About
Litigation attorney Thalia Pacheco is a dedicated advocate for workers' rights and a proud daughter of a working-class family from South Elgin, Illinois. Her parents, hardworking factory workers with roots in Mexico, inspired her lifelong commitment to championing the rights of low-wage workers and marginalized communities.
Thalia approaches each case with empathy and a deep understanding of the legal and personal challenges her clients face. She prides herself on being a compassionate and zealous advocate, striving not only to secure justice but also to guide her clients through the often-traumatic transition following wrongful termination or other employment-related traumas, so they can regain their confidence and move forward with dignity and power.
Thalia is the leader of our Employment Discrimination Department. She represents workers on a wide range of employment disputes, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), wrongful discharge, and severance negotiations. Thalia litigates in state, federal courts and arbitration forums, and before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC). She has experience with all stages of litigation and administrative proceedings and is a strategic negotiator in mediations and severance agreements, consistently securing favorable outcomes for her clients.
Thalia is licensed in Illinois and admitted to the to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (including Trial Bar) and the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Thalia earned her B.A. from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Illinois) and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law (Chicago). At DePaul, Thalia was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Gender & Law.
Thalia is fluent in Spanish. She is passionate about helping individuals from underrepresented groups and diversifying the legal profession. Thalia also maintains a commitment to pro bono service and volunteers with Prairie State Legal Services, where she counsels clients on employment matters.
Thalia is a Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) of Illinois and Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee and Co-Chair of the Low Wage Workers Committee of NELA/National. She is also the Vice-Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section Council and a member of the Elgin Hispanic Network.
Recognized for her exceptional work, Super Lawyers named Thalia a Rising Star in Employment Litigation for 2024-2025.
In her spare time, Thalia enjoys spending time with her family and her dog, Jolene, attending comedy shows, and exploring new restaurants.
FPB Sexual Harassment Attorney Pacheco Trains Illinois Lawyers on Preventing Workplace Sex Harassment
Attorney Thalia Pacheco is training members of the Illinois State Bar Association on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The focus of the seminar was to improve the culture of the workplace and to satisfy annually mandated sexual harassment prevention training required by the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act (Public Act 101-0220). To watch a replay, click here:
En Español:
In English:
Click here to watch Employment Attorney Thalia Pacheco’s presentation to the DuPage County Bar Association on COVID19 employment issues: COVID 19 Employment Issues - YouTube
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