The best employment lawyers in Chicago in 2026 include Caffarelli & Martin for individuals and executives, The Friedman Firm and Randolph & Holloway for discrimination and harassment, Ed Fox & Associates and Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym for civil rights at work, Stephan Zouras for overtime class actions, and Cramer Law Group, which represents employers as well as employees.
| Firm | Office | Focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Caffarelli & Martin | The Loop | Executive representation and individual claims | Executives and individual employees |
| 2. The Friedman Firm | The Loop | Discrimination and sexual harassment | Employees facing discrimination |
| 3. Randolph & Holloway | The Loop | Discrimination, harassment and wages | Workers with discrimination or wage claims |
| 4. Ed Fox & Associates | West Loop | Employment discrimination | Discrimination and severance agreements |
| 5. Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym | The Loop | Employment and civil rights | Complex employment and public-interest cases |
| 6. Stephan Zouras | The Loop | Overtime and wage class actions | Workers owed overtime as a group |
| 7. Cramer Law Group | The Loop | Employee and employer employment law | Employers, and employees with severance questions |
| 8. Vaziri Law | The Loop | Employment and business disputes | Employees or owners with contract disputes |
| 9. Osborne Employment Law | Wheaton | Wages, discrimination and FMLA | DuPage County workers |
Illinois is an at-will state, so an employer can usually let you go for any reason or none, but not an illegal one, such as discrimination, retaliation or whistleblowing. If you've been fired or offered a severance agreement, get advice before you sign. These agreements often ask you to give up your right to sue, and you may have a limited time to decide.
Represents individuals in a full range of employment disputes.
Caffarelli & Martin represents individuals in employment disputes, from negotiation through trial, including executive representation, wrongful termination, harassment, FMLA and wage claims.
Good to know: Bring your offer letter, any contract and your final pay information.
8 S Michigan Ave, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60603
A practice focused on employee rights.
The Friedman Firm focuses on employment discrimination and sexual harassment cases and reviews severance agreements. Its office is on West Jackson Boulevard.
Good to know: Note the dates of each incident and who witnessed it.
53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 1315, Chicago, IL 60604
Employment-focused firm with selected injury work.
Randolph & Holloway handles workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage claims, along with selected serious injury cases, and it offers free consultations.
Good to know: Tell them about any complaint you've already made to HR.
53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 1234, Chicago, IL 60604
Lists employment discrimination as one of three main focuses.
Ed Fox & Associates names employment discrimination as a main focus, with a page on severance agreements. It also handles civil rights cases, which can overlap if you work for a government employer.
Good to know: Public employees may have additional rights, so say if you work for a government agency.
118 N Clinton St, Suite 425, Chicago, IL 60661
A larger firm with employment, civil rights and appeals practices.
Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym has an employment and labor group alongside civil rights, class action, disability rights and appellate practices. Consider it for a larger or more complex matter.
Good to know: Ask whether the firm represents employees, employers or both in your kind of case.
70 W Madison St, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60602
Focused on class and collective actions for workers.
Stephan Zouras handles collective actions and class actions over overtime and wages, along with individual litigation. It's a natural choice if a group of coworkers has been paid the same wrong way.
Good to know: Keep pay stubs and any schedule records.
222 W Adams St, Suite 2020, Chicago, IL 60606
One of the few firms here that also advises employers.
Cramer Law Group represents employees and employers, and also offers HR and compliance services. It's useful for a small business owner, as well as for an employee with a severance question.
Good to know: Check for conflicts if the firm has worked with your employer.
33 N Dearborn St, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60602
Combines employment with business litigation.
Vaziri Law handles wage disputes, discrimination and restrictive covenants along with business litigation. It's a good match where an employment dispute overlaps with ownership, a non-compete or a contract.
Good to know: Bring any non-compete or partnership agreement you signed.
111 W Washington St, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60602
A solo-led practice serving the western suburbs.
Osborne Employment Law helps workers with unpaid wages, overtime, discrimination, FMLA, non-compete disputes and unemployment appeals, from Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.
Good to know: Unemployment appeals have short deadlines, so bring the notice right away.
330 S Naperville Rd, Suite 408, Wheaton, IL 60187
With the Illinois Department of Human Rights, generally within 2 years of the incident, since January 1, 2025. The federal EEOC deadline is generally 300 days in Illinois, so if you may want federal claims, don't assume you have the longer time.
Read it carefully and consider having a lawyer review it first. It usually includes a release of legal claims. Severance terms can sometimes be negotiated, and in certain cases, the law gives you a period to consider and revoke.
Plaintiff's lawyers may work on contingency, an hourly rate or a combination of the two, depending on the case. Severance reviews are often a flat or hourly fee. Ask at the first call.
Keep your own copies of performance reviews, relevant emails you are entitled to have, pay records, and a dated log of what happened. Don't take confidential company files without advice, which can cause problems of its own.