Richard J. Mrizek

Richard J. Mrizek is of counsel in the Chicago, Illinois, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. His practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including class litigation, trials, government enforcement actions, and conducting internal investigations. Richard also provides clients with preventive advice and counseling, focused on finding practical solutions to complicated legal problems.  

Before coming to Jackson Lewis, Richard was a trial attorney with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where he led the government’s litigation efforts on numerous class and individual cases. His EEOC litigation involved racial discrimination in hiring, class harassment claims, disparate impact in criminal convictions, sexual harassment, class failure to accommodate claims, and disability discrimination. Richard first-chaired several trials with the EEOC, winning substantial verdicts for the government and has administered settlements of large class cases.

Richard has been a speaker at local and national conferences on issues involving federal anti-discrimination laws, including compliance under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  

Honors and Recognitions

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Circle of Excellence" (2021)
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Chair’s Excellence in Leadership" (2007)

Published Works

• “Ten Takeaways from EEOC’s Updated Guidance on Pandemic and Caretaker Discrimination in the United States,”Association of Corporate Counsel (May 26, 2022) [Co-Author]

Speeches

• “A Practical Guide to ADA Accommodations and Changes in the Guidance,” Disability Management Employer Coalition, Annual Conference (Denver, CO, August 2022) (co-presenter)
• “Exploring the ADA Roundtable Discussion,” Disability Management Employer Coalition, Annual Conference (Denver, CO, August 2022) (co-presenter)
• “Workplace Accommodation and Leave Challenges 2021, Current Issues Under the ADA and FMLA,” Practicing Law Institute (New York, NY, November 2021) (panelist)
• “Intensive Trial Practice Workshop,” University of Chicago Law School (Chicago, IL, September 2021) (instructor)
• “The Frivolity of Web Accessibility – Whatever’s Next?” Chief Litigation Officer Online Summit (online, December 2020) (presenter)
• “Workplace Accommodation and Leave Challenges 2020, Emerging Issues Under the ADA and FMLA,” Practicing Law Institute (online, November 2020) (panelist)
• “Employer Compliance, ADA: Where Employers Are Getting It Right (and Wrong),” Disability Management Employer Coalition, FMLA/ADA Conference (online, March 2020) (co-presenter)
• “Workplace Accommodation and Leave Challenges 2019, Emerging Issues Under the ADA and FMLA,” Practicing Law Institute (New York, NY, November 2019) (panelist)
• “Employer Compliance, ADA Leave: The Six Things You Need to Be Doing,” Disability Management Employer Coalition, FMLA/ADA Conference (Portland, OR, May 2019) (co-presenter)
• “ADA: Creating a Foolproof Return-to Work Process,” Disability Management Employer Coalition, Compliance Conference (Orlando, FL, May 2018) (co-presenter)
• “#MeToo,” Quad County Urban League Women’s Empowerment (Burr Ridge, IL, February 2018) (panelist)
• “2018 Legal Update,” Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (Chicago, IL, January 2018) (panelist)
• “Tell Me What I Need to Know About the ADA and FMLA,” National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference and Expo (Las Vegas, NV, December 2017) (co-presenter)
• “HR and the Looming Legal Landscape,” Evanta Chicago CHRO Summit (online, September 2017) (presenter)
• “ADA: A Year in Review,” Disability Management Employer Coalition, Compliance Conference (Minneapolis, MN, March 2017) (co-presenter)
• “2017 Legal Update,” Human Resources Management Association of Chicago (Chicago, IL, January 2017) (panelist)