An older man with a bald head, glasses, and a gray beard wears a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, standing in a blurred office setting—reflecting the professionalism of lawyers in Chicago specializing in intellectual property law.

Bennett L. Epstein

Socio/Jubilado

Bennett L. Epstein

Socio/Jubilado

Since 1978, Bennett L. Epstein has practiced exclusively in the area of labor and employment law. He has a practical approach to solving workplace issues. However, when a dispute cannot be resolved through dialogue, he aggressively litigates on behalf of clients. Bennett is a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice.

Bennett’s practice is national in scope. He has litigated jury trials across the country and has extensive agency and arbitration experience, with particular experience in resolving disputes between executives and their employer.

Bennett began his legal career as a trial attorney with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). He continues to represent management in union negotiations, labor relations, arbitrations, and matters before the NLRB.

His experience includes representation of both public and private employers, with clients including advertising agencies, media, entertainment, distribution, financial services, park districts, engineering, and manufacturing companies.

Media Counseling and Litigation

Bennett represents national and regional newspapers, radio stations, radio content producers, and podcast producers regarding a broad range of issues including defamation, FCC compliance, privacy, content ownership, and contract negotiations with staff, artists, content providers, and distributors. Bennett serves as outside general counsel for a variety of public radio content providers including This American Life and Science Friday and represents prominent podcasts.

Labor Negotiations

Bennett regularly represents employers in regards to negotiating initial collective bargaining agreements and the renewal of the agreements.  Specific industry experience includes hotels and hospitality, healthcare, food and beverage, theater management, manufacturing and transportation.

Premios y reconocimientos

  • Peer Review Rated como AV Preeminent®, la más alta calificación de rendimiento en el sistema Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™.
  • Selected for inclusion in the 2009-2018 Illinois Super Lawyers® lists
  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© since 2012 in the field of Litigation – Labor & Employment*

Liderazgo intelectual

Bennett has lectured and written extensively on employment practices and labor law. He has developed a training course to acquaint managers and employees with the fundamentals of employment law and practical methods to successfully implement employment practices, including anti-harassment training. Bennett is regularly invited to speak before trade associations and other industry groups.

Un cuaderno con "EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity Commission" escrito en amarillo junto a un bolígrafo y parte de un teclado de ordenador sobre un escritorio de madera, perfecto para despachos de abogados o abogados de Chicago que se ocupan de asuntos laborales.
28 de agosto de 2023 Perspectivas sobre el derecho laboral y de empleo

Threat of Harm to Others — What’s an Employer to Do?

An employee who operates a forklift begins to act erratically. While he had always been a solid performer, his judgment is off, and he is quick to become angry. The supervisor fears he might injure someone. What should the employer do?
17 de agosto de 2023 Premios y distinciones

Abogados de Foley reconocidos en 2024 Best Lawyers in America

Foley & Lardner LLP se enorgullece en anunciar hoy que 236 abogados de la firma en 20 oficinas de EE.UU. han recibido el reconocimiento en la edición 2024 de The Best Lawyers in America©.
A hand holding a pen fills out a form with printed lines and text on a stack of papers, typical of tasks handled in corporate law offices or by lawyers in Chicago.
November 21, 2022 Blogs

What’s the NLRB Up To Now?

One of the cornerstones of the current administration’s platform has been to “encourage and incentivize union organizing and collective bargaining” and to do so by “appoint[ing] members to the NLRB who will protect, rather than sabotage, worker organizing, collective bargaining, and workers’ rights to engage in concerted activity.”
18 de agosto de 2022 Comunicados de prensa

Abogados de Foley reconocidos en 2023 Best Lawyers in America

Foley & Lardner LLP se enorgullece de anunciar que 250 de nuestros abogados en 20 oficinas han recibido el reconocimiento en la edición 2023 de The Best Lawyers in America.
Cinco personas se sientan alrededor de una mesa de conferencias en un moderno bufete de abogados corporativos con grandes ventanas que dan a un paisaje urbano, participando en una reunión de negocios.
November 8, 2021 Blogs

Mandatory Retirement – Can You Toss the Old Guy Out?

For employers covered by the Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, it is unlawful to discriminate against employees who are over 40. Learn more here.
19 de agosto de 2021 Comunicados de prensa

Abogados de Foley reconocidos en 2022 Best Lawyers in America

Foley & Lardner LLP ha anunciado hoy que 236 abogados de la firma de 18 oficinas de Estados Unidos han sido reconocidos en la edición 2022 de The Best Lawyers in America©, y 46 abogados de 13 oficinas han sido incluidos en la lista Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. Además, 14 de los abogados de la firma recibieron la designación especial de "Abogado del Año", un honor ganado por un solo abogado en cada área de práctica y región metropolitana.