Gray I. Mateo-Harris
Gray has more than a decade of experience representing employers in workplace litigation, handling labor relations disputes and providing strategic counsel on labor and employment law issues.
She advises clients in a broad range of industries including education, software and technology services, real estate, financial services, retail and manufacturing. Gray tailors her solution-oriented counsel to the particular needs of each client, considering the nuances of their business in order to deliver advice that is practical and in line with their goals, values and culture. Gray is the regional practice lead for the firm's Labor & Employment Department for the Chicago office, and co-chairs the firm’s Trade Secrets & Restrictive Covenants practice group.
A native Spanish speaker from the Dominican Republic, Gray is adept at providing Spanish language representation to clients. She works fluently with Spanish language witnesses and documents, including document review, depositions, mediations, administrative proceedings, internal investigations and employment as well as various types of training.
Litigation Gray defends employers before state and federal courts through all phases of trial and appeals. She has handled cases involving restrictive covenants, contract and tort-based actions and claims arising from out of state and federal statutes, including:
Illinois Human Rights Act
Illinois Minimum Wage Law
Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act
Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act
Family and Medical Leave Act
Equal Pay Act
Americans with Disabilities Act
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
Fair Labor Standards Act.
Beyond the courts, Gray represents clients before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Labor and Employment Law Counsel Clients rely on Gray to manage virtually all stages of the employment relationship, including drafting offer letters and negotiating employment, restrictive covenant, severance and separation agreements. In addition to drafting and implementing workplace policies and procedures, she conducts employee and management training and advises on strategy development associated with workforce restructuring and union avoidance issues. In the area of traditional labor law, Gray counsels on union organizing issues, election proceedings, collective bargaining, grievance and contract arbitrations, labor due diligence reviews, and unfair labor practice and other proceedings before the NLRB. Workplace Culture
Beyond delivering practical advice on workforce issues, Gray is a valuable resource to clients seeking to elevate their workplace culture with respect to issues of diversity and inclusion, implicit bias, gender discrimination and sexual harassment. She provides guidance on leadership and management training, employment policies and procedures and internal investigations.
Before Fox Rothschild Prior to joining Fox Rothschild, Gray was a partner in the labor and employment department of a national AmLaw 100 firm. Beyond Fox Rothschild Gray is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in all areas of her life, and believes deeply in the importance of giving back to her community. She has provided pro bono representation to several nonprofit organizations on employment matters, and has represented indigent clients as part of the Circuit Court of Cook County Domestic Violence Clinic and the Northern District of Illinois Judicial Settlement Assistance Program. Gray is actively involved with the National Employment Law Council (NELC), Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Lawyers' Association of Illinois, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Black Women Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association. She co-chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Women's Coalition and serves on its board. Gray also serves as Vice Chair of the National Bar Association's Labor and Employment Section, the oldest and preeminent black attorney bar association. Gray also co-chairs the firms’ Supplemental Mentorship Program for diverse attorneys.
Gray is a board member for The Chicago Committee (a nonprofit group whose mission is to advance minority attorneys in law firms). She is also a board member for the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) and serves on its Cannabis Working Group, which is tasked with spearheading grants for cannabis expungement. Most recently, Gray joined IEJF and the State of Illinois to announce the launch of New Leaf Illinois, an alliance of 20 organizations that will provide free legal and advisory services to help eligible Illinoisans clear their record of cannabis convictions.
Gray was selected to join the 2021 Class of Fellows for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), which consists of more than 300 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. She also volunteers with and mentors students interested in the legal profession through involvement with the University of Illinois College of Law, LegalTrek, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the American Bar Foundation and the Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program.
Gray previously served as a hearing officer and board member for the Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board, presiding over disciplinary matters as well as candidate certification and promotional interviews. She also previously served as board member and co-chair of the personnel committee for Rape Victim Advocates, the largest rape crisis center in Illinois.
Bar Admissions
Illinois
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Education
University of Illinois College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2008)
Journal of Law, Technology and Policy, Notes Editors
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.S., cum laude, 2005)
Memberships
American Bar Association
American Bar Foundation
Black Women Lawyers Association
Chicago Bar Association
Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program
Dominican American Midwest Association
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois
Former Law School Committee Co-Chair and Member
Hispanic National Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
LegalTrek
National Bar Association
National Employment Law Council
University of Illinois College of Law Black Law Students Association
University of Illinois Latino/a Law Students Association
Scholarship Committee Member, Panelist, Mentor
Board of Directors
Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms, Board Member
Cook County Sherriff’s Merit Board, Former Board Member
Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Board Member
Resilience f/k/a Rape Victim Advocates
Former Co-Chair of Personnel Committee and Board Member
National Bar Association
Labor & Employment Section, Vice Chair and Conference Committee Chair
Women’s Coalition
Co-Chair of Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Board Member
Languages
Spanish
Honors & Awards
Named among the Notable Women in Law by Crain's Chicago Business (2022)
Named among the Top Lawyers Under 40 by The Hispanic National Bar Association (2022)
Selected to the "Super Lawyers" list for Employment & Labor in Illinois by Super Lawyers (2021-2023)
“Emerging Lawyer,” Leading Lawyers (2017-2019)
Named to the "40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates" by the National Bar Association (2019)
Named to Chicago's "40 Under Forty Illinois Attorneys to Watch" by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (2019)
Selected to the "Rising Stars" list for Employment & Labor in Illinois by Super Lawyers (2016-2018)