Jeffrey R. Kulwin

Jeff is the advocate working professionals turn to when power gets it wrong.

When working professionals face discrimination, retaliation, or a violation of their rights at work, they need more than a lawyer. They need an advocate who has been in the room, in the courtroom, and on the record. Jeff is that advocate.

For more than 25 years, Jeff has built his practice around a single conviction: that every professional deserves fair treatment at work, and when they do not get it, they deserve a skilled and relentless attorney in their corner. He has represented police officers wrongly passed over for promotion, physicians and nurses subjected to workplace abuse, whistleblowers who exposed serious fraud, educators falsely accused of misconduct, and employees across many industries who simply refused to stay silent in the face of discrimination and harassment.

Jeff is a partner at Kulwin, Masciopinto & Kulwin, L.L.P. (KMK), a Chicago litigation firm he helped found in 2006. KMK has tried numerous cases to verdict, settled hundreds of matters, and recovered millions of dollars for clients. The work is serious and the results speak for themselves, but the approach is always personal. Jeff believes that the best legal representation starts with truly understanding what is at stake for the person sitting across from him.

Who Jeff Represents

Jeff's clients are working professionals who have dedicated years to their careers and found themselves on the wrong end of an employer's bad decision, bad faith, or outright unlawful conduct. He understands the particular vulnerabilities of professionals who have much to lose and who are often reluctant to speak up. His job is to make sure they do not have to face that alone.

Over the course of his career, Jeff has handled cases involving workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, race, and disability; sexual harassment; retaliation against employees who reported misconduct or exercised their legal rights; wrongful termination; wage theft and unpaid overtime; defamation and invasion of privacy; whistleblower and False Claims Act claims; and a wide range of civil rights and constitutional violations. He has also represented clients in significant commercial disputes, business partnership breakdowns, and fraud matters.

Jeff approaches every case the same way: aggressively reasonable. He is a litigator who is not afraid to go to trial and has the track record to prove it, but he knows that the goal is always the best outcome for the client, not just the biggest fight.

RECOGNITION & AWARDS

Jeff's work has been consistently recognized by his peers and by independent rating organizations:

► Illinois Super Lawyers: Top-Rated Employment Litigation Attorney (a distinction earned by fewer than 5% of Illinois attorneys)

► Illinois Leading Lawyers: recognized in Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Commercial Litigation, and Employment Law (fewer than 5% of all Illinois-licensed attorneys)

► Top 20 Jury Verdicts in Illinois (2018)

► Top 50 Jury Verdicts in Illinois (2019)

► Top 100 Commercial Litigation Verdicts in the United States (2019)

Representative Work

Jeff's case history reflects both the depth of his experience and the range of situations in which he has fought for clients. Some examples of the types of matters he has handled include:

Multi-million dollar hospital verdict: Jeff obtained a $10+ million verdict on behalf of healthcare workers who endured a physical attack by a colleague and the concealed use of hidden recording equipment by hospital management. The verdict ranked among the Top 20 Jury Verdicts in Illinois for 2018 and was covered by major local and national media.

Business partnership dispute: Jeff obtained a $2.5 million jury verdict for a former law firm partner, a result that ranked among the Top 50 Jury Verdicts in Illinois and Top 100 Commercial Litigation Verdicts in the United States for 2019.

Municipal fraud and receiver appointment: Serving as outside counsel for the City of Chicago, Jeff assisted in obtaining a $26+ million judgment and the court-ordered appointment of an independent receiver to oversee the City of Harvey's municipal department where fraud and self-dealing had taken root.

Law enforcement discrimination: Jeff represented a female police officer who was systematically passed over for promotion in violation of federal civil rights law, successfully challenging a municipal employer's discriminatory practices.

Workplace invasion of privacy: Jeff represented employees at a healthcare facility in a case exposing a manager who secretly videotaped workers, a matter that attracted significant press attention and resulted in accountability for both the individual and the institution.

Whistleblower protection: Jeff has defended multiple clients who reported serious fraud -- including fraudulent claims related to public-interest construction projects -- and faced retaliation for doing so. Protecting people who speak up is a consistent thread throughout his practice.

Government employee retaliation: Jeff has represented state employees, including law enforcement personnel, who were retaliated against for asserting their rights, filing complaints, or refusing to participate in wrongdoing.

Title IX and education: Jeff has successfully litigated sexual misconduct and harassment claims in educational settings, including a case establishing an important precedent regarding the reach of the Illinois Human Rights Act in Title IX matters.

Professional Memberships Leadership

Jeff is active in the legal community in ways that go beyond his caseload. He is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), the largest organization of attorneys who primarily represent employees in employment disputes, and the Legal Network for Gender Equity, supported by the TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund.

From 2010 to 2011, Jeff served as Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Civil Rights and Constitutional Law Committee. He serves as a Trustee on the Board of Trustees for National Louis University, has taught trial advocacy at DePaul University College of Law, and has served as a judge in Chicago Bar Association Moot Court competitions. He is also a volunteer with Lawyers for the Creative Arts.

Jeff is admitted to practice in all Illinois state courts, the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He has also appeared before the EEOC, the Illinois Civil Service Commission, the American Arbitration Association, and several other federal agencies and tribunals.

Education

J.D., Drake University Law School

B.A., Loyola University Chicago

If you are a professional whose workplace rights have been violated, Jeff is ready to listen.

Please note:
The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and the certificate, award or recognition is not a requirement to practice law in Illinois. The information on this website is for general purposes only and should not be interpreted to indicate a certain result will occur in your specific legal situation. The information on this website is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship