Mark Ishu

Mark Ishu represents employers nationwide in connection with OSHA inspections, whistleblower investigations, workplace safety litigation, and government enforcement actions. He also defends employers in cases involving retaliation, harassment, and discrimination, including proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state EEO agencies.

Mark also maintains a robust wage and hour practice, advising employers on compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage laws. He works with clients to assess pay practices, respond to government investigations, and resolve disputes involving overtime, classification, and recordkeeping.

Mark brings over 15 years of public sector experience, including his role as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor, where he advised DOL agencies, prosecuted OSHA and wage and hour violations, and guided OSHA in developing whistleblower retaliation investigations. Prior to his federal service, he served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois, representing multiple state agencies—including the Illinois Department of Labor—in administrative hearings and civil enforcement matters.

He regularly advises clients on OSHA’s evolving enforcement priorities, with an emphasis on strengthening compliance programs, reducing enforcement risk, and navigating inspections and post-citation proceedings. Mark has extensive experience litigating administrative, civil, and government enforcement actions, including trying cases in federal court. As part of a Conn Maciel Carey litigation team, he helped secure precedent-setting summary judgment in a complex OSHA enforcement matter that significantly curtailed the agency’s ability to pursue per-instance citation theories. He routinely represents clients in contested OSHA matters, agency hearings, and settlement negotiations, leveraging his litigation successes to develop practical, cost-effective strategies for resolving high-stakes disputes.

Outside the Office

A founding member of the Assyrian American Bar Association, Mark resides near Chicago, where he enjoys camping, hiking, and biking with his wife and two children.