ABOUT ME

The Decalogue Society of Lawyers awarded me their 2021 Decalogue Presidential Citation, presented to individuals who have helped to improve the Decalogue Society of Lawyers through their innovative thinking and actions or who have made some notable or important contribution that enhanced the Society or furthered its goals and objectives.

2021 – 2022 sponsor of HR Hot Seat

Client & I Go 3-for-3 Against International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150; We Beat Them @ Arbitration, the National Labor Relations Board & IL Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

I’m appointed to Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business Faculty July 2021

LinkedIn: Charles Krugel’s Labor & Employment Law & Human Resources Practices Group; 4,000-plus members

YouTube: Charles Krugel’s You Tube Channel—See my TV & video interviews & presentations

The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Named Me Their Outstanding Volunteer Attorney for 2013

Photos: Real people at work with a twist; not crappy stock photos

Boards of Directors & Affiliations (scroll down a few inches)

Disclaimers & Copyrights

As a management side labor & employment attorney & human resources (HR) counselor, I have more than 25 years of experience & have been running my own practice for 20-plus years.

My clients are small to medium sized companies in a variety of industries and from around the world. Besides providing traditional labor & employment law services, I represent companies desiring to institute preventive & proactive HR functions. These functions include policies & procedures, which help to efficiently & discreetly resolve issues in-house & prevent lawsuits & complaints.

Also, I represent labor unions when they’re merging with or taking over other labor unions. This includes union decertification, bargaining unit clarification petitions & employee surveys.

Regarding results, I have negotiated hundreds of labor & employment agreements & contracts, including noncompete & severance/separation agreements, collective bargaining & related labor agreements. Also, I have argued dozens of arbitrations, mediations & agency cases/complaints & have resolved hundreds of labor grievances & similar in-house complaints & in-house investigations.

My career choice is the result of a long running fascination with workplace behavior, management styles, & how & why people end up in particular vocations. While in college, I advanced my interest by majoring in psychology. After college, I pursued graduate study in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology with the thought of being an I/O consultant. During my first year of graduate school, I realized that the practice of I/O psychology was too “touchy feely” for me. Consequently, I decided that once I earned my masters degree in I/O psychology, I would attend law school.

I earned my law degree (Juris Doctorate) from Ohio Northern University. My MA degree in I/O psychology is from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. My BS degree in psychology is from Bradley University. During law & graduate schools, I was a graduate student representative for each school’s university senate. During college, I was a rush chairman & executive board member for my fraternity.

Regarding civic & association involvement, I’m part of the following:

  • 2023 – Present, Board Member for the Greater Auburn Development Corporation.
  • 2024 – Present, I’m appointed Co-Chair for the Chicago Bar Association’s Solo/Small Firm Practitioners’ Committee.
  • 2023, I’m appointed Co-Vice Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Solo/Small Firm Practitioners’ Committee.
  • 2018 – Present, Board Member, The Decalogue Society of Lawyers, founded in 1934 to promote justice in society & to advance and improve the law, administration of justice & the legal profession. For over 80 years, Decalogue has supported Jewish lawyers & the legal community in Chicago & throughout Illinois.
  • 2010 – Present, Treasurer & Member of the Board of Directors for Youth Outreach Services, a 50-plus year old teen advocacy, housing & direct service organization in Chicago.
  • 2015 – Present Member of Chicago Bar Foundation’s Advocacy Committee.
  • Since 2015, Member of the Board of Directors for Latinos Progresando. Representation, advocacy & education concerning immigration, legal & the performance arts.
  • 2012 – Present, Board member for the Kelly Hall YMCA, in West Humboldt Park, Chicago, part of the YMCA’s of Metropolitan Chicago;
  • Board Vice President & Member of the Board of Directors (since 2010) for the Lakeside Community Committee, a 50 year old child & family advocacy, housing & adoption agency.
  • 2018-20, Board Chair, Board of Directors for Oak-Leyden Developmental Services.Founded in 1956. Young adults with developmental disabilities learn the skills to live as independently as possible within home & community settings.
  • 2009 – 2014, Member of the Young Professionals Board of the Chicago Bar Foundation.
  • 2015 Past Chair & 2014 Board Chair for the GOA Regional Business Association; Member Board of Directors 2008-2015; Chair of Government Affairs 2007-2008.

Finally, some personal background information. I’m a native Chicagoan. Born & raised in West Rogers Park. I graduated from Rogers Public School. For high school, I graduated from Niles North in Skokie. It was during childhood that I was indoctrinated into the ways of business, self-employment & entrepreneurship. My father owned & ran his own chain of pharmacies in Chicago for 35 years. My grandfather was an immigrant businessman who owned his own grocery stores in Chicago. Family taught me the value of hard work & how to compete & succeed in business.

Charles A. Krugel, Human Resources Attorney & Counselor; Labor & Employment Law on Behalf of Management, July 2000-Present

  • Private practice. Represent & counsel management in labor & employment negotiations, labor & employment board matters, litigation, union avoidance & relations, & alternative dispute/conflict resolution. HR policy & practice development, training & planning.
  • Accomplishments: Lead negotiator for dozens of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), interim/temporary labor agreements & employment agreements, including noncompete & severance/separation agreements. Successful union avoidance campaigns. Represented management in more than hundreds of lawsuits, arbitrations, mediations & agency cases/complaints.
  • For a more in-depth explanation of my practice, please click here. You’ll be taken to an essay wherein I explain what human resources, labor & employment law & labor & employee relations are, and how they affect a business’ bottom line, and how I help to reduce these expenses.

Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business, Faculty Member, July 2021-Present

  • Teach undergraduate employment & labor relations course.

Axiom Law, November 2019-Present

  • Represent Axiom’s clients in employment law related matters including harassment & discrimination investigations, & COVID-19 workplace contact tracing. Axiom’s clients whom I’ve worked for include a large international financial institution, & an international biopharma company.

The Human Resource Store, Director of Legal & Compliance Services Sector, January 2005-December 2009

  • Represent Human Resource Store (HR Store) clients concerning their labor & employment law issues, provide counseling regarding compliance matters, strategic planning, play a leadership role in all of the HR Store’s activates.

Air Line Pilots Association, Labor & Employment Attorney, March 1999-July 2000

  • Represented United Airline’s 9,500 pilots at 10 airports. Negotiated labor & employment agreements, litigated labor board cases, arbitrations, mediations, company & government proceedings & investigations. Resolved pilot general HR issues.
  • Accomplishments: Member of collective bargaining committee: negotiated 1 CBA. Negotiated 3 labor agreements. Argued 2 labor board cases, 2 arbitrations & 1 mediation. Represented pilots in 11 company & government investigations.

YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Director of Employee Relations, April 1998-March 1999

  • Managed employee relations for a 4,300 employee, 35 facility operation.Created & implemented HR policies & procedures. Managed conflict resolution & investigations, EEOC/IDHR & wage/hour complaints. Negotiated employment agreements.
  • Accomplishments: Reduced legal expenses by more than 1000% & reduced unemployment compensation expenses by more than 40%. Managed 1 union avoidance campaign (successful). Argued 5 agency cases & negotiated & drafted 5 employment & separation agreements. Resolved 30+ investigations & internal complaints.

Chicago Public Schools, Labor & Employee Relations Attorney, November 1994-March 1998

  • Negotiated & administrated CBAs in a 46,000 employee, 516 site organization. Counseled management regarding issues. Hearing officer & representative in dispute & disciplinary proceedings.
  • Accomplishments: Negotiated & administered more than 17 labor & employment agreements. Resolved 300+ grievances, 65 in-house proceedings, 4 arbitrations, 2 mediations & 25 investigations.

EDUCATION & BAR ADMISSIONS

  • Admitted to the Illinois Bar & the U.S. Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar.
  • Juris Doctorate Ohio Northern University College of Law Moot Court-Negotiations, Mock Trial & Administrative Law Competitions; Graduate Representative for University Senate.
  • Master of Arts Industrial/Organizational Psychology University of North Carolina at Charlotte Graduate Student Representative for University Senate.
  • Bachelor of Science Psychology Bradley University Alpha Epsilon Pi, Executive Board Member & Rush Chairman.

AWARDS

BOARDS OF DIRECTORS & AFFILIATIONS

  • The Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation, I’m elected to their board of directors 2023.
  • Chicago Bar Association, member since 2007; 2023, I’m appointed Co-Vice Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Solo/Small Firm Practitioners’ Committee; 2024, I’m appointed Co-Chair of the Solo/Small Firm Practitioners’ Committee.
  • LERA — Labor & Employment Relations Association Chicago, I’m elected to their board of directors for a two year term.
  • Chicago Bar Foundation, Advocacy Committee, January 2015 – Present; Young Professionals Board of The CBF, June 2009 – July 2014. The CBF is the charitable arm of The Chicago Bar Association (CBA). Also a member of the CBA since 2007 & member of the Solo & Small Firms Practice Committee.
  • The Decalogue Society of Lawyers, 2018 – Present, Board Member, founded in 1934 to promote justice in society and to advance and improve the law, administration of justice and the legal profession. For over 80 years, Decalogue has supported Jewish lawyers and the legal community in Chicago and throughout Illinois.
  • GOA Regional Business Association, 2015 Past Board Chair; 2014 Board Chair; 2011 – 2013 Board Vice Chair & 2010 & 2011 Chair of the Government Affairs Team; Member since September 2004-present; member Board of Directors October 2008 – 2015.
  • Kelly Hall YMCA, part of the Y’s of Metropolitan Chicago. Opened in January 2009 in Chicago’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood. Provides day camp, parenting & health workshops, a technology center, senior activities & many other health, education & vocational services. More information is available here PDF & here. Member, Board of Directors, April 2012-present.
  • Lakeside Community Committee, Vice President, Board of Directors, March 2010 – present. 40-plus years of providing foster care and related services for needy children, reuniting biological parents and their children & strengthening the social and economic base of the community. Currently, the LCC has about 60 staff members servicing more than 250 children and families in Chicago’s Grand Crossing neighborhood and surrounding communities.
  • Latinos Progresando, January 2015 – present, Board of Directors. Leads Chicago in immigration legal services, theater arts & community development.
  • Youth Outreach Services, founded in 1959, YOS provides family & child advocacy, health, legal, education & shelter related services to disadvantaged Chicago youths & their families. Member Board of Directors, October 2010 – present & Treasurer 2019 – present.
  • Illinois State Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section, July 2018 – present.
  • Labor & Employment Relations Association, Chicago Chapter, Member – October 2004 – present, & board member since 2021.
  • Oak-Leyden Developmental Services, Board of Directors, July 2016 – present & past president (2018-2020). Founded in 1956 by concerned families who joined to form the Oak Community School in Oak Park, IL. Here, young adults with developmental disabilities learn the skills to live as independently as possible within home & community settings.
  • ChildServ (120-plus year old child advocacy, group home, foster home & adoption services organization), Member Board of Directors & Co-chair of the human resources committee – June 2007 – December 2015.
  • Small Business Advocacy Council, founded in 2010, the SBAC is the voice for small-to-medium sized businesses in Chicago; member Board of Directors, 2010 – 2015.
  • Black & Latino Achievers (BLA), part of the Y’s of Metropolitan Chicago. We foster the academic, personal and career development of African-American and Latino youth enrolled in the 7th – 12th grades (ages 13-18) by focusing kids on career, college educations & scholarships. Member, Steering Committee, 2011 – 2014.
  • YMCA Alliance (the 40 year old welfare-to-work, jobs training & literacy arm of the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago), Board Chairman from 2007-2011 & Member of the Board of Directors, April 1999 – December 2011; Past Board Treasurer & Chair of Finance Committee. The Y-Alliance closed its doors at the end of 2011 after 40-plus years in business.
  • Youth Communication Chicago (publisher of New Expression, Chicago newspaper for teens & produced by teens), Member, Board of Directors – May 2006 – March 2009 & from March 2007-March 2009, I was Board President.
  • Urban Gateways (children’s arts education organization), Member, Junior Board of Directors – September 2004 – December 2008.
  • Time Dollar Tutoring (free tutoring & computers for CPS’ students), Member & Vice President, Board of Directors – September 2004 – January 2007.
  • Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Member & Member of Employment Law & Educational Workforce Quality Committees – January 2005 – December 2008.
  • Jewish Children’s Bureau, Big Brother/Mentor Program, Volunteer “Big Brother” for 3 kids – March 1995 – December 2007.
  • Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA-motorcycling advocates) – Legal Council for the Chicago Chapter – January 2004 – November 2005.
  • Law & Policy Institution’s Guide, Member of Advisory Board – August 2006 – January 2009.
  • World Trade Center Illinois, Member – September 2006 – December 2009.