Samantha Woo represents employers in litigation matters, including collective and class action wage and hour cases and discrimination disputes, as well as labor management relations issues, including collective bargaining and unfair labor practice cases. She also has experience conducting internal investigations, guiding clients through reductions-in-force, and counseling clients in connection with labor and employment issues that arise in mergers and acquisitions and other business transactions.
Samantha represents private employers, such as the Kraft Heinz Company, Abbott Laboratories, and Saputo, Inc., and public employers, such as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the City of Detroit. Among other matters, she prevailed in a grievance arbitration in which the union claimed wrongful termination of an employee who was discharged for engaging in harassing behavior. Samantha also assisted in the development and implementation of the City of Detroit's labor strategy in connection with its historic chapter 9 bankruptcy and other restructuring matters.
With respect to pro bono work, Samantha helped to secure the early release from prison of an individual sentenced to mandatory life without parole at age 17 because he was tortured by Chicago police officers during their investigation of the crimes underlying his conviction. She also assisted a persecuted Eritrean citizen who grew up in Saudi Arabia in obtaining asylum in the United States.
Samantha is a member of the board of directors of the National Employment Law Council and co-chair of its Academy. She is also a member of the Northwestern University School of Law Bluhm Legal Clinic's Advisory Board.
Experience
- Northwestern University (J.D. cum laude 2012; Membership Editor, Northwestern University Law Review); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (M.P.H. 2006); Johns Hopkins University (B.A. in International Relations and Spanish 2004; Phi Beta Kappa)
- Illinois, U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court
- Extern at the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois (Spring 2011) and the Chicago Park District (Law Department) (Summer 2010)
"Rising Star," Illinois Super Lawyers (2016-2021)
"Rising Star" for labor & employment disputes (labor-management relations), The Legal 500 United States (2019-2020)
"Ones to Watch" for labor & employment (management and litigation), The Best Lawyers in America (2021)
- Extern to the Honorable Marvin E. Aspen, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Summer 2010)
- Spanish (fluent)