Theresa Phelps is a member of the Firm’s Litigation and Labor and Employment Practice Groups and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. Theresa joined the firm in 2009. Before joining the firm, Theresa was a litigation attorney for Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell, LLP and also for Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, L.C.
Theresa practices in all areas of general civil and appellate litigation, with an emphasis in commercial litigation and employment law. In addition to her litigation practice, Theresa routinely counsels and assists clients with day-to-day human resources and employment matters, implementation and review of policies and procedures, and drafting of employment-related agreements and documents.
In addition to litigating claims at the trial and appellate court levels in various state and federal courts, Theresa has also represented clients before various administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Prior to entering private practice, Theresa was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Chief Judge David R. Herndon in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Theresa was also an instructor in the Paralegal program at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, Illinois.
Court Memberships
All Missouri state courts
All Illinois state courts
United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri and the Southern District of Illinois
United States Appellate Court for the Eighth Circuit
Representative Experience
Theresa has a wealth of experience representing clients in matters related to employment and human resources issues, business disputes, shareholder and corporate disputes, covenants not to compete and trade secrets protection, defamation claims, business interference claims, real estate matters, landlord-tenant disputes, antitrust issues, and lender liability questions.
Theresa also has significant experience in and provides consulting and training services to employers regarding employment law and human resources matters.
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
American Bar Association (member of the ABA Advisory Panel)
Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
Illinois State Bar Association
St. Clair County Bar Association
Madison County Bar Association
Associated General Contractors of America Labor and Employment Law Council
Co-Chairman, Leadership Development Council of the Southern Illinois Builders Association (2015 to the present)
Publications, Presentations & Teaching
“Employee Handbook Hang-Ups”, The Associated General Contractors of America Construction HR & Training Professionals Conference (October 2015)
“Dropping Your Doping Employee On His Own Dime”
“Freezing ICE Before It Freezes You- Ensuring Employer Compliance With Immigration Laws”
From Hiring to Firing: Best Practices for Employers, Missouri Self-Storage Association Conference, August 2012
Instructor, Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville, Illinois, Paralegal program- civil procedure, legal research and writing (2007-2009)
Community Involvement
Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Fundraising Committee (2008-2009)
Assistant Director, kidzMINISTRIES, Apostolic Church of Belleville (2011- 2013)
Director, kidzLIVE, Apostolic Church of Belleville (2011- present)
Director, kidzMINISTRIES, Apostolic Church of Belleville (January 2014-present)
Honors, Distinctions & Ratings
Best Lawyers for Employment-Law Management and Labor-Law Management (2023-present)
Practice Areas
Labor & Employment
Litigation
Education
J.D., Southern Illinois University School of Law, 2002 (summa cum laude)
B.A. (Sociology) Valparaiso University, 1998 (summa cum laude)
Bar Admissions
Missouri, 2003
Illinois, 2002
United States District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, 2003
United States District Court, Southern District of Illinois, 2003
United States Appellate Court, Eighth Circuit