Crystal Woods

Crystal Woods has a diverse legal practice involving labor and employment and complex commercial litigation, with a primary focus on litigating disputes and counseling on matters implicating trade secrets, restrictive covenants and fiduciary duties.

She has successfully represented clients in a range of disputes before state and federal courts, administrative agencies and arbitration panels, including disputes involving enforcement of employment agreements and restrictive covenants; workplace discrimination, retaliation and harassment; wage-and-hour class and collective actions; and a variety of tort and complex contractual matters. She has significant experience defending and prosecuting high-stakes claims involving business entity separations, executive departures, and the usurpation of corporate opportunities by former high-level employees – cases that often require emergency injunctive relief. Her background in the fiduciary duty arena also includes conducting internal investigations, assisting clients in civil and criminal matters before regulatory bodies and defending shareholder derivative actions.

Crystal regularly advises companies on employment aspects of significant business transactions, including overseeing due diligence of a target's employment practices and counseling on executive employment, separation and restrictive covenant agreements. She also counsels employers on compliance with federal, state and local employment laws and regulations, and on litigation avoidance measures.

Prior Professional Experience

DLA Piper LLP (US) – 2021- 2025 (partner)

Winston & Strawn LLP – 2009 – 2021 (elected partner in 2014)

Seyfarth Shaw LLP – 2006 – 2009 (associate)

Bar & Court Admissions

  • Illinois

  • California

  • Supreme Court of the United States

  • United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit

  • United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

  • United States District Court for the Central District of California

  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California

  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Publications

  • Author, Workplace Harassment Law (BNA) (2018)

  • Author, "A More Mobility-Friendly Approach to Non-Competes in Illinois?" Law360 (April 2018) 

  • Author, "President Obama Signs Federal Defend Trade Secrets Act," IPWatchdog (May 2016)

  • Author, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education Labor Law Handbook (2010, 2013)

  • Author, Workplace Harassment Law (BNA) (2012)

  • Editor, The Developing Labor Law (2009, 2010) 

Award and Recognitions

  • Named among 500 Leading US Corporate Employment Lawyers by Lawdragon (2021-2025)

  • Named a Benchmark Litigation "Labor and Employment Star" (2018-2024) 

  • Named a finalist for Benchmark Litigation's "Labor & Employment Illinois Attorney of the Year" award (2019) 

  • Named an "Up and Comer" in the editions of Lawdragon, Human Resources Executive's Guide to The Most Powerful Corporate Employment Lawyers (2018-2020)

  • The Legal 500 United States

    • Recommended, Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions): Defense (2022)

    • Next Generation Lawyer, Labor and Employment Disputes - Defense (2017-2020)

Education

The University of Michigan Law School, J.D. 2005

  • ABA-BNA Labor Law Award

  • Editor, Journal of Law Reform

Columbia University, B.A. (History) 2001

  • Dean’s List, 1997 – 2001