40 Under Forty 2021

2021

JEREMY EDELSON

His preparation for those matters is always thorough yet concise, demonstrating his understanding of value for our company.”

O nly the most senior of lawyers tend to tackle labor law. This isn’t surpris- ing: It takes decades of experience to mas- ter this field. That’s what sets Laner Muchin’s Jere- my Edelson apart from his competitors. At just 39, he is known as one of the top labor lawyers in the city. His numbers tell the story. While many labor and employment lawyers might not handle more than 10 labor arbitrations during several years, Edelson took on more than that figure in 2020 alone. And during his career? He’s handled more than 50 labor arbitrations in ad- dition to dozens of other employment disputes. He’s done this for a variety of companies, from start-ups to global gi- ants such as PepsiCo. PepsiCo, in fact, has trusted Edelson to handle its arbitration cases for two large Quaker Oats plants for the last eight years. Edelson’s clients have noticed his talent. “He is essentially our ‘in-house external’ counsel for arbitrations resulting from certain collective bargaining agreements,” said Morgan Ruey, senior employment counsel for PepsiCo. “His preparation for those matters is always thorough yet con- cise, demonstrating his understanding of value for our company.” Edelson traces his interest in manu- facturing companies to his childhood. His grandfather’s family owned a bar- rel-making factory in Hungary. Edelson’s grandparents, following the loss of much of their family in the Holocaust, eventually arrived in the United States after World War II. Edelson’s grandfather founded a

company in Chicago that produced fibre drums. Edelson heard stories about the business while growing up. This included stories about the interesting labor issues that his family’s business regularly faced. Labor law blended Edelson’s passion for the law with his history and connection to manufacturing. Today, Edelson represents one of the largest employers in the Kankakee area, CSL Behring, a global biotechnology com- pany. CSL Behring employs approximately 1,000 union members in Kankakee, and the Company trusts Edelson to handle all of its larger arbitrations. Another long-time client is Oak Street Health. Edelson has worked with this healthcare firm as it has grown to operate more than 80 medical clinics across the na- tion. Edelson and Laner Muchin handle Oak Street’s labor and employment law work. Carrie Rose, corporate counsel for Oak Street Health, said that Edelson has been instrumental in Oak Street’s success. “The proactive measures Jeremy has helped OSH take have been invaluable to the company,” she said. “He is viewed as a respected and valuable asset to OSH. I cannot think of another attorney I have worked with more deserving of this honor.” Edelson also gives back to his com- munity, serving on the board of not-for- profit Bethel New Life, which provides assistance to underserved communities on the west side of Chicago. He also ranks as one of Illinois’ top paddle tennis-playing lawyers, a game he picked up after playing college tennis at the University of Michi- gan where he received Academic All-Big Ten honors.

FIRM Laner Muchin, Ltd. LAW SCHOOL IIT-Chicago-Kent College of Law

AREA OF PRACTICE Labor & Employment Law

40 Under Forty 2021 CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN

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