University of Illinois College of Law

About

As a 1992 graduate of the College of Law and the School of Labor and Employment Relations, Professor Nahrstadt went to work for Katten, Muchin and Zavis where she litigated employment discrimination and employment tort actions in federal and state court. Debby obtained her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa in 1989.  

In 1993 Professor Nahrstadt began working as an attorney for Amoco Corporation in the Company’s labor and employment law department. When Amoco merged with BP, she went to work as a labor and employment attorney for BP.  With the exception of several years in the late 2000’s when Professor Nahrstadt served as a franchise attorney for BP, she has spent her career practicing labor and employment law, representing BP’s companies across the U.S. 

In 2009 Professor Nahrstadt became a managing attorney at BP, eventually managing BP’s labor, employment, benefit and immigration group supporting BP’s North American companies, and she also headed up BP’s Chicagoland BP Legal office.  Professor Nahrstadt delivered strategic and proactive legal, compliance and risk analysis to BP’s businesses. She directed and managed employment litigation in trial and appellate courts across the country and provided strong representation for BP in mediation and other dispute resolution proceedings as well as in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other state and federal administrative agencies. Professor Nahrstadt retired from BP in December 2021.

Education

JD, MA University of Illinois
BBA University of Iowa