Profile
Zac Pestine concentrates his practice on employment litigation and counseling. He possesses wide-ranging experience in various forms of federal, state, and local employment laws, frequently working within the commercial litigation context. Zac advises on complex trade secret matters as well as nuanced employment discrimination suits. Zac has taken plaintiff’s and expert’s depositions in civil rights suits.
Within his employment law practice, he routinely handles cases relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII, the Illinois Whistleblower Act, retaliatory discharge, wrongful termination claims, and more. He also reviews and drafts internal company documents for compliance purposes.
Concentrations
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) class actions
- Title VII
- FLSA collective actions
- Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) class actions
- Retaliatory discharge claims
- Illinois Whistleblower Act
- Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA)
- Wrongful termination claims
- Section 1983, including the First Amendment
- Breach of contract (including covenants not to complete) and unjust enrichment suits
Capabilities
Experience
- Won motion for summary judgment in Title VII and ADA suit.°
- Won motion to dismiss in BIPA class action related to “virtual try-on” software.°
- Won motion to dismiss Illinois Whistleblower Act, First Amendment, retaliatory discharge claims after giving oral argument.°
- Defeated motion for class certification in prisoner litigation suit alleging violations of the ADA and Rehabilitation Act, having written the response brief to the plaintiff’s motion for class certification and given oral argument.°
- Won motion for summary judgment in Section 1983 lawsuit alleging false arrest, excessive force, and conspiracy.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Pestine prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, “Ones to Watch,” Labor and Employment Law, 2024-2025
- Recipient, Anti-Defamation League, “Daniel R. Ginsberg Leadership Award,” 2024
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Illinois Super Lawyers, “Rising Stars,” 2023
- Member, Chicago Bar Association
- Member, Labor & Employment Committee
- Member, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights NextGen Leadership Council
- Member, Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Young Professionals Board
- Member, Illinois State Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association
Credentials
-
J.D., cum laude, Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, 2016
- Executive Articles Editor, Jurisprudence Review
- B.A., with distinction, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit