Best Lawyers in Illinois, United States for Employment Law - Management
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Rachel B. Cowen focuses her practice in various employment discrimination and wrongful termination cases in federal and state courts. Rachel’s experience includes prosecuting and defending employee mobility and trade secret litigation on an emergency injunctive basis. She also counsels employers facing union organizing activity and picketing, and has successfully tried numerous cases before the National Labor Relations Board. She also handles collective bargaining and labor arbitrations...
Jeffrey L. Rudd is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Jeffrey L., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Samson has represented management in all aspects of labor and employment law for over 27 years with a particular emphasis on traditional labor law. He has also litigated cases before federal and state courts as well as state and local agencies in employment discrimination and wrongful discharge actions. He routinely advises clients on a host of employment-related issues including employer investigations, claims of harassment, employment policies and social media. In the traditional labor ...
Monica H. Khetarpal is a principal in the Chicago, Illinois, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. and co-leader of the firm’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) resource group and Higher Education Industry Group. She is an experienced litigator and advisor, providing skilled advocacy and thoughtful advice, training, and strategic planning for her clients. Her litigation experience includes employment, civil rights, and education-related cases, including those involving allegations of di...
Laura Balson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Laura, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Laura is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kathryn Siegel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Kathryn, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kathryn is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Norma Manjarrez is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Norma, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Norma is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Bill is chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group. He is a litigator who manages employment-related disputes before federal and state courts and administrative agencies throughout the country, and he also serves as a strategic partner to companies and executives concerning the broad spectrum of critical business and employment matters that impact their operations. Bill’s litigation practice encompasses the full spectrum of employment matters. He litigates and advis...
Craig Thorstenson concentrates his practice in the litigation of employment disputes and providing related counseling. Craig Thorstenson concentrates his practice in the litigation of employment disputes and providing related counseling. His experience includes defending numerous WARN Act, FLSA and Title VII class actions, prosecuting and defending actions over restrictive covenants, and handling complex labor arbitrations. He regularly acts as "in-house" employment counsel for several compan...
Mr. Deer represents management in a variety of employment-related matters, including litigation involving age, race, sex, and disability discrimination claims, covenants not to compete, trade secrets, wage and hour claims, ERISA claims, and other workplace torts. Mr. Deer has been named in the 2009 and 2010 editions of The Best Lawyers in America.Mr. Deer has acted as lead trial counsel in employment discrimination/wrongful discharge cases in the federal district and state courts in Illinois,...
Nigel F. Telman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Nigel F., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nigel F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Tom Luetkemeyer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Tom, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tom is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kenneth A. Jenero is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Kenneth A., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kenneth A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
For more than three decades, private and public employers have turned to Alan King for sound and practical advice on complex and sensitive employment-related issues and to defend them in individual and class action litigation arising under federal, state, and local employment laws. An experienced trial lawyer, Alan has successfully advised and represented companies in high-stakes employment litigation and investigations across nearly every industry. Alan litigates individual and class action ...
Kristin Hendriksen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Labor and Employment Law - Employee, Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Kristin, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kristin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Anderson C. Franklin is an associate in the Chicago, Illinois, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. His practice focuses on representing employers in workplace law matters, including preventive advice and counseling. Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Anderson was a litigator for a Chicago law firm. He has also worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Sara Ellis in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Honorable John Baker in the Indiana Court of Appeals. While atten...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.