Eileen Collins-Blackwell - Your Personal General Counsel

Eileen Collins-Blackwell - Your Personal General Counsel Your business is your priority. Taking care of its legal needs is mine. I look forward to working with you.

I am the lawyer who can quickly be a part of your company and your team, solving issues so that you can pursue your passion. REMOTE GENERAL COUNSEL
Contracting

Drafting / Review / Negotiation / Revision

Vendor or Client

Internal Contracting Process Development

Regulatory agency filin

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Corporate Governance

Litigation Support

Outside Counsel Management

Litigation Process Management

Budget Management

Corporate Training

Legal and Regulatory Guidance

Harassment/EEO Training

Specific Legal/Regulatory topic

Human Resources/Employment Issues

Policy and Procedure drafting and review

Employee Handbook drafting and review

Code of Conduct drafting and review

Employee Relations/EEOC/OSHA guidance

Internal Investigations

MY APPROACH
I take pride in being the primary point of contact for my clients for all of their company’s legal needs. When you reach out to me, we start with an in-depth discussion of your business, your needs, and your budget, establishing an approach that makes sure you feel your business is being protected and your bottom line is being respected.

This time last year, Your Personal General Counsel launched to provide legal support and guidance to small and medium si...
02/23/2022

This time last year, Your Personal General Counsel launched to provide legal support and guidance to small and medium sized businesses so that business owners could focus on what they love to do, what inspired them to open their doors in the first place.

My reasons for opening Your Personal General Counsel stemmed from my own passions, dreams and desires to support my own young family. I still remember the day that I looked at my husband and said, "We'll build it ourselves." And so we did.

One year later, my husband is sadly and suddenly passed away, and unable to see that this little dream of ours sprouted its own wings and is flying higher than we could have ever dreamed. To know my husband was to know that all he ever wanted to do was help other people. It is my hope that his desire and calling to help anyone he could serves as the legacy I carry on in how I live in this world.

Thank you so much for your support over this past year. I look forward to helping you in the future.



11/11/2021

Your Personal General Counsel would like to take this opportunity today to say "THANK YOU" to all of our Veterans of military service, as well as those who are still serving. A grateful nation thanks you.

08/31/2021

Illinois law is changing with regards to non-compete agreements and non-solicitation provisions. Starting in 2022, employers will be limited in who they can request a non-compete agreement from, and who they can request non-solicitation agreements from. Additionally, employers will have different requirements that will need to be followed in order to have an effective and legally binding non-compete or non-solicitation agreement. I can help your business navigate these changes and get your business ready for 2022.

06/03/2021

The world places demands on all of us, every day. As we begin to celebrate Pride month and to honor all of the people who have helped bring us to a more perfect union, to fight for the right to love and be loved, as themselves, for who they are, with no apologies, Your Personal General Counsel celebrates all of the LGBTQIA+ people around the world who have never stopped in their quest to teach all of us that no matter who we are, we are all of us worthy of respect, dignity, understanding, tolerance and love.

05/13/2021

Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate!

04/21/2021

Happy Administrative Professionals Day! Your Personal General Counsel once used to be a litigation legal assistant and paralegal. I know the amazing amounts of work a skilled administrative professional does and how their work makes an organization's life easier all of the time. You are the glue that holds your department or your firm together, so thank you for all you do!

04/14/2021

Wishing everyone who so observes Ramadan Mubarak! May the blessed month of Ramadan bring you peace and prosperity.

04/08/2021

Your small business is a big deal.

I am willing to bet there was a moment, after starting your business, where it dawned on you.

“Holy Cow. This business is going to make it! I’m going to make it!”

That moment when you realized that you were getting new orders or new customers, or that moment you realized you were breaking even at the end of the month, or even turning a bit of a profit. That you were starting to get referrals or orders from people you had never met who told their friend/neighbor/relative that they should go see you for their need. And then they did!

I bet it was equal parts thrilling and a little scary.

Going out on your own can be some of the scariest times in your life. Going by faith and not by sight can be some of the most challenging times in one’s soul. For me? I always picture the scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” where Harrison Ford walks into thin air, taking that leap of faith that the floor would be there beneath him when he needed it. And it was.

Realizing that your dreams are starting to come true can almost be a little bit trepidatious as you start to ponder, "What's Next?" "Can I keep this up?" "Can I grow this even more?" "At what point can I quit my day job?" But most importantly, "HOW DO I KEEP THIS GOING?!"

When you are dealing with the legal issues that arise in a business and how to safely navigate them, you need someone who understands the excitement, the faith, the trepidation and the hope that you felt the moment you realized this dream of yours was really becoming a reality. I know what it is like to launch your own “small” dream into the universe to see if it can fly. I know how important your dream is to you. Because I know how important my dream is to me.

It would be an honor to take care of the legal needs of your business. Please give me a call and let’s discuss how I can help you.

Your small business is a big deal to me.

04/01/2021

Last week, Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1480, which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Business Corporation Act, and the Illinois Pay Act. These changes will effect how you hire employees for your business. For example, this legislation makes it harder for employers to decline to hire on the basis of a criminal background check. Additionally, employers with more than 100 employees will now have to work harder to demonstrate that they are in compliance with the Equal Pay Act of 2003, and to demonstrate they are paying equal pay for equal work. Finally, this law creates additional state reporting requirements for employers who already have to file EEO-1 reports.

These changes can be complicated. I can help. Please call me so I can help you make sure your business is compliant with these new changes.

03/31/2021

Neal Sedaka once sang about the fact that “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.”

When it comes to employment relationships, few statements feel truer than when you have to let an employee go. There are times and circumstances that will give rise to the end of an employment relationship, and when it is not the employee’s decision this can create a thorny and difficult situation for the employer and the employee alike. Working with Your Personal General Counsel can help you navigate those difficult issues and assist with things like:

1) Severance – Should you offer severance? And if yes how much?
2) What should a severance agreement look like? What needs to be in it?
3) What risks am I not considering when deciding to sever this employment relationship?
4) What specific Federal and State laws should I be considering when planning to terminate someone?
5) What if I have to have a complete reduction in force (a layoff)? Are the rules different? (Spoiler alert: They are) How are the rules different? (Ask me, I can help).
Breaking up can be hard to do. Let me help with the hard part so that you can focus on what matters most to you: making your business thrive.

Your small business is a big deal!

We here at Your Personal General Counsel could not let "National Puppy Day" go by without introducing our Office Assista...
03/24/2021

We here at Your Personal General Counsel could not let "National Puppy Day" go by without introducing our Office Assistant!

Meet Lucy. Shelter found, first of her name. Terrible with email, steals all the office snacks. But somehow, her character and charm ensure she's the office favorite.

03/23/2021

The poet Robert Frost once said, “Good Fences make good neighbors.”

The small business equivalent of such a theory should be, “Good policies make a good workplace.” When your workforce has a concise and clear set of rules and guidelines in place to address the myriad situations that arise when your employees are at work, there is a clear set of expectations as to conduct, procedure and culture which helps the entire organization work better. Well drafted and enacted policies and procedures help shield you from lawsuits and judgments against you and your business in the event you are sued by a current or former employee. Ensuring that your policies match your workplace behavior and culture help give credibility to your policies so that if you ever have to defend your company’s actions, you can point to a well written policy or procedure that is followed in the workplace. This can save your company substantial amounts of money, heartache and frustration, allowing you to focus on what matters most: growing your business.

If you have been contemplating whether it is time to put together a more complete employee handbook, now is the time.

If you have an employee handbook but it has not seen a real update or review in the last few years and you are wondering if it is time to review your policies and procedures and make sure they are up to date, now is the time.

I can help your company create or revise your employee handbook, ensuring your policies are well written, easily read and legally compliant. Additionally, I can train your employees on your new policies and help get those policies implemented in your workplace. Please contact my office to discuss how I can help you put this cost savings plan into action for your business.

Address

122 North Wheaton Avenue
Wheaton, IL
60187

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+16309237669

Website

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