Antonio Caldarone

Antonio joined Laner Muchin in 2008 as an associate and has been a partner at the Firm since 2013. Prior to joining Laner Muchin, Antonio was a labor and employment and commercial litigation associate at a mid-size Chicago law firm.  He regularly litigates substantial-exposure employment litigation matters as the lead attorney, with a particular focus on defending employers against single-plaintiff and class action wage and hour lawsuits under federal and state wage laws. 

A significant part of Antonio’s practice involves preventative counseling both public and private employers on a variety of day-to-day employment issues, such as terminations, accommodations under the ADA, FMLA compliance, drafting employment agreements and advising on mass layoffs.  In keeping with his approach to minimizing risks through preventative counseling, Antonio has developed extensive management training programs involving non-discrimination and anti-harassment, minimizing legal risks with effective documentation and performance management, and navigating the troubled waters of ADA and FMLA compliance.  Antonio has significant experience in representing employers in the hospitality, healthcare and retail industries.

HONORS, MEMBERSHIPS AND PUBLICATIONS

• Best Lawyers in America, 2024 - Present 
• Selected in the 27th Edition of the Best Lawyers in America & Ones to Watch as One to Watch in 2021
• Current honoree on the Illinois Super Lawyers list and former honoree on the Rising Stars list
• Recognized by Leading Lawyer magazine as an Emerging Lawyer every year since 2015
• Recipient of DePaul University’s prestigious St. Vincent de Paul Senior Leader Award
• Member, Chicago Bar Association
• Member, Order of the Sons of Italy in America

Recognition by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch is based entirely on peer review and employs the same methodology that has made Best Lawyers the gold standard for legal rankings worldwide.

Law Bulletin Media conducts an annual survey to determine who Illinois attorneys believe are the “up and comers” of law in Illinois. 

Below are representative samples of the types of matters Antonio handles on behalf of Laner Muchin clients:

Defending employers in local and nationwide complex class action wage and hour lawsuits with class sizes of up to 100,000 class members.

Defending employers in single-plaintiff and class action lawsuits brought by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Representing employers undergoing regulatory audits by state and federal government agencies regarding their wage and hour practices, and defending employers against wage complaints before the U.S. Department of Labor and Illinois Department of Labor.

Conducting compliance audits of workplace practices, including audits of wage and hour practices (i.e., employee classifications, identifying potential “off-the-clock” work, timekeeping systems and procedures, etc.), and conducting audits of other practices, such as compliance with state and federal laws governing hiring, background and credit checks.