Elsa Andrianifahanana

My practice focuses on complex labor and employment issues. I represent clients through internal investigations, arbitrations, and litigation. I counsel clients on preventative measures, including reviewing wage and hour practices, drafting company policies, and negotiating agreements. I have experience in biometric privacy litigation. I also advise clients on the labor and employment litigation aspects of cross-border mergers and acquisitions. I was recently part of a team that prevailed in two putative class actions alleging Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) violations. I also provide counseling for corporate clients on a broad range of state and federal issues related to pay equity and pay transparency, which included advising on a pay audit; analyses of compensation practices and policies; evaluating potential remediation strategies; updating job descriptions; and other disclosures to conform with requirements across localities. Prior to joining Jones Day, I was a member of the Corporate Restructuring Group of Skadden Arps, where I represented distressed companies undergoing reorganizations and debt restructurings. Significant representations included Atlas Resource Partners, L.P. in the first prepackaged restructuring of a publicly traded master limited partnership, a transaction that was recognized by Turnaround & Workouts magazine as one of the 12 most successful restructurings for 2016, and Key Safety Systems, Inc., in connection with its $1.588 billion bid to acquire Takata Corporation. During the course of the Takata restructuring, I spearheaded the liability management work stream and was instrumental in devising a robust risk management strategy for the client. I also clerked in federal district court for the Honorable Ellen Lipton Hollander. Beyond my legal practice, I served as the President of the Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. and lead the 2023 National Summit of Black Women Lawyers. I maintain an active pro bono practice representing survivors of domestic violence. Law.com's Corporate Counsel recently recognized me as a 2024 Women, Influence and Power in Law awardee.