Jeff Nowak is a partner at Franczek Radelet P.C.  He represents public and private sector management clients in all areas of labor and employment law.  He regularly counsels and litigates single- and multi-plaintiff matters relating to employment discrimination and traditional labor claims, harassment, wrongful discharge and breach of contract.  He also has extensive experience dealing with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including counseling clients on compliance with FMLA regulations, conducting FMLA audits and training, and successfully litigating FMLA and ADA lawsuits.

As a result of his FMLA focus, Jeff serves on the editorial board of the Family and Medical Leave Handbook, a comprehensive and well-respected publication which addresses the complex requirements of the FMLA, and is a chapter editor of BNA’s FMLA treatise.

In addition to practicing law, Jeff serves on the board of directors for Marist High School, a Catholic college-preparatory high school on Chicago’s southwest side and his alma mater.  He also serves on the board of directors for Pillars, a not-for-profit social service organization serving Chicago’s west and southwest side, and is a commissioner on the Village of LaGrange Plan Commission.

A self-proclaimed baseball fanatic (and avid White Sox fan), he also is a registered Illinois High School Association baseball umpire who fills his spring and summer weekends working varsity and semi-professional baseball games.

Practice Areas

• Labor & Employment
• FMLA & ADA
• Employment Litigation
• Affirmative Action
• Union-Related Matters

Professional Associations

• Appointed member, Illinois Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Section Council
• Chair, Chicago Bar Association Labor & Employment Committee
• Member, Legislative Committee of the Society of Human Resource Professionals (Chicago SHRM chapter). 

Education

• J.D., cum laude, Indiana University School of Law, 1999
• B.A., Indiana University, 1995 (political science)

Bar & Court Admissions

• Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois (Trial Bar, N.D. IL)
• U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana

Bill Pokorny is a partner at Franczek Radelet P.C. and co-chair of the Firm’s Litigation Task Force.  Bill represents management in a wide range of labor and employment matters.  He concentrates his practice on litigation and counseling in areas including discrimination, disabilities, ERISA and employee benefits, employment contracts, covenants not to compete, wrongful discharge, wage and hour law, and labor relations.  Bill has extensive experience with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).  He assisted dozens of clients with FMLA-related matters including drafting policies and forms, responding to employee leave requests, curbing FMLA abuse, and dealing with discipline and termination issues for employees on FMLA leave.  Bill has also successfully litigated FMLA and ADA lawsuits and represented clients in investigations of ADA and FMLA claims by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

When he is not practicing law, Bill serves as president of the board of directors of his church, and is an avid cook and photographer.

Practice Areas

• Labor & Employment
• FMLA
• Employment Litigation
• Union-Related Matters

Professional Associations

• American Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Chicago Bar Association

Education

• J.D., with honors, University of Chicago Law School, 2001
• B.A., summa cum laude, Augustana College, 1998

Bar & Court Admissions

• Illinois
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Ninth Circuits
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana