2024 Employment Law Conference

Stephanie Dorning, JD
Employment Law Counsel
HR Source

Stephanie’s interest in employment law began when she joined the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. In more than nine years with the department, she acted as lead investigator in over 120 investigations and helped employers across northern Illinois come into compliance with laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Davis Bacon Act, and more. Stephanie uses her first-hand agency experience to help employers navigate complicated legal issues and avoid potential violations.

Kelly Hayden, JD
Chief Legal Counsel
HR Source

Kelly Hayden is Chief Legal Counsel for HR Source, a professional organization providing human resource solutions for member organizations for more than 100 years. In her role, Kelly provides representation to employers before the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Labor, the US Department of Labor and other state and federal agencies. She also assists employers with hiring, discipline, and termination procedures; preparation of employment agreements; and the drafting and reviewing of employment policies and handbooks. She provides employment law compliance training for managers, supervisors, and HR professionals covering many topics including harassment, discipline and discharge, the FMLA, ADA, social media, employee handbooks, interviewing and hiring and drug and alcohol testing. As a representative of HR Source, Kelly frequently lectures to professional organizations on numerous employment law topics and contributes to the association’s website and has authored articles in numerous trade journals.

Kelly has a J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a B.A. in English and psychology, also from Indiana University. Kelly is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.  Kelly came to the Association from a large Chicago law firm where she practiced for nine years defending employers in employment discrimination trials. Kelly is a member of the American Bar Association and its Section on Labor and Employment Law. Kelly has also served as a fire commissioner for the Village of Frankfort Fire Protection District for more than 10 years.

Samyuktha Neeraja, MPH, CAE
American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, State Association Relations Manager
C0-Author: A Little Perspective: Real Stories of Little Ladies
Co-Host: A Little Perspective Podcast

Samyuktha Neeraja (Sum-yook-thuh Nee-ra-ja), MPH, CAE, lives in the Chicago area and has been working in the association management industry for over 8.5 years. Her current position is the State Association Relations Manager at the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. In this role, Samyuktha provides consulting services to state associations and assists them with their governance, leadership, and infrastructure-related needs. 

Samyuktha is a disability advocate and steward of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has given various speaking engagements sharing her experiences as a South Asian woman with dwarfism and how organizations can better support people with disabilities. In addition, Samyuktha co-hosts the “A Little Perspective” podcast, which is a platform for lifting up voices from marginalized groups, co-authored the best-selling anthology, “A Little Perspective: Real Stories of Little Ladies,” and is a member of Association Forum’s Welcoming Environment Committee. Samyuktha also currently serves as Immediate Past President of Benedictine University's Alumni Association Board of Directors and is a senior advisory group member for L.E.A.D.S, the University’s leadership program for undergraduate students. 

Outside of her leadership and advocacy efforts, Samyuktha is a recipient of the 2023 Rising Star Alumni Award from Benedictine University, the Association Forum Forty Under 40 Award in 2021, and is an ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) Scholar for the Class of 2023-2025. 

Sonal Shah, JD
Assistant Director, Employment Law Services
HR Source

Sonal Shah is Assistant Director of Employment Law Services for HR Source, a professional organization providing human resource solutions for member organizations for more than 100 years. As part of her practice, Sonal has represented employers against wrongful discharge and discrimination claims in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Sonal also has significant experience counseling employers on properly complying with the law and managing their workforce; preparing employment and severance agreements; drafting/revising disciplinary and termination notices; and crafting employment policies and handbooks. In addition, she provides employment law compliance training for managers, supervisors and HR professionals. Sonal also contributes to the Association’s monthly newsletter and website.

Sonal came to HR Source from a large Chicago law firm where she represented public and private employers, from the smallest private companies to corporations exceeding 10,000 employees, on a broad range of labor and employment law matters arising under federal and state law.

Sonal has a B.S. in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.

Allison Sues, JD
Senior Employment Law Counsel
HR Source

Allison works with employers to proactively ensure compliance with the law, including revising employee handbooks and policies and counseling employers on legal or management questions. She is a member of the HR Source Hotline. As part of her practice, she also represents employers against charges of discrimination at the EEOC, IDHR, and other administrative agencies. She also conducts in-depth investigations into claims of workplace discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Prior to coming to HR Source, she was in private practice and litigated employment matters in state and federal court, giving her great insight into important ways that employers can best navigate complex personnel matters and protect themselves against legal liability.