Carlos S. Arévalo

Carlos S. Arévalo practices in the fields of municipal and local government law and in corporate labor and employment law. Arévalo launched his law career as a products liability and insurance defense litigator on the East Coast.

Among his roles today are protecting the interests of the McHenry County cities of Marengo and Harvard as their city attorney. Arévalo also has handled collective bargaining for the villages of Lake in the Hills and Johnsburg. He serves as counsel for the Woodstock Plan Commission, which advises the city on growth and development matters. Arévalo also is the village attorney for Lake Zurich in Lake County. As a municipal attorney, his practice includes such local government and employment concerns as:

• municipal code enforcement
• licensing and other transactions
• condemnation
• local zoning and planning
• home rule authority
• employee termination and discipline
• resolving employee grievances
• employee benefits and pensions
• collective bargaining negotiations
• employee handbooks and policies
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)

Arévalo also represents individuals and corporations in court matters involving contractual employment and benefit disputes. He advocates for individuals and for public and private entities in administrative law proceedings before the:

• Illinois Department of Human Rights
• Illinois Department of Employment Security
• Illinois Department of Labor
• Illinois Liquor Control Commission

Arévalo resides in Marengo. He was born in El Salvador and moved to Massachusetts before attending high school in Rhode Island. He speaks Spanish fluently and enjoys running and soccer.

Throughout his career, Arévalo has worked with small and large entities ranging from sole proprietors to large publicly traded corporations. Such experience has made Arévalo keenly aware of how to meet the client’s needs in a variety of issues, particularly those involving management of employees.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

McHenry County Bar Association (secretary of board of governors, 2011-’12; treasurer, 2010-’11; chair of Employment Committee, 2006-’10), Illinois State Bar Association (chair of Local Government Law Section Council, 2009-’10; member of Labor and Employment Law Section Council), Illinois Municipal League (Home Rule Attorneys Committee)

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

• Speaker, “Overview and Legal Implications of Social Media and the Workplace – What Every Employer Needs to Know,” Stateline Society for Human Resource Management, Sept. 2011 (voice recording synchronized with the presentation’s slides is available here)
• Speaker, “Issues Facing Municipalities in a Difficult Economic Climate: Fiscal Responsibility and Termination of Employees as a Cost-Cutting Measure,” Illinois State Bar Association MCLE Program, June 2011
• Author, “The Continuing Expansion of the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act,” Local Government Law, newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association Section on Local Government Law, June 2010
• Author, “The Continuing Expansion of the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act,” Municipal Matters, ZRFM newsletter, spring 2010
• Moderator, “Key Issues in Local Government Law, A Look at FOIA, Open Meetings Act, Election Communications and Attorney Conflicts,” Illinois State Bar Association MCLE Program, April 8, 2010
• Author, “The Art of Going into Closed Session,” Illinois Municipal Review, November 2009
• Speaker, “Anatomy of an Employment Contract,” McHenry County Bar Association MCLE Seminar, January 2009
• Speaker, “Pensions and Catastrophic Injuries: What You Don’t Know May Cost You Big Time,” Illinois Municipal League Attorneys CLE Credit Session, September 2008
• Speaker and facilitator, “Liquor Control Ordinances,” McHenry County Council of Governments roundtable discussion, March 2008
• Speaker, “Cities, Towns and Villages Control Your Destiny Through Administrative Adjudication,” Illinois State Bar Association, Local Government Section, November 2007
• Author, “A Municipality’s Dilemma Involving Injured Police Officers,” Illinois Municipal Review, February 2007
• Speaker, “Hot Topics in Zoning and Land Use,” Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, 3rd Annual Real Estate Course, February 2007
• Author, “When Does a Disability Justify a Pension? — The Aftermath of the Turcol Decision,” Local Government Law, newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association Section on Local Government Law, September 2005
• Author, “Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act,” Illinois Municipal Review, February 2002
• Co-author, “Offensive Use of Industry, Government Standard,” Litigation Quarterly — The Legal Intelligencer/Pennsylvania Law Weekly, March 1997

CIVIC AND CHARITABLE

Arévalo is a member of the board of directors for the United Way of Greater McHenry County. He also is involved with the McHenry County Council of Governments, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fosters intergovernmental cooperation among municipalities and local governments in the county. He serves on its Water Policy Task Force and was appointed in 2011 to serve as its delegate on the Regional Arbitration Task Force.

PRO BONO

Arévalo has performed pro bono work for the Christian Youth Theater Chicago and Westlake Community Church.