Professional Details

Professional Details

José J. Behar

José Behar is a partner with Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. He joined the firm in 2001. He concentrates his practice in the areas of civil rights, employment discrimination, educational equity law, and labor law. Mr. Behar represents both plaintiffs and defendants in all areas of the employment discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Equal Pay Act. He has successfully tried numerous cases concerning issues of sexual harassment, disability discrimination, national origin discrimination, retaliation, and unlawful discharge, both in federal courts and before administrative agencies. He also has extensive experience drafting and consulting with clients about employee manuals and human resource policies. 

In addition, Mr. Behar regularly counsels clients, including school districts and teachers’ unions, in school law, collective bargaining, and in areas concerning educational equity and access.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Behar was a supervisory trial attorney with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and an associate with Chapman and Cutler LLP.

Representative Matters

Jones v. Walgreen Co. Represented a nationwide class of women retail store management employees in a Title VII class action lawsuit against the nation’s largest drugstore chain. The settlement provided for monetary relief of $17 million, as well as an injunction requiring both objective criteria for pay and promotions decisions involving female managerial employees and outside review of gender equity compliance efforts.

Lynch v. Huberman. Obtained a preliminary injunction order on behalf of several Chicago Public Schools teachers after a district court judge held that the Chicago Board of Education had violated their First Amendment rights to political speech. Read case details.

Represented a successful sales representative in litigation against a computer software firm for sex and age discrimination that led to her disparate treatment and termination, which resulted in a favorable resolution for our client.

Represented a teachers' union in four appeals regarding an issue of reassignment of tenured teachers under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, which resulted in favorable resolutions.

Represented a large restaurant chain in a class sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which resulted in a favorable resolution.

Lead negotiator on behalf of non-profit organizations during labor negotiations concerning collective bargaining agreements.

Represented a school district during a two-year investigation by the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights of allegations of national origin discrimination in transitional bilingual education programs, which resulted in a finding of no discrimination and dismissal of the charges.

Represented plaintiff in a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against one of the nation’s largest clothing retailers, which resulted in a favorable resolution.

Represented multiple plaintiffs in a wage and hour and retaliation case against one of the nation’s largest discount retail stores, which resulted in a favorable resolution.

Successfully represented two students against charges of plagiarism brought against them by a university, resulting in a dismissal of the charges.

Professional Recognition

  • Two-time recipient of the Outstanding Performance Award from the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Memberships / Associations

Legal
  • Member, Federal Bar Association
  • Member, Illinois State Bar Association
  • Member, Hispanic National Bar Association
  • Member, Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois
  • Board Member, Uptown People's Law Center
Civic / Community
  • Board Member, Chicago Access Network Television
  • Escalera Program Mentor, National Council of La Raza

Speeches and Presentations

  • Working with Immigrant and Migrant Populations, Address at an in-house training event for the EEOC in Chicago (Mar. 19, 2012).
  • The EEO Laws: Proving a Case of Discrimination and Filing a Charge with EEOC, IDHR, the Cook County Commission on Human Relations and the Chicago Commision on Human Relations, Address at a private client training event (Jan. 10, 2011).
  • Preventing Sexual Harassment, Address at a private client training event (Apr. 2008).
  • What do you do if you get a complaint of sexual harassment?, Address at a private client training event (Apr. 2008).
  • Documentation, Discipline and Discharge: Ignoring Problem Employees Affects Morale and Productivity, Panelist discussion at the Technical Assistance Program Seminars of the EEOC (Aug. 2004).
  • Race, Religion, and National Origin: Ridding the Workplace of Cultural Stereotypes, Address at the Technical Assistance Program Seminars of the EEOC (May 2003).
  • Investigation of Complex Employment Discrimination Cases, Address at an in-house training event for the EEOC (Apr. 2000).
  • Investigative Techniques for Complex Employment Discrimination Cases, Address at an in-house training event for the EEOC (Aug. 1999).
  • Preventing Workplace Discrimination, Address at the Technical Assistance Program Seminars of the EEOC (Oct. 1998).
  • Same Sex Harassment: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Address at a meeting of the Young Lawyers Division of the Chicago Bar Association (1998).
  • Mr. Behar has appeared on both television and radio to discuss developments in employment discrimination law.

Related News

  • HSPRD partner José Behar presented speech at a training event for the EEOC in Chicago entitled, "Working with Immigrant and Migrant Populations."
  • Federal district court preliminarily enjoins enforcement of Indiana's new immigration law, SEA 590, in a challenge to the law's constitutionality. HSPRD filed an amicus brief on behalf of five nations in support of the challenge. Read more.
  • HSPRD files suit on behalf of Mexican H-2A guest workers against Tennessee tomato farm alleging abusive working conditions, discrimination, and retaliation. Read more.
  • HSPRD files class action lawsuit against Nevada onion grower on behalf of Mexican guestworkers alleging unlawful wage payment practices. Read more.
  • Federal court judge grants final approval to class action settlement in which HSPRD represented a nationwide class of women retail store management employees in a Title VII class action lawsuit against nation’s largest drugstore chain. Read more.
  • HSPRD persuades electoral board to reject challenges to the candidacies of Rita Oberman, Sheryl Black, and Michael John Bolz for positions on the Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215. Read more.
  • HSPRD obtains a preliminary injunction order on behalf of several Chicago Public Schools teachers after a district court judge held that the Chicago Board of Education had violated their First Amendment rights to political speech in Lynch v. Huberman.
  • Hoy newspaper features HSPRD attorney Jose Behar in article, "It Is Difficult To Be the First: Firm adds value to its practice with Jose Behar." Read more.