John Gilbert concentrates his practice in the areas of labor and employment law, commercial law, higher education law and civil rights defense. He provides counseling and advice to clients as well as litigates matters, including class action cases, in his areas of practice.

Mr. Gilbert’s extensive list of clients includes the following:

Business, Commercial and Corporate

• AT&T
• Bearing Headquarters, Inc.
• BP America, Inc.
• Gateway Packaging Company
• Home Nursery, Inc.
• Juneau Associates
• Sprint
• West Star Aviation

Educational Institutions

• Blackburn College
• McKendree University
• University Park, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Governmental Entities

• City of East St. Louis, Illinois
• City of West Frankfort, Illinois
• Gateway Convention Center
• Granite City, Illinois
• Madison County, Illinois

Health Care Providers

• Beverly Farm Foundation
• Challenge Unlimited, Inc.
• Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center of St. Clair County
• Heartland Human Services
• Human Support Services
• Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital
• Touchette Regional Hospital

Mr. Gilbert joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in January 2001. He holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability, and has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in the categories of School Law, Employment Law: Management, Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law and Civil Rights/Constitutional Law.

Mr. Gilbert is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and is a member on its Standing Committee on Mentoring. He is also a member of the Madison and St. Clair County Bar Associations. In addition, Mr. Gilbert currently serves as a chairman of the Hearing Board for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

He served as a member of the Illinois Civil Service Commission from 1978 to 1991, and currently serves as a lecturer in Management and Marketing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a position he has held since 1985, teaching courses in business ethics, business law, cyberlaw and labor and employment law.

Mr. Gilbert began his practice of law in 1975 at the office of the General Counsel of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where he served as Assistant General Counsel and then Acting General Counsel, until moving to private practice in 1976 with the firm of Reed, Armstrong, Gorman, Coffey, Gilbert and Mudge, P.C. He then became a member of the firm of Coffey & Gilbert, P.C., from 1999 to 2001. During this time, he advised clients and tried cases that included First Amendment claims, civil rights and employment law claims, unfair labor practice charges, arbitrations, probate, commercial litigation and other matters relating to his areas of practice. Since 1985, Mr. Gilbert has held an appointment as an Assistant State's Attorney for Madison County, Illinois. Mr. Gilbert frequently speaks to educational, business and legal audiences on topics relating to employment and labor law, and other issues relevant to his areas of practice. He has also presented sexual harassment sensitivity training programs for clients. His presentations include:

• “Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Act – Case Law,” and Public Safety Workers – Case Law,” Union Labor Life Insurance Company Conference “Public Sector Bargaining in Illinois and Missouri: Learning from the Past, Lessons for the Future,” Collinsville, Illinois, November 2009.
• “Whistle-Blowing and Sarbanes-Oxley Violations," Hinshaw’s 2009 Annual Labor & Employment Seminar, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, October 2009.
• “Labor and Employment Law Issues,” 56th Annual Conference of Illinois Movers’ and Warehousemen’s Association, Oak Brook, Illinois, March 2009.
• “Employment Law Update,” Hinshaw’s In-House Continuing Legal Education seminar, Belleville, Illinois, March 2006.
• “FMLA and ADA,” Gateway Labor and Management Conference, IRRA, April 2005.
• “What You Need to Know about Public Records and Open Meetings in Illinois,” Lorman Education Services, Fairview Heights, Illinois, April 2005.
• “Cyberlaw Issues,” Madison County Regional Office of Education Principals Group, Edwardsville, Illinois, March 2005.
• “You’re Fired!,” Edwardsville & Glen Carbon Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Professional Education Series, Edwardsville, Illinois, March 2005.
• “Ethics,” St. Clair County Bar Association, October 26, 2004 and March 26, 2003 .
• “Internal Investigations of Employment in Illinois,” Lorman Education Service, December 2002.
• “Legal Issues,” Central Association of College and University Business Offices Annual Conference, September 2002.
• “Fair Labor Standards Act,” Lorman Education Service, November 2002.
• “Managing Employee Relationships,” Lorman Education Services, October 2002.
• “Ethics,” U.S.District Court for the Southern District of Illinois 2002 Court Retreat.
• “Family and Medical Leave Act: Work and Family, IRRA and Labor,” Management Committee of the Southwestern IllinoisLeadership Council Seminar, March 2002.
• “Internal Investigations and Employment Law Issues,” Lorman Education Services, December 2001.
• “Law of Tenure in Higher Education,” BlackburnCollegeFaculty Meeting, November 2001.
• “Employment Law,” Southern IllinoisUniversityEdwardsville (SIUE) Schoolof Business– Family Business Forum, February 2001.
• “Cyberlaw Issues,” SIUE SOB Business Hour, January 2001.

“Mr. Gilbert’s publications include “Women's Legal Rights,”32 NALS -The Docket, 15, August/September 1983, and “Representation of University Administrators in Faculty Grievance Arbitrations,” 70 Ill., B.J. 256, December 1981. Mr. Gilbert is very active in the Southern Illinois community. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois, a member of the Board of Directors of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, and a former member of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business Advisory Board. He was also the Director and Chairman of the Board of Mark Twain Bank in Edwardsville, as well as the president (1994-1995) and secretary (2000-2002) of the Edwardsville Rotary Club. Mr. Gilbert was also a member of the Merit Selection Panel for the reappointment of the U.S. Magistrate for the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Illinois between 1996 and 1997.