Diane Gianos Walker

Diane Gianos Walker is the founder and managing partner of Walker Morton LLP. Ms. Walker is also chair of the firm's labor and employment law group, with broad and deep expertise in labor and employment law serving as counsel to management for employers of all sizes, including Fortune 100 companies. She also has substantial experience representing clients in mergers and acquisitions and providing counsel on corporate governance and compliance matters. Ms. Walker represents clients in a variety of business settings, including hospitals, therapy services, physicians and physician groups, manufacturing, and restaurants.

In a career spanning more than 25 years, Ms. Walker's nationwide practice includes litigation in federal and state courts, as well as representation of employers before government agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Department of Labor and state human rights commissions. Throughout her career, she has successfully litigated precedent-setting employment cases and has been notably successful in securing summary disposition on behalf of employers before trial. She has served as lead counsel defending employers in a variety of disputes, including pattern and practice lawsuits brought by the EEOC and multi-plaintiff cases under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, wrongful termination and discrimination claims, retaliatory discharge actions, misclassification of employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, reasonable accommodation claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, wage and hour audits, breach of employment contracts, and tortious interference claims.

Ms. Walker also regularly counsels employers on compliance with employment statutes, affirmative action programs, employment contracts, personnel policies and numerous other employment-related issues. She has lectured and written extensively on employment law topics and develops and conducts individual and group training for employers on focus areas such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, sexual harassment, and hiring and termination issues.

Prior to establishing Walker Morton LLP, Ms. Walker was a partner at the Chicago law firms of Faegre Baker Daniels, Ice Miller LLP and Foley & Lardner LLP. She also worked as a tax analyst at R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co.

Ms. Walker is admitted to practice in Illinois, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. District Court – Northern District Ohio, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th and 7th circuits.