Alex W. Karasik
Partner
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Phone: +1 312 499 6766
- Duane Morris LLP
190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60603-3433
USA
Alex W. Karasik is a core member of Duane Morris’ Workplace Class Action group. Mr. Karasik defends businesses in employment law matters ranging from bet-the-company class actions to high-stakes single-plaintiff lawsuits and administrative charges. He represents clients in a broad range of industries, including restaurants, hotels, sporting venues, retailers, automotive manufacturers, logistics companies and staffing entities. These clients include Fortune 500 multi-national companies and local Chicagoland businesses. Mr. Karasik’s legal analysis has been featured in publications such as Forbes, Law360, Corporate Counsel, Westlaw Today, SHRM, HR.com, the Cook County Record, the Northern California Record and TechTarget. He was recognized in the peer-nominated Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” from 2022 through 2024, and Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” in 2024, which is awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois.
Mr. Karasik relishes the opportunity to learn about clients’ industries, business models and litigation goals. He works with businesses to proactively implement measures to minimize future lawsuits and craft novel solutions for companies that are confronted with litigation. Primarily, Mr. Karasik defends companies in lawsuits involving claims of discrimination, harassment, wage and hour violations and privacy class actions. Mr. Karasik has experience in all phases of litigation, including federal court trial experience. This allows him to see the big picture and tailor his approach to marshal time and cost effective solutions for businesses. When he is not advocating for clients in court or administrative proceedings, Mr. Karasik enjoys giving presentations on employment law developments and writing legal publications. Mr. Karasik is also an emerging thought leader in the area of artificial intelligence and its impact on employment law.
Prior to joining Duane Morris, Mr. Karasik was an associate for seven years at an international law firm. While in law school at Notre Dame, Mr. Karasik served two terms as the President of the Sports, Communication & Entertainment Law Forum. He also served as the symposium editor for the Journal of Legislation, and studied abroad in London.
Mr. Karasik received Master of Communication Management and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Southern California. While studying in Los Angeles, Mr. Karasik spent more than five years working with the USC Trojans football team, where he earned two Rose Bowl rings working under future Super Bowl-winning Coach Pete Carroll. Mr. Karasik also worked at Fox Sports, where he assisted in the production of NFL and MLB highlights.
Admissions
- Illinois
- 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 Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Education
- Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 2015
- Symposium Editor, Journal of Legislation
- President, Sports, Communication & Entertainment Law Forum - University of Southern California, Master of Communication Management, 2012
- University of Southern California, B.A., 2010
Experience
- Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2023-present
- Associate, 2022 - Seyfarth Shaw LLP
- Associate, 2015-2022
Professional Activities
American Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Honors and Awards
- Named to Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch," 2022-2024
- Listed in Illinois Super Lawyers, 2024
Selected Publications
- Co-author, "IT Firm Found Liable for Intentional Discrimination Against a Class of Terminated Non-Indian and Non-South Asian Employees," Duane Morris Alert, October 25, 2024
- Co-author, "EEOC Fiscal Year 2024 Lawsuit Filing Scorecard Sees Decrease in Number of Suits," Duane Morris Alert, October 2, 2024
- Co-author, "Illinois Enacts Artificial Intelligence Law Focused on Employment Practices," Duane Morris Alert, August 15, 2024
- Author, "Motion for Preliminary Approval of Settlement Checklist (Employment Discrimination Class Action)," LexisNexis, July 2024
- Author, "An Examination of the EEOC’s Artificial Intelligence Evolution," ABA's The Brief, Winter 2024
- Author, "A Dive Into Data Breach Class Action Risk," GRC Outlook, May 7, 2024
- Co-Author, “Artificial Intelligence Litigation Risks in the Employment Discrimination Context,” Journal of Emerging Issues in Litigation, Spring 2024
- Co-author, "White House Artificial Intelligence Executive Order Impacts Myriad Sectors of the Law," Duane Morris Alert, November 6, 2023
- Co-author, "Illinois Court Holds Federal Law Pre-empts BIPA Claims," SHRM, March 28, 2023
- Co-author, "Illinois Appellate Court Affirms Dismissal of BIPA Class Action Lawsuit," Westlaw Today, January 20, 2023
- Co-author, "A Tax Season Cautionary Tale," HR.com, May 30, 2022
- Co-author, "EEOC Enforcement Activity Spike Points To A Busy 2022," Law360, October 27, 2021
- Co-author, "Employer Takeaways From EEOC's $10.5M Deal With Bass Pro," Law360, August 9, 2017
- Co-author, "Clarifying EEOC's Obligation For Presuit Conciliation," Law360, January 20, 2017
- Co-author, "Employment Counsel Should Keep An Eye On Rule 23," Law360, October 6, 2015
Media Hits
- Quoted, "ASIC’s Legal Layout," Capital Brief, August 22, 2024
- Quoted, “4 Takeaways As Hiring Bias Suit Over Workday AI Proceeds,” Law360, July 15, 2024
- Quoted, "New York Joins Parade of States Providing Social Media Protections for Workers," Corporate Counsel, March 14, 2024
- Quoted, "Data Privacy Trends and Class Action Litigation: Insights from Legalweek 2024," BNN Breaking, February 12, 2024
- Quoted, "How can HR protect vulnerable teenage workers from sexual harassment?" Human Resources Director, October 24, 2023
- Quoted, "‘The EEOC is busy’: class action employment lawyers warn HR," Human Resources Director, October 19, 2023
- Quoted, "Lawmakers Seek to Restrict 'Bossware'," TechTarget, August 3, 2023
- Quoted, "Class Action Lawsuits Target Corporations' ESG Promotion Strategies, Claim 'Greenwashing'," Northern California Record, June 30, 2023
- Quoted, "Dollar General Ruling Strengthens EEOC's Hand to Widen Discrimination Claims into 'Fishing Expeditions'," Cook County Record, October 21, 2022
- Quoted, "EEOC Loses Again As It Backs Muslim Women Who Say They Weren't Hired Because Of Hijabs," Forbes, January 29, 2018
Selected Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “Slaying the BIPA Beast: How Businesses Can Beat Biometric Privacy Class Actions” IAPP Privacy. Security. Risk. 2024, Los Angeles, California, September 24, 2024
- Presenter, “Accelerating Growth: Key Strategies for Lawyer Marketer Collaboration” Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Southeast Regional Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina, September 13, 2024
- Speaker, "A Deep Dive into Data Breach Class Actions," ASIAL Security Exhibition + Conference, Sydney, Australia, August 22, 2024
- Featured Guest, "A Deep Dive into Data Breach Class Actions," Australian Security Industry Association Limited Insider, Podcast, August 2, 2024
- Speaker, "Drafting Persuasive Position Statements to Mitigate Full-Scale EEOC Investigations and Lawsuits," Strafford Webinar, August 7, 2024
- Speaker, "Digital Developments: What Businesses Need to Know About AI, Privacy and Data Breach Class Actions," Duane Morris Developments in Workplace Law and Practice Seminar, Chicago, Illinois, May 22, 2024
- Speaker, "Mid-Year Review of EEOC Enforcement Litigation and Strategy," Duane Morris Webinar, May 13, 2024
- Speaker, "AI Nuts & Bolts Survival Guide," HB Litigation Conferences, April 18, 2024
- Speaker, "Trends in US Data Privacy Laws and Enforcement," ALM Legalweek 2024, New York City, January 30, 2024
- Speaker, "EEOC Onsite Investigations: Employer Best Practices for Preparing for and Cooperating With Investigators," Strafford Webinar, November 15, 2023
- Presenter, “Evolving Legal Risks for Marketers: Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, and Web Accessibility,” Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Southeast Regional Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, November 10, 2023
- Speaker, "Get Smart with AI: Best Practices for Using AI in Business," Duane Morris Webinar, October 17, 2023
- Presenter, "Year-End EEOC Strategy and Litigation Review," Duane Morris Webinar, October 16, 2023
Panelist, “Discovery Strategies in Wage and Hour Class and Collective Actions Before and After Certification of Putative Class,” Strafford Publications Webinars, July 26, 2023
Presenter, “BIPA and Privacy Litigation In 2023,” Live Presentation to Reinsurance Association of America (RAA) Member Companies, New York City, May 16, 2023
- Panelist, "Mid-Year Review of EEOC-Initiated Litigation," Duane Morris Webinar, May 4, 2023
Presenter, “A Town Hall Conversation on Diversity and its Impact on the Legal Profession,” Live Presentation for DuPage County Bar Association, Lisle, Illinois, May 16, 2019