Joe represents employers in large-scale employment litigation and labor arbitrations. He has tried more than 150 jury and non-jury cases before the full range of courts, administrative agencies, and labor arbitrators. His clients include a number of the country’s largest public and private employers, and Illinois’ most prestigious universities, whom he represents in both traditional labor law matters and employment litigation. Joe is nationally known for his knowledge and success in handling large wage and hour class action cases, but he also has vast experience in collective bargaining involving large and complex bargaining units.
As the former co-chair of the firm's Labor & Employment Department, Joe was instrumental in the growth of the practice, which has nearly tripled in size to more than 80 attorneys since 2015.
Joe has been recognized as one of the top labor and employment lawyers in Chicago. He was named the 2020 Chicago Employment Law “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for the fifth time in the last nine years; he also twice received Lexology's Illinois Client Choice Award for outstanding client service; he has been named one of the Nation's Most Powerful Employment Attorneys by Human Resource Executive and Lawdragon each year since 2010; and he has consistently achieved a Band 1 Labor and Employment ranking from Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Joe is a past-chair of the ABA’s Labor and Employment Law Section, one of the largest sections of the ABA with over 12,000 members. He continues to serve on the ABA's council, the governing body of the ABA's Labor and Employment Section.
Joe is also a frequent lecturer, author, and bar association leader. He regularly speaks on labor and employment issues for the American Bar Association, Practicing Law Institute, Northwestern University's Corporate Council Institute, Chicago-Kent College of Law, and many other educational institutions and associations. Joe is a fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Lawyers (CLEL) and is the former chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee. Joe also serves as vice-chair on the Board of Managers of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.
Prior to entering private practice, Joe served as law clerk for the Honorable Stephanie K. Seymour, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
Joe earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1976 and his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1979.