Jeanine M. Gozdecki - Lawyer in South Bend, IN

Jeanine M. Gozdecki, a partner in the firm's Labor Employment Department, has spent more than 25 years representing, counseling, and advocating for her business clients in virtually all aspects of the employment relationship.

Recognized by Best Lawyers in America, including as a Best Lawyers Women in the Law for her employment law work, and as «Lawyer of the Year» in 2013, Jeanine works collaboratively with her clients to pre-empt and minimize legal risks, and improve productivity and business success.

Jeanine is a trusted advisor to her clients and partners with them to develop strategies, assess legal exposure, and solve problems. Confidentially and behind the scenes, Ms. Gozdecki guides her clients through significant employment challenges, including navigating complicated issues in the C-Suite, responding to harassment complaints, positively affecting workplace culture, directing and conducting internal investigations, as well as developing 'best practices' and training for executives, supervisors and employees in professional, educational, and manufacturing work environments.

In litigation and advocacy roles, Jeanine has successfully represented clients before administrative agencies, in mediation, jury trials, bench trials, the appellate courts, and before a U.S. Congressional Committee. Her litigation experience spans multiple federal and state jurisdictions, including defending claims under Title VII, the ADA, and FMLA, Title IX, enforcement of restrictive covenants, Sarbanes-Oxley claims, and other federal laws.

She regularly serves as a panelist, author, moderator, and instructor in legal presentations to attorneys, clients, human resource personnel, and other professionals. She has been a thought leader on workplace culture and antiharassment policies. For many years, Jeanine was an adjunct professor at Notre Dame Law School, and a guest faculty member for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), teaching deposition and trial advocacy skills.

She has served in multiple leadership roles in professional, community, and other public service organizations, she was awarded the firm's Joseph A. Maley Pro Bono Award in connection with her pro bono work with several non-profit organizations. Currently, Jeanine serves as Chair of the YWCA of North Central Indiana, and as a Board Member and officer of Downtown South Bend, Inc.

Jeanine's leadership also includes having chaired multiple professional committees, serving as chair of the Indiana Supreme Court's Commission for Continuing Legal Education, as President of the St. Joseph County Bar Association, and taking an active role on the firm's Diversity Inclusion Committee.

Jeanine graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School, and earned a certificate in Public Policy Mediation from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Jeanine worked for several years as a broadcast journalist before graduating from law school in 1992.

She is admitted to practice in Indiana, and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.