Kristan Burgess,
Attorney
Leveraging over 25 years of experience and bilingual fluency, a compassionate ally dedicated to empowering everyday wage earners and dismantling workplace inequities.
Admitted in IL
Kristan Burgess represents workers in employment cases, drawing on more than 25 years of legal experience and fluency in English and Spanish. Earlier in her career, she developed skills in de-escalation and conflict resolution working with clients facing urgent crises — experience she now brings to her work with employees navigating workplace inequities.
She finds the work most rewarding when it expands protections for vulnerable workers, whether through litigation, negotiation, or advocacy.
Beyond the courtroom, Kristan collaborates with community organizations to deliver legal education on unemployment and housing rights. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new cultures and spending time with family and friends.
Widener University School of Law, J.D
College of the Holy Cross, B.A., Political Science
Illinois Supreme Court
Practice areas
So I got discriminated because I’m... Mexican
Discrimination
Standing up for workers treated unfairly because of who they are
At work, I have to deal with... being called slurs
Harassment
Holding employers accountable when the workplace becomes hostile or unsafe
I got fired after I... asked for medical leave
Wrongful Termination
When a firing crosses the line from unfair into illegal
My employer... didn’t pay me overtime
Unpaid Wages
Recovering pay that employers owe but haven’t paid
After I spoke up, my employer... fired me
Retaliation
When speaking up costs you your job, your hours, or your standing
I’m not the only one who... worked off the clock
Class Action
When one worker’s problem turns out to be many workers’ problem
Honors & Awards
Madeleine Houston Outstanding Attorney Award, 1998
CIU Excellence Award, 2017
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Get free case reviewWho else on the team
Shawn Wanta
Founding Partner
Recognized among the nation’s Top 100 Civil Plaintiff and Top 10 Wage and Hour attorneys, a determined litigator fighting for workers in class and collective actions.
Admitted in MN · IL
Kate Long
Attorney
Drawing on deep empathy from her time as a registered nurse, a fierce litigator committed to helping dedicated employees reclaim their power and find true justice on the job.
Admitted in MN
Joni Thome
Founding Partner
Drawing on 25 years of representing professionals and managers, a steady advocate for employees facing discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace.
Admitted in MN
Suzanne Heywood
Attorney
Driven by her own encounters with corporate unfairness, a tenacious champion focused on protecting the rights, livelihoods, and futures of hardworking professionals.
Admitted in IN · IL · MI
Common questions
Who will I actually work with on my case?
A team. An attorney leads the strategy, a paralegal stays with your case from the first call through resolution, and a case manager keeps everything moving. You won’t be handed off to junior staff and forgotten — the people you meet early are the people working your case.
Will I work with one attorney or a team?
A team, with one attorney leading. Plenty of firms assign a single lawyer who then disappears into a caseload. We run cases with an attorney, a paralegal, and a case manager, so there’s always someone who knows your file and can pick up the phone.
What if I prefer to work with someone who speaks Spanish?
That’s available. Our intake team speaks Spanish natively and several of our attorneys are bilingual, so your case can be handled in Spanish from the first call through resolution. Tell us when you reach out and we’ll staff it accordingly.
Can I choose my attorney?
You can tell us who you’d prefer, and we’ll take it seriously. Assignments also depend on the type of case and who has capacity, so we can’t always guarantee a specific attorney — but we’ll explain the match and make sure it’s the right fit for your situation.
Will I have to keep re-explaining my situation to different people?
No. Your team shares notes, and everyone working your case knows your story. You tell it once. If someone new joins later, they read the file before they talk to you — not the other way around.