Overview
As a management-side labor and employment law attorney, Mike’s passion is coming up with efficient and common sense solutions so that business owners can focus on their passion, their business. Every day Mike strives to provide aggressive and responsible representation to his clients that range in size and industry.
Mike advises and represents clients on employment law issues and lawsuits, including employee handbook and policy issues, COVID-19 issues, discrimination and harassment, ADA disability issues and accommodations, FMLA administration and claims, pregnancy accommodations, recreational and medical cannabis issues in the workplace, drug testing and reasonable suspicion, confidentiality and non-compete/solicit agreements, unfair competition and trade secrets, wage and hour issues, class actions, and other labor and employment issues arising under state, federal and administrative laws.
Mike is skilled in helping clients address a multitude of different problems and issues through common sense advice, helping review and revise policies and procedures, providing management and employee training, conducting investigations as a neutral third party investigator and litigating cases and claims.
One could say that being a lawyer is in his blood, as Mike followed the footsteps of his mother and uncle into the profession. Mike got an early introduction to the law in his mother’s law firm as a kid first organizing and moving files, then helping with clients and filing, and when in law school drafting pleadings and attending hearings. After becoming an attorney Mike started practicing at her law firm in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, before working for two boutique firms in Chicago, where he specialized in contract disputes, civil litigation, defending law enforcement from excessive force claims, class actions and employment law matters. He enjoys problem solving and is dedicated to finding unique answers to clients’ problems in order to give them the best result.
When he is not working, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, playing soccer and fishing. He is also involved locally as a Board Member of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Fox Valley Society for Human Resource Management.
Experience
Membership & Involvement
- Member: Illinois Fox Valley Society for Human Resource Management (IL Fox Valley SHRM); Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA); National Association of College Attorneys (NACUA); American Bar Association; AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation Board (2012–Present; Secretary 2014–Present)
- Board Of Directors: Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce (Board Member, 2015–Present; President, 2022)
- Kane County Bar Association: Labor & Employment Law Committee Chair (2014–Present); Bar Briefs, Editorial Board Member (2013–Present); Bar Briefs Editor (2015–2016)
- Illinois State Bar Association: Young Lawyers Division (2008–2014); Solo & Small Firm Conference Planning Committee (2009)
Resources & Insights
In the Media
Alerts
Speaking Engagements
Published Works
Blog
Contributing Author, SmithAmundsen's Labor & Employment Law Update, a labor and employment advisory blog.
Contributing Author, Illinois Chamber of Commerce's Chamber Dispatch, an HR advisory blog.
Blog Posts
Education on Demand
The guidance for operating businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. Mike Wong and John Hayes discuss the latest guidance, including mask mandates and required vaccinations.
The door has been opened to employers and businesses to allow employees to be in the workplace without a mask, if they are fully vaccinated, but has not provided any guidance or direction on how to do so, or even made clear that employers and businesses are allowed to.
Firm News
- Illinois Cannabis Law Changes Coming! What Employers Need to KnowIllinois Cannabis Law Changes Coming! What Employers Need to Know
Join SmithAmundsen to stay on top of the changes to Illinois concerning cannabis in 2022.
- Eighth Annual New Laws Forum 2021Eighth Annual New Laws Forum 2021
The 8th Annual New Laws Forum 2021 for Illinois Employers, featuring several SmithAmundsen attorneys, will cover new laws and topics that all employers should be aware of starting in 2022.
- Recruit, Retain, and Remote WorkRecruit, Retain, and Remote Work
Recruitment and retention are top concerns for employers in 2021 and will continue to be moving forward.
- Seventh Annual Labor & Employment Fall SeminarSeventh Annual Labor & Employment Fall Seminar
Our attorneys will cover the latest trends, updates and mandates that were introduced in 2021 and will look ahead at what’s to come.
Services
- Labor, Employment, Benefits & Immigration
- Employment Advice & Counsel
- Manufacturing & Food Processing
- Banking & Finance
- Cannabis in the Workplace
- Class Action
- Employment Litigation
- Equal Pay Compliance
- Government Regulation, Audit & Compliance
- Mandatory Training
- Public Sector
- Staffing Agency, Independent Contractor & Contingent Workforce
- Unfair Competition Counseling & Litigation
- Vaccine Mandates in the Workplace
- Wage & Hour
- Workplace Investigations
Education
Northern Illinois University College of Law, J.D., 2006
University of Illinois B.A., 2003
Admissions
- Illinois