Terry J. Smith
Smith O'Callaghan & White
Terry J. Smith is a partner with Smith O'Callaghan & White. He has represented employers in all aspects of labor and employment law for more than 25 years, representing and regularly advising corporate defendants in litigation involving labor and employment matters in federal and state courts, and administrative agencies, throughout the United States. Prior to founding a boutique firm, Mr. Smith was a partner in one of the largest law firms in Chicago.
He has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer for 15 consecutive years (2007-2021), representing the top 5% of all attorneys in the State of Illinois. Mr. Smith is AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has led Smith O'Callaghan & White to a place among "Go-To Law Firms" for corporate counsel and national recognition as a "best-in-class" boutique law firm providing exemplary client focus and service.
Mr. Smith deals extensively with all phases of employment-related litigation in the federal and state courts — from pre-litigation counsel, to discovery, to dispositive motions, to trial. He has represented employers in single-party and multi-party litigation. His experience encompasses cases involving employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, breach of employment contract, trade secret misappropriation, covenants not-to-compete, unfair competition, employee pirating, breach of fiduciary duty and workplace defamation. He has successfully litigated these cases throughout the country.
Mr. Smith also has represented employers in a number of precedent-setting cases, including: inevitable disclosure of trade secrets, legal obligations of employers in reductions-in-force, workplace defamation lawprivilege and self-publication, no individual supervisor liability under Title VII, notice requirements in alleged harrassment cases, arbitration disputes and the first case to reach the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit interpreting the FMLA.
- Employment Law
- Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, ERISA, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- 4th Circuit
- 6th Circuit
- 7th Circuit
- D.C. Circuit
- Partner
- Smith O'Callaghan & White
- - Current
- Partner
- Schiff Hardin & Waite
- -
- Associate
- Schiff Hardin & Waite
- -
- Associate
- Foley & Lardner LLP
- -
- Cornell University
- J.D. (1984)
- Lawrence University
- B.A. (1981)
- Honors: magna cum laude Phi Beta Kappa
- AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Highest rating for legal ability and ethics
- Illinois Super Lawyer
- Chicago Magazine
- For Years 2007 - 2019
- Fellow, Trial Lawyers Honorary Society
- Litigation Counsel of America
- Chicago Bar Association-Labor and Employment Law Committee
- Member
- Current
- Chicago Bar Association-Federal Civil Practice Committee
- Member
- Current
- Seventh Circuit Bar Association
- Member
- Current
- American Bar Association
- Member, Labor and Employment Section
- Current
- Website
- Website