DAVID CASCIO
AGE 39
FIRM Laner Muchin, Ltd.
LAW SCHOOL University of Kansas School of Law
AREA(S) OF PRACTICE Labor and employment law
2024 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH
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D avid Cascio performed some of his most important work in 2020 and 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pan- demic. It was during these years that thousands of unionized healthcare workers in Illinois were voting to go on strike. One of these planned strikes at an Illinois hospital system in- cluded 1,400 nurses in 12 units, including the emergency room and labor departments. Another union's health workers tried to strike twice at a County hospital system. This was where labor and employment law litigator Cascio ex- celled. He argued that preventing these strikes was a matter of life and death. Though only in his mid-30s, Cascio was already an expert in jury trials and hearings for emergency relief, including preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders. The legal standards that Cascio had to meet for these in- junctions was high. Cascio argued that the strikes would have caused a clear and present danger to the health and safety of the public. Cascio prevailed, persuading judges to grant all four of his temporary restraining orders in favor of the hospital systems. Pat Salvi, Jr., Managing Partner of Chicago's Salvi, Schostok & Prichard, said that Cascio is known by his peers as a skilled, no-nonsense litigator and trial lawyer whose deposition skills are "off the charts." "He is more than just a rising star in the field of labor and em- ployment. He is a force," Salvi said. "Whether trials or temporary restraining orders, David handles high-stakes issues requiring vast legal knowledge and skill. He does it with excellence."
He is more than just a rising star in the field of labor and employment. He is a force. ”
La'Shon DeFell, Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer and Director of Labor with Cook County, said that she first worked with Cascio during the COVID-19 pandemic, when es- sential county hospital workers, including respiratory therapists, threatened to strike. She said that Cascio's work on more than one occasion prevented a strike that could have been disastrous to county residents. Seeking a temporary restraining order from a public employ- ee union involves a complex process, including an initial hearing before the Illinois Labor Relations Board followed by a related action in Chancery Court. "David navigated these procedures with skill and determina- tion," DeFell said. "What sets David apart is his unwavering ded- ication to serving the county's interests." DeFell points to one instance in which Cascio worked through the night to ensure the enforcement of the temporary restrain- ing order. DeFell said that Cascio's commitment ultimately guaranteed that essential services provided to the county's un- derserved community within the Cook County Health System remained uninterrupted.
40 Under Forty 2024
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CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN
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