Kamau Coar is a member of the Labor & Employment practice group and a co-leader of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Services industry group. His practice is a hybrid of employment counseling, people strategies execution, and litigation and risk mitigation efforts on the full range of employment and people matters. He also advises DEI matters, including DEI commitments, program design, implantation, data analysis, and DEI policies and practices.
Prior to joining the firm, I served as chief legal officer and chief inclusion officer at a public company, offering the CEO valuable perspective into our strategic objectives and providing enhanced value from legal services and the DEI program.
I advise employers on a variety of labor and employment law subjects, including analyzing, developing, and reviewing employment policies and practices, and the complex federal, state, and local employment laws that govern these issues. I work closely with employers to ensure their employment policies and practices proactively mitigate risks before they occur and to conduct bespoke training sessions for managers and employees at all levels.
I work with employers in navigating the legal risks and requirements related to the execution of their people strategy, from talent acquisition and talent retention to talent development, and DEI issues. When policies are not enough, I work with employers to conduct internal investigations and defend against litigation. My in-house experience helps me partner with clients to combine their legal and business issues.
I work with employers to manage employee, complaints alleged wage-and-hour violations, discrimination, wrongful termination, workplace harassment, disability accommodation, and retaliation complaints and lawsuits. This work ranges from conducting internal investigations to litigation defense.
I also work with clients to advise on employee separation matters, helping to develop and protect their rights regarding trade secrets and other proprietary information, and to enforce post-employment restrictions.
Using my in-house experience, I work to help clients identify, measure, monitor, and mitigate personnel-related risks that could thwart their strategic objectives.
During the last decade, the impact of data was a game-changer for companies in terms of revenue streams and opportunities. The power of data and data insights is now becoming equally important in workforce and labor strategies, as companies battle to find and keep the best talent.
Employers will need to rethink their workforce and labor strategies to stay competitive in the battle for talent. Workplace policies, employment practices, and transparency regarding people issues will be as important from a strategic opportunity lens as they are from a legal risk one.
The American Lawyer | April 18, 2022
This article features the launch of NP’s cross-industry DEI Strategic Services group, developed to help clients advance comprehensive DEI strategies and address systemic challenges. The article quotes the group’s co-leaders, Chief Talent Officer and Providence Labor & Employment partner Stacie Collier, Washington, DC Corporate partner and Franchising & Distribution co-leader Kendal Tyre, and Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar, as well as Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Rekha Chiruvolu.
Law360 | April 08, 2022
The following article covers the launch of Nixon Peabody’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Services group. Articles quote the group’s co-leaders, Chief Talent Officer and Providence Labor & Employment partner Stacie Collier, Washington, DC Corporate partner and Franchising & Distribution team co-leader Kendal Tyre, and Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar.
InnovateLI | April 01, 2022
The following article covers the launch of Nixon Peabody’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Services group. Articles quote the group’s co-leaders, Chief Talent Officer and Providence Labor & Employment partner Stacie Collier, Washington, DC Corporate partner and Franchising & Distribution team co-leader Kendal Tyre, and Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar.
Bloomberg Law | April 01, 2022
The following article covers the launch of Nixon Peabody’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Services group. Articles quote the group’s co-leaders, Chief Talent Officer and Providence Labor & Employment partner Stacie Collier, Washington, DC Corporate partner and Franchising & Distribution team co-leader Kendal Tyre, and Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar.
Long Island Business News | March 31, 2022
The following article covers the launch of Nixon Peabody’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Services group. Articles quote the group’s co-leaders, Chief Talent Officer and Providence Labor & Employment partner Stacie Collier, Washington, DC Corporate partner and Franchising & Distribution team co-leader Kendal Tyre, and Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar.
The New York Daily Record | March 31, 2022
The following article covers the launch of Nixon Peabody’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Services group. Articles quote the group’s co-leaders, Chief Talent Officer and Providence Labor & Employment partner Stacie Collier, Washington, DC Corporate partner and Franchising & Distribution team co-leader Kendal Tyre, and Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar.
Law360 | February 23, 2022
This article analyzes how the pandemic-driven shift toward remote work has introduced unique complexities to worker separations, and quotes Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar on the importance of employers’ sensitivity when conducting the termination process
Law360 | February 22, 2022
Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar is quoted extensively in this article analyzing how the pandemic-driven shift toward remote work has changed three areas of employment: recruiting/interviewing, coaching/performance improvement plans, and terminations.
Crain’s Chicago | January 17, 2022
This roundup of notable moves and hires highlights the arrival of Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar to the firm, noting that Kamau will advise public and private corporations and their leadership suites on enterprise risk management, governance issues, and litigation across practices and industry sectors.
The Deal | January 13, 2022
This column of notable hires and moves in the M&A and corporate space features Corporate counsel Conrad Adkins and Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar, both in Chicago, for their move to the firm. The article also notes their previous in-house roles and the strategic counsel they will provide to clients.
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin | January 09, 2022
This roundup of notable moves and hires in the legal industry includes Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar for his recent move to the firm, noting that Kamau will advise public and private corporations and their leadership suites on enterprise risk management, governance issues, and litigation across practices and industry sectors.
Bloomberg Law | January 06, 2022
This roundup of notable hires and moves in the legal industry includes Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar for his recent move to the firm, noting Kamau’s previous role as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Inclusion Officer at a public company.
American Lawyer | January 05, 2022
This article features Chicago Labor & Employment counsel Kamau Coar and his recent move to the firm, noting his previous role as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Inclusion Officer at a public company. Kamau is also quoted on the in-house perspective he brings to clients, particularly with public and private corporations.
Duke University School of Law, J.D.
Johns Hopkins University, B.A.
Illinois
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
