Sylvia Bokyung St. Clair
Associate
Overview
Sylvia Bokyung St. Clair represents employers in a broad range of employment matters arising under both state and federal laws and is recognized nationally for her work in employment law.
Sylvia’s passion for employee relations and human resources stems from her work in two family-run businesses and a decade-long career in hospitality management, where she and her team were widely recognized for outstanding service and high-achieving standards and policies. Today, guided by years of experience on the front lines, she devotes her legal career to partnering with employers to focus on practical solutions.
Employment Counseling, Investigations & Audits
Sylvia counsels employers on a national basis on complex employment issues, investigations and audits involving hiring practices, employment policies and practices, wage-and-hour pay practices, pay transparency, child labor law, immigration-related compliance, and California employer privacy law compliance.
Sylvia leads the defense of enforcement actions brought by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and its state-equivalent agencies and the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Immigrant & Employer Rights Section (IER).
Employment Litigation
Sylvia has deep experience representing companies nationally in complex employment disputes and commercial litigation matters. Her litigation experience includes:
- Discrimination
- Sexual harassment
- Hostile work environment
- Whistleblower/retaliation
- Job-protected leave
- Wrongful discharge
- Wage-and-hour claims
- Trade secret misappropriation
- Breach of contract claims
- Immigration-related claims
She has extensive experience defending employers before the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO).
Related Legal Services
Related Topics
Credentials
Bar Admissions
Illinois
California
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Languages
Korean
Education
Chicago-Kent College of Law
J.D. cum laude, Chicago-Kent Law Review (executive articles editor) (2013)
DePaul University
B.A. in Legal Studies (2010)
Insights & Events
Latest
Insights
News
Other Perspectives
- Compliance Considerations For Calif. Child Labor Audit Law
Republished in Law360, October 9, 2024 - New California Laws for 2024 and Beyond: What Employers Should Know
Republished in Employee Benefit Plan Review, February 2024, Vol. 78, No. 2 - Compliance Refresher Amid DOL Child Labor Crackdown
Republished in Law360, January 2, 2024 - Decoding Apple's $25 Million Settlement: A Deep Dive Into PERM Recruitment Practices
Republished in HR Legal & Compliance Excellence, December 4, 2023 - SB 1162: CA Pay Data Reporting For Workers
Republished in Workforce Management, Time & Attendance, Excellence, March 23, 2023 - EEOC, DOJ: Using AI Technology in Employment-Related Decisions May Violate ADA
Republished in The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law, November–December 2022
Illinois Updates Privacy Law to Address Social Media - Co-author, SHRM, November 2016
- Wage & Hour Issues — Compliance in 2016 and Beyond
Labor & Employment and Benefits Seminar, Chicago, June 2016 - Legal Issues When Using Social Media to Grow Your Business
Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Chicago, March 2016 - Lessons Learned in Human Resources From Pop Culture’s 2015 Memorable Moments
Hospitality Law Conference, Houston, February 2016 - Don’t Get Caught Spoiling: What Every Litigant Needs to Know If You Think You Might Be Sued
Contributor, The Logistics Journal, Transportation Intermediaries Association, January 2013
Firm Blog Contributions
- LaborSphere – a resource providing coverage and insights on breaking cases, recently enacted legislation and a broad range of labor issues
Leadership & Community
Pro Bono
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Settlement Assistance Program — Successfully negotiated settlements involving discrimination on the basis of genetic information and § 1983 claims
- Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Illinois Coalition for Fair Sentencing of Children — Successfully obtained a new resentencing hearing for an individual serving a mandatory life-without parole sentence pursuant to the Illinois Supreme Court’s holding in People v. Addolfo Davis that the prohibition of mandatory life sentences for homicide offenses committed by juveniles would apply retroactively
- National Immigrant Justice Center, Deferred Action Clinics — Assisted an immigrant youth who arrived to the United States during her childhood in completing and filing an application for deferral and work permit
Professional Associations
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), 2018-present
- Women’s Bar Foundation — Board of Directors, 2015-19
- Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, 2013-19
Honors
- Best Lawyers® — “Ones to Watch,” Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2023-25
- Super Lawyers — “Rising Star,” Los Angeles, 2019-23
- Illinois Super Lawyers — Rising Star, 2019-22
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) — Pathfinder, 2018
- Faegre Drinker — Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2020-22
- Faegre Baker Daniels — Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2016-19
- Leading Lawyers — Emerging Lawyer, 2017-20
- The Chicago Committee, Rate My Pitch — Outstanding Individual Pitch, 2016