John C. Hendrickson

Meeting of February 28, 2007, Washington D.C. to Launch E-Race Initiative

JOHN C. HENDRICKSON has been the Regional Attorney in the Chicago District Office of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 1990. As Regional Attorney, Mr. Hendrickson is now EEOC's chief legal officer in the Chicago District, created by the agency "repositioning" effective January 1, 2006, and which includes Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. He is responsible for the management of the Chicago District's litigation and for the supervision of its attorneys.

Prior to joining EEOC in 1981, Mr. Hendrickson was engaged in the private practice of law, including corporate, securities and acquisitions in a major Chicago firm and, also, solo and small firm practice concentrating in complex civil litigation. Mr. Hendrickson received his B.A. degree from The University of Chicago and graduated cum laude from the Columbia University School of Law in New York. He is a Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and has received diplomas from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Federal Executive Institute and from OPM's Eastern Management Development Center.

In 2007, Mr. Hendrickson received the Chicago Bar Association "Labor and Employment LawBenchmark Award" in recognition of his "continued commitment to bettering the Chicago Legal Community in the area of Labor and Employment Law." In 2005, the editors of HR Magazine, the journal of the Society for Human Resource Management, in observance of its 50th anniversary, identified Mr. Hendrickson as one of its "50 for History"– "people who–intentionally or not–have changed HR." He has been designated an "Illinois Super Lawyer" and has twice served as field co-ordinator of EEOC National Trial Skills Workshops.

At EEOC, Mr. Hendrickson has been repeatedly cited for outstanding performance and has been responsible for the prosecution of both individual and class actions under the federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. He is a seven-time recipient of the EEOC Chairman's Organizational Performance Award and is also a multiple recipient of the Chair's CORE award. He has served as a member of the EEOC General Counsel's Management Advisory Committee, and undertaken numerous other agency assignments.

During his tenure as Regional Attorney, the EEOC District Office in Chicago has been one of the agency's leading offices, nationwide. Mr. Hendrickson was lead counsel for the government in EEOC v. Mitsubishi which was resolved by a $34 million Consent Decree, making it the then largest sexual harassment case settlement in Title VII history. He obtained a $10 million Consent Decree in the EEOC v. The Dial Corporation and a $2 million Consent Decree in EEOC v. Cracker Barrel, both class sexual harassment cases.. He secured $8 million Consent Decree in EEOC v. Allied Signal, a class age case in Arizona, as well as $1.8 million Consent Decrees in EEOC v. Ingersoll and EEOC v. Apollo Colors, both race discrimination class actions. His office continuously litigates class pattern cases, obtaining a $2.5 million Consent Decree in EEOC v. Carl Buddig & Co., preparing for trial in EEOC v. International Profit Associates (featured on "Oprah"), and pursuing injunctive relief against "counter-strike" suits as in EEOC v. Ralphs Grocery Company. Mr. Hendrickson is lead counsel in EEOC v. Sidley Austin, an age discrimination case against the Chicago-based international law firm which has drawn national and international attention,

Mr. Hendrickson speaks frequently to law school, bar association, business, human resource professional, continuing legal and judicial education and other groups on employment discrimination law and EEOC activities. He is a member of the bar of Illinois, the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois. He is a member of the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar.

February 16, 2007

This page was last modified on April 11, 2007.