Our Attorneys

Mario E. Utreras is the Owner at Utreras Law Offices, the Chicago based law firm he started in 2004. His practice includes the representation of clients in both the private and public sector in a wide range of employment-related disputes and litigation. He also represents small to mid-size companies and individuals in a variety of general litigation matters such as business and contractual disputes, real estate litigation, and insurance coverage disputes. Mario provides human resources consulting services to corporate clients to assist them in recognizing and addressing areas of risk. His practice also includes criminal defense on behalf of individuals.

Mario has jury and bench trial experience in federal and state criminal and civil courts throughout Illinois, and he has handled hearings before various administrative agencies. His professional background includes service as the Vice President of Human Resources for a healthcare billing company, Partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson, Associate at Gardner Carton & Douglas, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago's Employment Litigation Division, Assistant Regional Counsel with the Social Security Administration, and service as an Assistant State's Attorney for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.

Representative Experience

• Experienced in representing individuals and employers before state and federal administrative agencies, such as the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC), the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC)
• Experienced in the prosecution and defense of race, sex, national origin, religion and age discrimination and harassment claims, as well as retaliation claims, in state and federal courts
• Experienced in preparing Employment, Consulting, Independent Contractor, and Non-compete/Non-solicitation Agreements
• Experienced in developing and implementing Corporate Document Retention Programs and Employee Manuals for businesses
• Experienced in litigating state court cases involving a variety of legal issues, such as breach of contract, consumer fraud, real estate matters, defamation, and battery claims
• Experienced in Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and enforcement
• Experienced in defending a variety of criminal felonies and misdemeanors in bench and jury trials to successful verdicts

Practice Areas

• Employment Law
• General Litigation
• Corporate & Business Law
• Criminal Defense

Admissions

• Illinois, 1995

Court Admissions

• U.S. District Court,
  Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
• U.S. District Court,
  Central District of Illinois
• U.S. Court of Appeals,
  Seventh Circuit

Education

• J.D., University of Iowa, 1995
• B.A., University of Illinois, 1992

Distinctions

• U.S. Department of Justice,
  Attorney General's Honor Program
  Executive Office for Immigration Review
  Judicial Law Clerk
• Iowa Law Review
  Managing Editor