment victory for its clients American Commercial Lines LLC and ACL Transportation Services, LLC (the "ACL Defendants") in a lawsuit brought by the United Mine Workers of America ("UMWA") and several retirees (represented by the UMWA).
  • Flying J prevails in collective action lawsuit alleging misclassification under the FLSAJones Day represented employer in a collective-action lawsuit filed on behalf of plaintiff and all other similarly-situated employees alleging that Flying J, Inc. misclassified its accounting manager job position as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and retaliated against her in violation of the FLSA.
  • Nationwide retail company obtains dismissal of VETS investigationFollowing an investigation by the United States Department of Labor's Veterans Employment & Training Service into allegations that Jones Day's client, a Fortune 500 nationwide retail company, violated USERRA by not affording a returning service member an interview for a promotion while on leave, the Department of Justice declined to represent the returning service member and dismissed the service member's claim.
  • American Commercial Lines successfully defends against suit alleging violations under LMRA and ERISAJones Day represented American Commercial Lines LLC in a suit brought by the UMWA and several UMWA retirees and/or surviving spouses of retirees alleging that ACL Transportation Services LLC violated the terms of the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA") when the company modified the medical benefits of the retiree Plaintiffs in 2008.
  • McDonald's wins dismissal of action for unpaid wages brought under FLSA and Pennsylvania lawJones Day successfully represented McDonald's Corporation in litigation brought in Pennsylvania state court by eight former employees of a McDonald's franchisee restaurant seeking to recover allegedly unpaid overtime wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act, and the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law.
  • R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company obtains summary judgment in age discrimination caseJones Day successfully defended R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company against Plaintiff's claim of age discrimination before the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Equal Rights Division, and in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
  • Felony criminal charges are successfully resolved for pro bono clientJones Day attorneys Ted Chung, Jon Linas, and Clark Brinker provided pro bono representation to a client charged with six felonies arising out of an allegation that he and others participated in a physical attack and robbery of, and theft from, two minors in a South Side neighborhood.
  • Client's sentence is substantially reduced and will be wiped clean upon satisfactory completion of the probationary termA SWAT team served a search warrant at the home of Ms. McMillan, her boyfriend, 3 children, and mother.
  • Continental Tire obtains reaches settlement in case asserting claims under ERISAPlaintiff sued his former employer, CTNA, and its disability pension plan asserting claims under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA").
  • SeatonCorp and SMX reach settlement in purported state-wide class action alleging violations under California Labor Code and Section 17200Jones Day represented staffing companies, SeatonCorp and SMX, Inc., in a purported state-wide class action under California law.
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    October 2024 Alert

    Illinois Becomes Second State to Pass Broad Legislation on the Use of AI in Employment Decisions

    November 2023 Alert

    DOJ's Immigration-Employment Program Faces Headwinds Amidst Milestone Settlement

    June 2023 Commentary

    Trade Secrets and Generative AI: Protective Measures In an Evolving Technological Landscape

    May 2023 Commentary

    Prevailing Wages and More: Developer and Contractor Obligations in CHIPS Act-Funded Construction Projects

    April 2023 Alert

    New York City Releases Final Rules on Automated Employment Decision Tools

    September 2022 Commentary

    The Back-and-Forth Continues: NLRB Once Again Seeks to Broaden Its Joint-Employer Standard

    July 2021 Alert

    SPAC Founders, Beware: SEC Targets Founders Shares

    July 2021 Commentary

    Biden Administration Executive Order Would Expand Regulatory Intervention in Markets Across the Economy

    June 2021 Commentary

    Vaccination FAQs for European Employers

    May 2021 Commentary

    Illinois Restricts Employers From Using Conviction Records in Making Employment Decisions
    View All

    Additional Speaking Engagements

    • June 6, 2019
      Using and Protecting Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Big Data (Jones Day University)
    • June 9, 2016
      Workplace Compliance in 2016: Pay Equity, Overtime Regulations, and the New Wave of Biometrics Lawsuits, Jones Day MCLE University
    • October 8, 2014
      2014 Labor & Employment Law Discussion Group
    • 2011
      Hot Topics in Employment Law: Wage-Hour, Technology in the Workplace, Free Speech in the Workplace, and Retaliation, Ronald McDonald House Charities International Conference
    • 2006
      Retaliation: New Strategies To Avoid The Newly Expanded And Seemingly Endless Retaliation Protections, Shook, Hardy & Bacon Annual Seminar: Hot Topics In Employment Law
    • 2006
      Understanding Employee Leave Laws & The Americans With Disabilities Act, Shook, Hardy & Bacon In-House Seminar: SuperSkills

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