Labor Law Counsel

JLL; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

JLL Labor Law Counsel in the AMR US region seeks an attorney-level professional to lead labor strategy and negotiate with unions, serving as primary negotiator for CBAs and labor matters affecting the AMR workforce.

The role partners with HR and business leaders, providing strategic guidance, risk mitigation, and training on labor relations, compliance, and investigative techniques. Travel may be required to support union negotiations and related activities.

Qualifications

• JD required with active bar admission in good standing.
• At least 3 years of professional experience in labor law.
• Experience leading CBA negotiations.
• Experience handling union petitions and transitions.
• Experience with hourly, unionized employee populations.

Responsibilities

• Lead CBA negotiations and related discussions.
• Advise senior executives and HR on high-risk labor matters.
• Manage union petitions and transitions.
• Develop labor training programs and reference materials.
• Collaborate with HR and business leaders to mitigate risk.

Skills

Labor relations

Negotiation

Legal advisory

Training & coaching

Stakeholder communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Bachelor's degree

Labor Relations focus (preferred)

Job description

JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way.

Our people at JLL are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services, advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best, most talented peopleand empowering them tothrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether you've got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you're looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.

Labor Law Counsel

Reports to: Head of US Labor Law | Region: AMR

Position Summary

The Labor Law Counsel is an attorney-level role responsible for leading labor strategy and negotiation with labor unions as JLL's primary negotiator, including first generation and renewed collective bargaining agreements. As legal counsel, the Labor Law Counsel also assesses and resolves issues involving JLL's unionized workforce, serving as a strategic liaison between JLL management and union representatives while advising on risk mitigation across the AMR region. In addition to this core negotiation and strategy mandate, the role will manage union petitions, transitions involving unionized employee populations and provide legal advisory support to the HR function on day-to-day employee life cycle matters affecting the unionized workforce.

This role partners closely with business line leadership and HR Centers of Excellence and plays a key role in building labor training programs, tools, templates, processes, and reference materials that strengthen JLL's labor relations capability firmwide.

Key Responsibilities

Negotiations & Strategic Counsel

• Prepares for and leads collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations and discussions.
• Provides strategic counsel to senior executives, HR Business Partners, and HR leadership on complex, high-risk labor matters.
• Identifies and resolves high-risk, complex union matters through recommended actions and oversight.
• Serves as point of contact for outside counsel on arbitrations, litigation, and audits and may be required to manage internally.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Legal Advisory to HR

• Serves as legal advisor to the HR function on day-to-day labor relations issues, including hearings, grievances, and meetings.
• Provides legal guidance to managers and HR partners on appropriate investigation techniques and considerations.
• Ensures compliance with CBAs, company policies, and applicable laws for various stages of the employee life cycle, including onboarding, pay, disciplinary considerations, and termination.

Coaching, Training & Team Leadership

• Functions as a collaborative coach, providing guidance and support on labor relations matters.
• Conducts training sessions on labor relations and employment law topics, including discipline, policies, mandated work rules, EEO, ADA, FMLA, Title VII, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Collaborates on evaluating and refining internal policies and processes to enhance operational efficiency.
• Assists the Head of US Labor Law in creating, administering, and implementing the organization's labor relations strategies, initiatives, and programs, as needed.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Juris Doctor (JD) required, with active bar admission in good standing. Bachelor's degree required; a concentration in Labor Relations, Employee Relations, Human Resource Administration, or a similar field is preferred.
• At least three (3) years of professional experience in labor law and/or labor and employee relations.
• Prior experience leading CBA negotiations is required.
• Prior experience handling union petitions is preferred.
• Prior experience managing transitions involving unionized employees is preferred.
• Previous experience working with an hourly, unionized employee population is required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Familiarity with labor and employment laws, with the ability to assess evidence and reach fair conclusions consistent with policies, work rules, and applicable laws.
• Strong understanding of collective bargaining concepts and the grievance process.
• Ability to read and apply the terms of a client's Master Service Agreement.
• Experience developing and leading training programs on labor and/or employment law topics.
• Experience presenting to large, diverse groups on varied and complex labor issues.
• Ability to break down and communicate complex labor issues clearly to different levels of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse environment, handling sensitive situations with diplomacy, tact, and confidentiality.