Best in Hood
Menu
CitiesGuidesSubmit your businessReviews processAboutContact

5 Best Employment Lawyers in Chicago (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Lorian Hartfield
By Lorian Hartfield, Real Estate and Financial Expert · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 8 min read

An employment dispute usually starts with a single bad meeting: a termination, a denied claim, a retaliation letter, and that is when people start searching for employment lawyers in Chicago. Workplace Law Partners tops this page with 282 reviews and a 4.8 rating, but the ratings across the names here sit close together, between 4.3 and 4.8, which means the real differentiator is which firm actually handles your specific type of claim, from unemployment appeals to discrimination cases.

Short answer: Workplace Law Partners leads this list with a 4.8 rating across 282 reviews and deep experience with Illinois unemployment appeals. Cramer Law Group (4.8, 56 reviews) stands out for handling both employee and employer sides of a dispute, useful if you want a firm that understands how the other side thinks.
Jump to a business

Chicago Employment Lawyers Compared

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Workplace Law Partners 4.8 ★ 282 Unemployment appeals and workplace disputes View ›
2 The Prinz Law Firm 4.7 ★ 169 Business owners and executives facing employment issues View ›
3 Cramer Law Group 4.8 ★ 56 Discrimination and contract review from both sides View ›
4 Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd. 4.3 ★ 78 Civil rights and police-misconduct-adjacent employment claims View ›
5 Wanta Thome 4.8 ★ 48 Discrimination and wrongful termination, Minneapolis-based with a Chicago office View ›
5 Best Employment Lawyers in Chicago (2026)

The shortlist, reviewed

Workplace Law Partners logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Workplace Law Partners

4.8282 Google reviews

Workplace Law Partners is a downtown Chicago employment firm, also operating as Fish Law Firm, that represents both employees and employers on retaliation, whistleblower protection, and non-compete matters. It offers free legal services through the Illinois Department of Employment Security for certain unemployment appeal cases, and its site cites over $250 million recovered for clients over its history.

What people praise

  • Largest review base on this page, 282 reviews with 94% five-star
  • Reviewers repeatedly name specific attorneys (Mario Sankis, Jacob Exline, Amina Jaffers) handling unemployment appeals successfully
  • Free representation available for some IDES unemployment appeal cases
  • Tailors guidance specifically to Cook County procedures rather than generic advice
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating4.8 / 5
Review volume282 · 98th
Confidencehigh
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown94% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The strongest first call if your dispute involves an unemployment benefits appeal after a termination, given both the volume of reviews and the free-case option.

Website+1312-861-1800 Directions

155 N Michigan Ave Ste 719, Chicago, IL 60601

The Prinz Law Firm logo
#2🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

The Prinz Law Firm

4.7169 Google reviews

The Prinz Law Firm is a Loop firm working with executives, professionals, and business owners on both employment law matters and broader business law crises. Reviewers describe the firm handling everything from discrimination disputes to business transitions, with several named attorneys covering different specialties within the same practice.

What people praise

  • 4.7 rating across 169 reviews, the second-largest sample here
  • Reviewers describe a calm, confident approach that made stressful disputes easier to manage
  • Multiple named attorneys (Laura Feldman, Mary, Amit, Katie Rinkus) get individual praise across different matter types

Worth knowing

  • A smaller share of one-star reviews appears in the distribution, though the overall average remains strong
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume169 · 93th
Confidencemoderate
Recency4 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown93% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A good fit if you're a professional or business owner navigating an employment issue that overlaps with a broader business concern.

Website+1312-345-6603 Directions

1 E Wacker Dr #1800, Chicago, IL 60601

Cramer Law Group logo
#3🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Cramer Law Group

4.856 Google reviews

Cramer Law Group is a Loop firm that explicitly represents both employees fighting workplace injustice and employers who need HR compliance and litigation defense. Its site lists specific flat-fee services like severance review starting at $750, and reviewers describe fast contract turnaround alongside discrimination case work.

What people praise

  • 4.8 rating across 56 reviews
  • Reviewers describe two-business-day turnaround on employment contract reviews
  • One reviewer's age discrimination case was resolved successfully after the firm presented it directly to the employer
  • Representing both employees and employers means real insight into how the other side approaches a dispute

Worth knowing

  • Smallest review base of the top three names here, so there's less volume to judge long-term consistency
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating4.8 / 5
Review volume56 · 78th
Confidenceearly
Recency8 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown95% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Worth considering if you want a firm that understands employer strategy from the inside, since that's the angle its reviews and site both emphasize.

Website+1312-924-0219 Directions

33 N Dearborn St #1000, Chicago, IL 60602

Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd. logo
#4🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd.

4.378 Google reviews

Ed Fox & Associates is a downtown firm focused on nursing home abuse, police misconduct, and employment discrimination, founded in 1999. Reviewers describe the firm negotiating settlements in difficult employment disputes, including cases where a client felt mistreated after speaking out or reporting misconduct.

What people praise

  • Reviewers describe consistent case updates and negotiated settlements they felt were fair
  • One reviewer specifically praised attention to detail that left the opposing side little room to maneuver
  • Small enough for personalized attention while handling federal and state-level cases

Worth knowing

  • Rating of 4.3 is the lowest on this page, and one review describes the firm declining a case after a tense phone call
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating4.3 / 5
Review volume78 · 88th
Confidenceearly
Recency3 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown81% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A firm to consider if your employment claim overlaps with civil rights or workplace retaliation tied to reporting misconduct, though the rating here trails the rest of this page.

Website+1312-345-8877 Directions

118 N Clinton St #425, Chicago, IL 60661

Wanta Thome logo
#5🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Wanta Thome

4.848 Google reviews

Wanta Thome is an employment law firm headquartered in Minneapolis that also lists a Chicago office on West Cermak Road and serves Illinois clients. It handles discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage claims, and its own site frames the firm primarily around its Minnesota practice, so its brand recognition is strongest there even though it takes Chicago-area cases.

What people praise

  • 4.8 rating across 48 reviews
  • Reviewers describe fast, empathetic responses within 24 hours of an initial inquiry
  • One reviewer describes winning a wrongful termination case tied to a false accusation at work
  • Transparent, upfront cost-benefit conversations before taking a case

Worth knowing

  • The firm's own marketing centers on its Minneapolis practice, so ask directly how much Chicago-specific casework the assigned attorney has handled
Reputation scorecardrank in Chicago
Rating4.8 / 5
Review volume48 · 63th
Confidenceearly
Recency3 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown92% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A solid option for discrimination or wrongful termination claims, but confirm the Chicago office's day-to-day staffing before assuming it's a fully local practice.

Website+1312-257-3934 Directions

1100 W Cermak Rd #628, Chicago, IL 60608

6

Your business here

Get listed on this page, in front of local customers already searching for you.

Claim this spot ›

How we rank these firms

Rating is the live Google average. Review volume ranks how many clients have left feedback against the other firms on this page. Confidence weighs the rating against that volume, since a 4.8 from 48 reviews and a 4.8 from 282 reviews carry different weight. Recency checks how recently people are still reviewing. No firm can pay to change these numbers.

What does an employment lawyer cost in Chicago? (2026)

Employment cases are billed differently depending on the type of claim. Many wrongful termination and discrimination cases are handled on contingency, meaning no upfront fee unless you win, while contract reviews and HR compliance work for employers are typically flat-fee or hourly. Cramer Law Group’s site lists a starting flat fee for severance review, but we don’t have enough verified local pricing across every firm here to publish a full range.

JobTypical price
Severance agreement review (Cramer Law Group)Starting at $750

Compiled August 2026 from Cramer Law Group’s published service pricing on its own site. Other firms on this page did not publish verifiable flat-fee pricing.

Serving all of Chicago

These firms cluster in the Loop and River North, near Wacker Drive, Wabash Avenue, and Michigan Avenue, with Wanta Thome operating from a Cermak Road office on the Lower West Side. Most offer phone consultations regardless of where you’re located in the metro area, so if you’re searching for an employment lawyer near me, the type of claim matters more than the exact neighborhood.

What to ask before you hire an employment lawyer

  • Do you represent employees, employers, or both, and how does that shape your strategy?
  • Is my case likely to settle, go to a hearing, or head to court?
  • Do you bill hourly, flat-fee, or contingency for a case like mine?
  • Have you handled Illinois unemployment appeals or IDES claims specifically?
  • What documentation should I gather before our first meeting?
  • How long do cases like mine typically take to resolve?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these Chicago employment lawyers?

We pulled real Google ratings, review counts, and review text for employment attorneys operating in Chicago, then ranked them by a mix of rating, review volume, and how recently people are still leaving feedback.

How often is this list updated?

This page was last verified against live Google data in August 2026, and we recheck it periodically as ratings and review counts change.

Do I need a lawyer for an Illinois unemployment appeal?

Not always, but a lawyer familiar with IDES procedures can meaningfully improve your odds. Workplace Law Partners specifically offers free representation for some unemployment appeal cases through an Illinois Department of Employment Security program.

What’s the difference between an employee-side and employer-side employment lawyer?

Employee-side lawyers represent workers in disputes like wrongful termination or discrimination, while employer-side lawyers help businesses stay compliant and defend against claims. Cramer Law Group on this page explicitly handles both, which can offer useful perspective on how the opposing side will approach your case.

The bottom line

Workplace Law Partners is the safest default given its review volume and specific experience with Illinois unemployment appeals. If your case touches both sides of a workplace dispute, Cramer Law Group’s dual employee-and-employer practice is worth a direct call.

Own one of these businesses, or want to be here?

Claim your spot on this page: Basic listing $50 or Premium $100 for the top spot, held a full year. Both include a permanent link to your site.

Get listed See pricing