Michael D.Jacobsen
Partner
Labor & Employment
mjacobsen@seyfarth.com
Michael is dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for our clients throughout all stages of litigation and counseling them toward their goals.
More About Michael
Michael represents companies facing a variety of class, collective, and other representative actions. Clients look to Michael to advance their positions and reach decisive, favorable resolutions early on in these matters, as well as in the ongoing development of successful, long-term strategies both in and beyond litigation.
Michael leads Seyfarth’s Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class action team. Michael also defends complex discrimination and harassment litigation brought by the EEOC and private plaintiffs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other civil rights laws, as well as wage and hour and consumer fraud claims.
Prior to joining Seyfarth, Michael practiced business and tort litigation in the Chicago office of a Vault 50 firm. His experience trained him to navigate the constantly evolving procedural and substantive challenges in the variety of matters he handles. He also has an extensive practice of matters pending in California, providing him with a unique perspective in the Chicago office in defending against cutting-edge plaintiff theories in this fluid and complex arena.
Michael serves our clients with dedication and is committed to making their jobs easier in the midst of heavy and high-stakes litigation. He is a strong proponent of using efficient eDiscovery approaches and tools to that end and to control cases from an early point. He achieves successful outcomes for our clients based on their unique needs and practical concerns.
Michael enjoys working with Seyfarth's team of outstanding attorneys who share his passion for providing creative, thoughtful solutions to clients managing complex pressures.
Michael leads Seyfarth’s Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class action team. Michael also defends complex discrimination and harassment litigation brought by the EEOC and private plaintiffs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other civil rights laws, as well as wage and hour and consumer fraud claims.
Prior to joining Seyfarth, Michael practiced business and tort litigation in the Chicago office of a Vault 50 firm. His experience trained him to navigate the constantly evolving procedural and substantive challenges in the variety of matters he handles. He also has an extensive practice of matters pending in California, providing him with a unique perspective in the Chicago office in defending against cutting-edge plaintiff theories in this fluid and complex arena.
Michael serves our clients with dedication and is committed to making their jobs easier in the midst of heavy and high-stakes litigation. He is a strong proponent of using efficient eDiscovery approaches and tools to that end and to control cases from an early point. He achieves successful outcomes for our clients based on their unique needs and practical concerns.
Michael enjoys working with Seyfarth's team of outstanding attorneys who share his passion for providing creative, thoughtful solutions to clients managing complex pressures.
- JD, University of Illinois College of Law
Magna cum laude
Elder Law Journal, articles editor - BA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Related Services
- Defended a large senior living company in a class action alleging violations of the ADA and California Unruh Civil Rights Act, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and Unfair Competition Law, as well as elder financial abuse, in which the court denied the plaintiffs’ motions for class certification and granted summary judgment for the defense in significant part, as well as denied the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment
- Secured voluntary dismissal for a hospital and other health care providers in BIPA class actions
- Defended a large global staffing company in class and collective actions alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and California Labor Code and Unfair Competition Law, in which the courts granted multiple motions to compel arbitration and dismiss the class/collective claims
- Defended a large restaurant company in a class and collective action alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, New York Labor Law, and California Labor Code and Unfair Competition Law, in which the court declined to grant the plaintiffs’ motion for conditional certification
Related News & Insights
-
Legal Update
Aug 9, 2024
Governor Pritzker Signs Amendment Limiting Damages To A Single Recovery
-
Blog Post
Aug 6, 2024
BIPA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Governor Pritzker Signs Amendment Limiting Damages To A Single Recovery
-
Legal Update
May 17, 2024
Illinois Legislative Update: BIPA Reform Bill Reducing Damages Approved by Illinois House, Awaiting Governor's Signature
-
Blog Post
Jan 18, 2024
No Harm, No Foul? The Legacy of TransUnion Two Years Later (Part 4)
- Recognized as a "Ones to Watch" lawyer by Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2021)
- American Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Co-Author, “Governor Pritzker Signs Amendment Limiting Damages To A Single Recovery,” Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (August 9, 2024)
- Co-Author, “Illinois Legislative Update: BIPA Reform Bill Reducing Damages Approved by Illinois House, Awaiting Governor's Signature,” Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 17, 2024)
- Co-Author, “Google: Demonstrating the Hazards of Employment Discrimination from Every Angle,” Employment Law Lookout, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (June 25, 2019)
- Co-Author, “EEOC Leadership Shift: A New EEOC Chair Confirmed By Senate,” Workplace Class Action Blog, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 8, 2019)
- Co-Author, “And The Train Kept A-Rolling: EEOC’s 2018 Enforcement And Litigation Statistics Show Charges Down But The Agency Still On The Move,” Workplace Class Action Blog, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 11, 2019)
- Co-Presenter, “Biometric Privacy Laws: Litigation and Compliance,” Lawline (February 21, 2024)
- Speaker, “Wage and Hour Collective Actions: Conditional Certification and Decertification,” Lexis Nexis Practical Guidance Video (December 6, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "Best Practices and Considerations for Employee Demand Letters, Charges and Early-Stage Lawsuits," Seyfarth Event, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (September 28, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "Employment Class Actions: The 2020 Landscape Explored Live Webcast," The Knowledge Group (October 8, 2020)
- Co-Presenter, “Settling Wage/Hour Claims,” Strafford (September 22, 2020)
- Co-Presenter, “Exploring the Modernized Approach to Preventing Workplace Harassment,” Willis Towers Watson (November 14, 2018)
“A steel trap mind” — Client feedback
“Excellent communication and work” — Client feedback
“Thank you for all your help getting us to this conclusion!” — Client feedback
“Made my job that much easier" — Client feedback
"So thoughtful, patient, and thorough” — Client feedback
Michael is dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for our clients throughout all stages of litigation and counseling them toward their goals.
More About Michael
Michael represents companies facing a variety of class, collective, and other representative actions. Clients look to Michael to advance their positions and reach decisive, favorable resolutions early on in these matters, as well as in the ongoing development of successful, long-term strategies both in and beyond litigation.
Michael leads Seyfarth’s Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class action team. Michael also defends complex discrimination and harassment litigation brought by the EEOC and private plaintiffs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other civil rights laws, as well as wage and hour and consumer fraud claims.
Prior to joining Seyfarth, Michael practiced business and tort litigation in the Chicago office of a Vault 50 firm. His experience trained him to navigate the constantly evolving procedural and substantive challenges in the variety of matters he handles. He also has an extensive practice of matters pending in California, providing him with a unique perspective in the Chicago office in defending against cutting-edge plaintiff theories in this fluid and complex arena.
Michael serves our clients with dedication and is committed to making their jobs easier in the midst of heavy and high-stakes litigation. He is a strong proponent of using efficient eDiscovery approaches and tools to that end and to control cases from an early point. He achieves successful outcomes for our clients based on their unique needs and practical concerns.
Michael enjoys working with Seyfarth's team of outstanding attorneys who share his passion for providing creative, thoughtful solutions to clients managing complex pressures.
Michael leads Seyfarth’s Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class action team. Michael also defends complex discrimination and harassment litigation brought by the EEOC and private plaintiffs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other civil rights laws, as well as wage and hour and consumer fraud claims.
Prior to joining Seyfarth, Michael practiced business and tort litigation in the Chicago office of a Vault 50 firm. His experience trained him to navigate the constantly evolving procedural and substantive challenges in the variety of matters he handles. He also has an extensive practice of matters pending in California, providing him with a unique perspective in the Chicago office in defending against cutting-edge plaintiff theories in this fluid and complex arena.
Michael serves our clients with dedication and is committed to making their jobs easier in the midst of heavy and high-stakes litigation. He is a strong proponent of using efficient eDiscovery approaches and tools to that end and to control cases from an early point. He achieves successful outcomes for our clients based on their unique needs and practical concerns.
Michael enjoys working with Seyfarth's team of outstanding attorneys who share his passion for providing creative, thoughtful solutions to clients managing complex pressures.
- JD, University of Illinois College of Law
Magna cum laude
Elder Law Journal, articles editor - BA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Illinois
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Related Services
- Defended a large senior living company in a class action alleging violations of the ADA and California Unruh Civil Rights Act, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and Unfair Competition Law, as well as elder financial abuse, in which the court denied the plaintiffs’ motions for class certification and granted summary judgment for the defense in significant part, as well as denied the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment
- Secured voluntary dismissal for a hospital and other health care providers in BIPA class actions
- Defended a large global staffing company in class and collective actions alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and California Labor Code and Unfair Competition Law, in which the courts granted multiple motions to compel arbitration and dismiss the class/collective claims
- Defended a large restaurant company in a class and collective action alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, New York Labor Law, and California Labor Code and Unfair Competition Law, in which the court declined to grant the plaintiffs’ motion for conditional certification
Related News & Insights
-
Legal Update
Aug 9, 2024
Governor Pritzker Signs Amendment Limiting Damages To A Single Recovery
-
Blog Post
Aug 6, 2024
BIPA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Governor Pritzker Signs Amendment Limiting Damages To A Single Recovery
-
Legal Update
May 17, 2024
Illinois Legislative Update: BIPA Reform Bill Reducing Damages Approved by Illinois House, Awaiting Governor's Signature
-
Blog Post
Jan 18, 2024
No Harm, No Foul? The Legacy of TransUnion Two Years Later (Part 4)
- Recognized as a "Ones to Watch" lawyer by Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2021)
- American Bar Association
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Co-Author, “Governor Pritzker Signs Amendment Limiting Damages To A Single Recovery,” Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (August 9, 2024)
- Co-Author, “Illinois Legislative Update: BIPA Reform Bill Reducing Damages Approved by Illinois House, Awaiting Governor's Signature,” Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 17, 2024)
- Co-Author, “Google: Demonstrating the Hazards of Employment Discrimination from Every Angle,” Employment Law Lookout, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (June 25, 2019)
- Co-Author, “EEOC Leadership Shift: A New EEOC Chair Confirmed By Senate,” Workplace Class Action Blog, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 8, 2019)
- Co-Author, “And The Train Kept A-Rolling: EEOC’s 2018 Enforcement And Litigation Statistics Show Charges Down But The Agency Still On The Move,” Workplace Class Action Blog, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 11, 2019)
- Co-Presenter, “Biometric Privacy Laws: Litigation and Compliance,” Lawline (February 21, 2024)
- Speaker, “Wage and Hour Collective Actions: Conditional Certification and Decertification,” Lexis Nexis Practical Guidance Video (December 6, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "Best Practices and Considerations for Employee Demand Letters, Charges and Early-Stage Lawsuits," Seyfarth Event, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (September 28, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "Employment Class Actions: The 2020 Landscape Explored Live Webcast," The Knowledge Group (October 8, 2020)
- Co-Presenter, “Settling Wage/Hour Claims,” Strafford (September 22, 2020)
- Co-Presenter, “Exploring the Modernized Approach to Preventing Workplace Harassment,” Willis Towers Watson (November 14, 2018)
“A steel trap mind” — Client feedback
“Excellent communication and work” — Client feedback
“Thank you for all your help getting us to this conclusion!” — Client feedback
“Made my job that much easier" — Client feedback
"So thoughtful, patient, and thorough” — Client feedback