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A woman with long dark hair wearing a gray blazer and maroon patterned blouse smiles at the camera, standing in a bright, blurred indoor setting—representing experienced lawyers in Chicago.

Felicia S. O'Connor

Partner

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Felicia S. O'Connor

Partner

Detroit 313.234.7172

Sectors

Practice Areas

Education

  • University of Michigan Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2012)
  • University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 2001)
    • History

Admissions

  • Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western District of Michigan
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

Felicia O’Connor frequently represents and counsels clients on a wide range of labor and employment issues including, wage and hour compliance, leave issues including the intersection between the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), sexual and other harassment issues, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) compliance, the Service Contract Act, and many other areas. She also has traditional labor experience including counseling on labor relations issues, responding to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) charges, and conducting labor arbitrations.

Felicia is a skillful litigator in Foley’s Labor & Employment Practice and a member of the firm’s Automotive Industry Team.  She has extensive experience working closely with many automotive suppliers and other manufacturers. She also has clients in a wide variety of other industries

Prior to becoming a lawyer and joining Foley, Felicia worked for a large technology and information company managing a team of website developers that spanned three countries. As a result, she has a very client-oriented perspective.

Awards and Recognition

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch — Commercial Litigation (2022-2024)

Affiliations

  • Member of the Oakland County Bar Association
  • Member of the Detroit Bar Association
  • Member of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan

Presentations and Publications

  • Co-author, “Oakland County, Michigan Rescinds Emergency Order 2020-10 Requiring Screening and Social Interaction Measures at Open Businesses and Operations – State Requirements Now Govern,” Foley’s Coronavirus Resource Center (June 4, 2020)
  • Presenter, “The Impact of COVID 19 in the Workplace,” Webinar, Clear Law Institute (March 31, 2020)
  • Co-author, “Key employment issues facing employers in the automotive industry,” Thomson Reuters® Westlaw® Journal (April 2, 2020)
  • Presenter, “#MeToo And The New Realities Of Workplace Harassment,” Foley & Lardner LLP’s 2018 Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits Summit (May 3, 2018)
  • Author, “Massachusetts Poised to Become the Latest State Offering a Paid Family Leave Program,” Foley & Lardner LLP’s Labor & Employment Perspectives Blog (June 25, 2018)
  • Author, “When Is a Seemingly Exempt Employee Not Truly Exempt?” Foley & Lardner LLP’s Labor & Employment Law Perspectives Blog (January 2, 2018)
  • Author, “As If Leave Laws Aren’t Complicated Enough – Don’t Forget That Leave Can Be a Reasonable Accommodation,” Foley & Lardner LLP’s Labor & Employment Law Perspectives Blog (July 24, 2017)
  • Author, “It Pays to Pay Attention to Impact When Considering Layoffs,” Foley & Lardner LLP’s Labor & Employment Law Perspectives Blog (February 20, 2017)
  • Author, “Watch Out for the Cat’s Paw – Employers May Be Accountable for Low-Level Employee Actions,” Foley & Lardner LLP’s Labor & Employment Law Perspectives Blog (September 19, 2016)
  • Co-author, “Increasing Legal Scrutiny of Website Accessibility in the Real Estate Industry,” CFSL Bulletin (June 2, 2016)
  • Co-author, “Non-Compete Agreements: Enforceability, Reasonableness and the Court’s Discretion to Blue Pencil,” Michigan Business Law Journal (Fall 2011)
The image shows the dome of the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C., with the American flag visible on the left side and a pale blue sky in the background—an iconic view often associated with law offices and legal institutions.
August 10, 2026 Labor & Employment Law Perspectives

Republicans Gain 3-1 Majority on National Labor Relations Board

On Friday August, 7, 2026, the U.S. Senate confirmed two nominees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This change brings the number of NLRB members to four, up one from the three-member total it has had since December 2025. The newly confirmed members are Republican James Macy and Democrat David Prouty. Prouty was already a member of the Board and was nominated for a second term.
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March 10, 2026 Events

Labor Law Alert: The Trump NLRB & New EEOC Frontiers

Join us at Foley's latest labor and employment webinar where we will provide you with a deep dive into the pivotal changes emerging from the NLRB and EEOC. We will discuss new precedents — and what they mean for your organization.
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February 2, 2026 Labor & Employment Law Perspectives

The Importance of Internal Wage and Hour Audits

Wage and hour class and collective action claims remain some of the most common employment claims. In a regulatory environment where the federal Department of Labor (DOL) is operating with diminished resources, it is likely that private litigation in the wage and hour space will continue to rise.
December 10, 2025 Manufacturing Industry Advisor

The Auto Industry’s Talent War: Winning the Race for Skilled Workers

For over a century, the automotive sector was defined by mechanical engineering, fabrication, and assembly line mastery. But today, the industry is undergoing a technological transformation so profound it is rewriting the DNA of car manufacturing.
Community, phone and circle with hands of business people for connection, teamwork and share post link. Networking, online and coworking with group of employees for communication, app and synergy
December 5, 2025 Labor & Employment Law Perspectives

Ninth Circuit Ruling Upholds Employee Speech Amid Stalled NLRB

Like it or not, social media has become the backdrop of almost everything we do. It's how many people read the news, interact with...
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July 14, 2025 Labor & Employment Law Perspectives

State Sick Leave Changes; No Sign of Slowing

As 2025 continues, the state sick leave law landscape continues to change posing ongoing challenges for multi-state employers. On July...
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