Overview

John A. Ybarra advises and represents clients in employment and labor relations, with particular emphasis on wage and hour and compensation disputes. A successful litigator in all venues, he practices in federal courts and before federal and state departments of labor and has successfully managed multi-district litigation, appearing often before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

One of the nation’s most prolific and successful attorneys in the litigation of Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions and corresponding state law class actions, John has handled claims in 32 states. He has simultaneously managed as many as 18 national and state collective class actions, with simultaneous attendant or related agency investigations ongoing, and has tried cases involving:

  • Alleged exemption misclassification of employees
  • Allegations of unpaid overtime
  • Off-the-clock, preliminary and postliminary unpaid time, and meal and rest break violations
  • Suits brought by independent contractors claiming to be hourly employees
  • Allegations of unlawful tip pooling, tip sharing and tip credit practices

John also is skilled at arbitration and mediation, and he counsels management on issues related to reductions-in-force, employee discipline and termination, worker leaves of absence, employee compensation, and employment discrimination and retaliation.

His clients include companies in:

  • Banking
  • Retail
  • Restaurants and hospitality
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Health care
  • Management consulting
  • Technology
  • Information services
  • Insurance

Additionally, John frequently speaks and conducts training programs for all levels of management on such topics as reductions-in-force, employment liability releases, discrimination prevention, compliance, sexual and racial harassment, and wage and hour policies and practices.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Chicago Bar Association

Member

Federal Bar Association

Member

Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois

Co-Chair

Hot Topics in Law Committee, Labor and Employment Law Section

American Bar Association

Recognition

Named, Client Service All-Star

BTI Consulting Group

2014 and 2015

Awarded, AV® Peer Review Rating

Martindale-Hubbell

Recommended, Labour & Employment

Who's Who Legal

2024

Education

  • J.D., University of Michigan Law School, 1987
  • B.A., DePaul University, 1984

Bar Admission

Illinois

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
  • Illinois Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
  • U.S. District Court, District of Colorado