On May 5, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted a defendant-employer’s motion for summary judgment on whistleblower retaliation claims, holding that the company demonstrated that it would have terminated Plaintiff’s employment even in the absence of any alleged protected activity due to his refusal

Shanice Z. Smith-Banks
Shanice is an associate in the Labor and Employment Law Department. Her practice involves litigating claims of unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation and whistleblowing. Shanice assists in conducting workplace investigations related to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She also counsels clients from a variety of fields on a range of employment matters.
Shanice earned her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, where she was a Managing Editor of the Loyola University Journal of Public Interest Law and a member of the Trial Advocacy program. Immediately upon graduation from Loyola, Shanice argued a case on behalf of the Loyola Criminal Defense Law Clinic in front of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
SEC Releases FY 2021 Whistleblower Program Annual Report
On November 15, 2021, the SEC published its annual report to Congress covering the period from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. The report was prepared by the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower to summarize its whistleblower bounty program, report on the program’s recent dramatic growth, and highlight key…
M.D. Pennsylvania Grants Summary Judgment on SOX Retaliation Claim
On April 12, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania granted a defendant-employer’s motion for summary judgment on a SOX whistleblower retaliation claim, holding that the company demonstrated that it would have terminated Plaintiff’s employment even in the absence of any alleged protected activity as part…