Elizabeth M. Yanan

Elizabeth Yanan is Senior Counsel at Airdo Werwas, where she advises employers on a broad range of labor and employment matters. Drawing on experience both as in-house employment counsel and as outside counsel, Elizabeth provides practical guidance on employee relations, performance management, discipline and termination, disability accommodations, FMLA and other leave matters, discrimination and harassment, retaliation, wage-and-hour compliance, and other workplace issues. She works closely with organizational leadership and human resources professionals to assess legal risk and develop practical strategies for sensitive personnel matters.

Elizabeth has significant experience conducting and advising on workplace investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, employee misconduct, and other workplace concerns. She also represents and advises employers in employment disputes and administrative proceedings, including matters involving the EEOC and state and local agencies. Her experience includes early case assessment and factual development, responses to administrative charges and attorney demands, discovery and litigation strategy, mediation and settlement analysis, and resolution of employment disputes.

Elizabeth’s practice also includes collective bargaining agreement interpretation, grievance matters, arbitration preparation, and other traditional labor issues. She develops and delivers training for human resources professionals and management and drafts and reviews employee handbooks and workplace policies, employment and separation agreements, job descriptions, and other employment-related documents. Her clients include private employers, local governmental entities, educational institutions, and religious and mission-driven organizations. Elizabeth’s prior in-house experience counseling a large, multi-state employer gives her an operational perspective that informs her practical approach to outside counseling.

Elizabeth earned her Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she was a Thomas More Scholar and Vis Moot Fellow, and her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Northwestern University. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and holds the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credential. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys painting and playing the piano.

Education

• Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D. 2021
• Northwestern University, B.A., English Literature 2015