One Team.

Making your mission ours.

We place a strong emphasis on teamwork, which enables us to leverage the breadth and depth of knowledge of all our attorneys, paralegals, and staff.

Aaron J. Kacel

Associate, Chicago Office and Lisle Office

ph: 312.332.7760

Aaron J. Kacel

Aaron counsels employers on various aspects of labor and employment law, including internal investigations, employee discipline, labor relations, workplace policies, and state and federal labor and employment law matters under the Illinois Human Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, Title VII, and other laws. Aaron also represents employers in traditional labor law matters including labor arbitration and grievance proceedings and collective bargaining agreement negotiations.

Aaron represents employers in litigation and before administrative agencies including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Illinois Department of Labor.

Aaron provides training to employers on internal investigation best practices, avoiding charges of unlawful discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and awareness and management of implicit bias in various sectors.

Aaron is the Associate Representative to Robbins Schwartz’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Committee and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Diversity & Awareness Planning Subcommittee.

Prior to joining Robbins Schwartz, Aaron served as in-house employment law counsel for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. He has previously worked for the City of Chicago and a large, international law firm. During law school, he served as Managing Executive Editor of the Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy and President and Founder of the Northwestern Labor & Employment Law Society. He also served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Judge Joan B. Gottschall of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Education

  • J.D., Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
  • B.A., Washington University in St. Louis, magna cum laude, high distinction

Admitted to Practice

  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Supreme Court of Illinois

Organizations

  • Chair, Labor and Employment Committee, Chicago Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section
  • Co-Chair, Northwestern Law LGBTQ+ Alumni Affinity Group
  • Co-Chair, Washington University in St. Louis Alumni and Parents Admission Program, Chicago North Shore Committee
  • Secretary, Associate Board, Lawyers for the Creative Arts
  • Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary, Board of Directors, About Face Theatre (2018-2021)

Recent Publications

Recent Presentations

  • Navigating Payroll Laws: Wages and Record Keeping Requirements, Illinois Association of School Business Officials Bookkeepers Conference (March 2023)
  • The Peanut Butter and Jelly Effect: Understanding Implicit Bias and Its Impact on Educators, Illinois Association of School Administrators Legal Workshop (February 2023)
  • 2022 Hot Topics in Labor and Employment Law, Chicago Bar Association (February 2023)