Ethan G. Zelizer

Ethan G. Zelizer is an employment and labor law professional based in Naperville and Chicago, Illinois. His work focuses on workplace law, governance, and compliance issues affecting modern organizations.

Throughout his career, Ethan has engaged extensively with employment law through legal practice, professional leadership, scholarship, and continuing legal education. His work has involved advising employers and executives on complex workplace matters, including wage and hour compliance, executive employment agreements, restrictive covenants, workplace investigations, and employment litigation.

In addition to legal practice, Ethan has contributed to the broader professional discussion surrounding employment law developments through writing, speaking, and professional service. His publications and presentations have addressed topics such as employee mobility, workplace privacy, social media in the workplace, and emerging governance challenges affecting employers and human resources professionals.

Ethan has authored or contributed to a number of publications addressing employment law topics, including commentary published in professional journals and contributions to legal treatises. His writing has explored issues involving restrictive covenants, workplace governance, privacy considerations, and litigation developments affecting employment relationships.

He has also presented on employment law topics through continuing legal education programs and professional conferences. These presentations have addressed subjects including workplace investigations, social media in employment disputes, employee mobility, and compliance frameworks for modern workplaces.

Ethan’s professional engagement has included leadership roles within bar associations and professional organizations focused on employment and labor law. Through these activities, he has participated in ongoing discussions regarding developments in workplace law and governance.

Ethan received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Loyola University Chicago.

Certifications & Professional Engagement

Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)

Certified Labor Relations Professional

American Bar Association – Member

Chicago Bar Association – Member and Former Co-Chair of Employment Law Committees

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Honors & Professional Recognition

Chicago Bar Association / Young Lawyers Section Rising Star Award

City of Chicago Public Service Award for Chicago Bar Association Program

Editor, Chicago Bar Association Record

Publications & Speaking (Selected)

Illinois Supreme Court Recognizes Privacy Tort and Holds Employer Liable Under Agency Law, Littler ASAP (2012)

Beyond the Class Ramifications of Dukes, Law360 (2011)

Treatise on Employee Mobility, Restrictive Covenants, and Trade Secrets – ABA (Editor, Seventh Circuit chapter)

Non-competes in the Electronic Workplace: Solicitation in the Age of Social Media (Author and Speaker)

Social Media – Using It for Litigation, IICLE Labor and Employment Law Update (Speaker)

Controlling Social Media in the Workplace – Ten Rules, HR Advisor

Preparing for Unprecedented Absenteeism in the Wake of H1N1, Chicago Bar Association Record

Cross-Border Practice: Protecting the Class – Practicing Law Institute Employment Discrimination Claims publication

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Accounting for Corporate Corruption?, Loyola Consumer Law Review