Margo W. O'Donnell, Esq.

About The Lecturer

Margo is a nationally recognized employment attorney with more than twenty-five years of experience litigating complex and “bet the company” employment claims. Margo’s cases involve high stakes restrictive covenants and trade secrets, whistleblower claims, wage-and-hour issues, and statutory claims of harassment and discrimination. Margo also acts as a crisis manager and business advisor to her clients on best practices for workplace safety, compensation, leave issues, employment agreements, diversity and inclusion, individual and group discharges, and internal investigations. She has been widely recognized as one of the top employment attorneys in the country.

Margo serves as outside employment counsel for many clients nationwide. Clients praise Margo’s ability to contribute to a “positive, productive and inclusive work environment for employees” and describe her advocacy as “persistent, smart, tough and innovative.”

Margo is ranked in Chambers USA and is listed as a Labor & Employment Star in Benchmark Litigation. She has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Illinois Super Lawyers. Crain’s named Margo to its lists of the “Most Influential Women Lawyers in Chicago” and “Most Notable Women Executives.” Best Lawyers named Margo as one of 15 “Women of Influence” in the legal profession nationwide. She holds an “AV Preeminent” Peer Rating by Martindale-Hubbell (the highest possible rating).

Margo’s litigation experience ranges from the defense of one of the largest race discrimination class actions in history to two-party restrictive covenant disputes. Recent wins include:

• A judgment in favor of a trading firm in a noncompete case pending in both state court and in an arbitral forum, which included the recovery of attorneys’ fees for Margo’s client;
• The dismissal of a federal court lawsuit alleging statutory employment claims brought against one of the largest diagnostic testing companies in the world;
• The dismissal of wage-and-hour class action brought against a national call center;
• The dismissal of a breach of contract lawsuit brought against a steel manufacturer involving claims to a $6 million bonus;
• The entry of summary judgment in cases involving claims of discrimination and harassment;
• The successful resolution of hundreds of employment claims;
• Sensitive and high level investigations relating to whistleblower claims brought against Fortune 500 companies and group terminations of executives.

Margo has devoted significant time to mentoring and supporting the success of women and diverse attorneys. Margo currently co-chairs Benesch’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. She is the founder of and currently leads B-Sharp, Benesch’s professional development program for women in-house attorneys. B-Sharp has provided programming and networking opportunities to hundreds of in-house lawyers since its founding. For this work, Chambers & Partners recognized Margo as an “Inspiring Role Model Promoting Gender Diversity.” Margo also is a Corporate Counsel 2018 and 2020 Women, Influence, & Power in Law Honoree.

Margo is Past President and recipient of the Leadership Award of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law. She is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Margo serves on the Boards of the Coalition of Women’s Initiatives in Law, the Yale Alumni Fund, the Yale Club of Chicago, the Women’s Board of the University of Chicago, and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.