Managing Partners

Partners

Associates

Of Counsel

To learn more about Hennessy & Roach services, reach us at:

Chicago:       312-346-5310
Fax:                312-346-5330

St. Louis:      314-231-0770
Fax:                314-231-0990

Springfield:  217-726-0037
Fax:                217-726-0137
 ______________________
140 S Dearborn St.,   7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60603

Natalie J. Romo
nromo@hennessyroach.com

• Bachelor of Arts - Speech Communication (Spanish minor) 1996, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Juris Doctor 1999, University of Illinois College of Law
• Master of Arts in Labor and Industrial Relations 1999, University of Illinois Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations
• Master Thesis: "English-Only Rules in the Workplace: Their Effect on Title VII and the Globalization of the Marketplace"
• Admitted to Practice in Illinois 2000

Appointments

Professional Affiliations

Member of the Chicago Bar Association
Member of the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association
Member of the Illinois Hispanic Bar Association
Member of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Practice Areas

Defense of Workers' Compensation cases in Missouri and Illinois.

Social Affiliations

Latin School High Jump Auxiliary Board – Secretary

Significant Arbitration Decisions

1. Jimmie Leonard v. City of Chicago Department of Aviation (01 WC 40756; 01 WC 42440)

Petitioner brought forth two separate claims alleging that he sustained a rotator cuff tear at work, while employed as a laborer. Petitioner alleged that on May 11, 2001 he sustained a rotator cuff tear to his right shoulder while lifting bags of garbage. Petitioner also alleged that he exacerbated his condition on June 28, 2001, when he was hit with a truck door after arguing with the crew driver. The Arbitrator denied compensation and found that Petitioner did not sustain an accident at work on either date. The Arbitrator found that the Petitioner was not conflicting testimony of the respondent’s three witnesses.

2. Juana Paredes v. Kafco International (99 WC 33572)

Petitioner brought forth a claim alleging that she sustained neck and back injuries as a result of her work activities packaging bottles on January 15, 1999. Petitioner also alleged she was unable to re-enter the work force due to her injuries. The Arbitrator denied compensation, finding that the petitioner lacked credibility based upon her testimony and statements to the Respondent’s IME physician, as well as her inconsistent accident histories. The Arbitrator also found that the petitioner did not give the proper notice under the Act, based upon her credibility issue. On review, the Industrial Commission affirmed and adopted the Decision of the Arbitrator.

3. Diane Bullard-Turner v. Interlake Material Handling (01 WC 42358)

Petitioner brought forth a Section 19(b) Petition alleging that she sustained a herniated disc in her lumbar from spinning frames as a pallet rack assembler for the respondent on May 16, 2001. The Arbitrator denied compensation, finding that the petitioner did not sustain an accident while at work, that proper notice was not given and that her current condition of ill-being. The Arbitrator found the testimony of the petitioner’s supervisor to be more compelling than the petitioner’s testimony.

4. Mary Lou Harr v. Monarch Air Service (96 WC 58657)

Petitioner brought forth a claim on behalf of her deceased husband, who suffered a fatal heart attack in 1996. The Commission affirmed the arbitrator’s decision that the accident did not arise out of the decedent’s employment and that his death was not causally connected to his job duties as an operations manager on an open-air fuel farm. They further found that the decedent’s myocardial infarction was a result of his aortic stenosis and not the result of jet fuel inhalation. In so finding, the Commission relied on the opinions of the respondent’s expert who opined that the decedent’s ventricular fibrillation was not linked to the type of exposure to jet fuel that the decedent had experienced.

Presentations

January 24, 2002 Overview of Section 10 and the Calculation of Average Weekly Wage

          - Presented to Kemper Insurance claims staff

June 25, 2002 Mock Trial/Trial Techniques/Accident Investigation and Recorded Statements

          - Presented at OSI Risk Management Conference

July 17, 2005 Overview of Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act

          - Presented at Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
            Business Owner’s Meeting in Spanish and English

February 20, 2006 Changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act and Its Effect on the Handling of Cases

          - Presented at Gallagher Bassett/Yellow Freight Seminar

May 11, 2006 Changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act and Its Effect on the Handling of Cases

          - Substantive changes and penalties & fees provisions
          - Presented at Indianapolis Adjusters Seminar

April 11, 2006 Changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act and Its Effect on the Handling of Cases

          - Medical fee schedule and utilization review
          - Presented at Minneapolis Adjusters Seminar