JT Charron

Joseph (JT) Charron Jr.

Associate
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

JT Charron is an attorney in Baker McKenzie’s Chicago office and a member of the Firm’s Employment and Compensation Practice Group. JT has extensive experience litigating all types of employment-related disputes, including claims of discrimination, wrongful termination, unfair competition, and wage and hour violations. JT has been recognized as “one to watch” in Illinois since 2021 and has been named as a Rising Star in Illinois by Super Lawyers, a designation only given to 2.5% of eligible lawyers in Illinois. Prior to his legal career, JT was an HR Manager for a large, unionized, manufacturing company. JT leverages his practical and legal experience to provide clients with pragmatic, tailored solutions to meet their business needs.

Practice Focus

JT focuses his practice on complex employment, unfair competition, and labor disputes. JT extensive experience representing employers in complex litigation before state and federal courts, the National Labor Relations Board, EEOC, and various other agencies and tribunals across the country. JT represents employers in the financial, manufacturing, and hospitality industries (among others) in a wide array of high-stakes employment and unfair competition cases. JT also has extensive experience litigating California Wage & Hour and PAGA claims in California state and federal courts.

JT also regularly advises employers on traditional labor matters including union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining, and grievance resolution. JT’s traditional labor practice also includes representing employers in unfair labor practice charges in front of the National Labor Relations Board.

JT also provides strategic advice to businesses across a broad range of industries on employment and unfair competition matters.

JT also maintains an active pro bono practice and he has represented immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S., advised aspiring lawyers during Children's Rights Moot Court Competition, and provides employment advise to non-profit organizations.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Complete defense verdict for a large, publicly traded cannabis company following a highly-publicized five-week jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court.
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment in a hotly-contested race discrimination claim in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment in four cases that were part of a large multi-district litigation action asserting wide-spread trade secret misappropriation and conspiracy claims against client and ten individual employees resulting in a dismissal of all claims.
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment of race and retaliation claims in the Northern District of Illinois in favor of large private university.
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment for large manufacturing client on claims of race discrimination and retaliation.
  • Dismissal of claim under the Illinois Wage Payment and Collections Act claim in which former executive made a seven-figure damages demand based on allegedly unpaid bonuses.
  • Negotiated favorable settlements in several California wage & hour class action cases allowing clients to avoid millions of dollars in potential exposure.
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment for large hospital on claims of race discrimination after plaintiff rejected six-figure settlement offer.
  • Successfully obtained dismissal of union petition against staffing agency client in which the union sought to represent employees based upon a joint employer theory.
  • Obtained complete dismissal of retaliation and discrimination claims under the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • American Bar Association - Member
  • Society for Human Resources - Member
  • Chicago Bar Association - Member

Admissions

  • Illinois~United States (2016)
  • Missouri~United States (2015)
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois~United States
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois~United States
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri~United States

Education

  • University of Tulsa College of Law (JD, with Highest Honors, Editor for Tulsa Law Review, Order of the Curule Chair, CALI Award Recipient) (2015)
  • Michigan State University (MA Human Resources and Labor Relations) (2007)
  • Kalamazoo College (BA Psychology) (2005)

Publications

  • Contributor, The Employer Report
  • Co-author, "How Employers Can Keep ‘Me Too’ Evidence From the Jury," Bloomberg Law, 19 April 2022

Presentations

  • Panelist, "Executive Compensation City Tour," Chicago, IL and Minneapolis, MN, sponsored by Equilar, Equity Methods and Baker McKenzie, September 25-26, 2024
  • Presenter, "Current Landscape of Noncompete Agreements," Compensation Client Roundtable, Baker McKenzie, May 2024
  • Panelist, "What’s the Future of Diversity in HR," Executives’ Club of Chicago, March 12, 2024
  • Presenter, "Illinois Employer Update," sponsored by Baker McKenzie and the North Shore Labor Counsel, January 2024