Mr. Schwartz is union counsel to the OPCMIA Local 692, Bricklayers Local 4 and Glaziers Local 27 in all areas of labor law, including picketing, collective bargaining and labor board matters. He is Fund counsel to the Indiana State Council of Plasterers and Cement Masons Funds, Bricklayers Indiana Retirement Fund and Glaziers Local 27 Pension and Welfare Funds' delinquency and ERISA matters. He also represents numerous Funds in delinquency and related ERISA matters.
Mr. Schwartz was lead counsel in Glaziers Funds v. Glass Masters where the Seventh Circuit concluded that a contractor may be required to pay two Funds for the same work when the company signs two collective bargaining agreements covering the same work.
He was lead counsel in the Seventh Circuit case of Laborers Funds v. Concrete Structures where the court imposed liability on the general contractor for unpaid benefits of its subcontractor despite ambiguous language in the subcontracting clause of the collective bargaining agerement. He was lead trial counsel in Painters Funds v. Royal International where the trial court entered judgment for the funds after an eight-day trial on where a "material audit" was a legitimate basis to hold an allegedly delinquent contractor liable for unpaid benefits. This was a landmark case of first impression in the country regarding how Funds may proceed to prove liability against a contractor that maintains faulty time cards. Mr. Schwartz has litigated over 50 alter ego cases seeking to prevent union signatory contractors from operating non -signatory related entities.
Mr. Schwartz joined Arnold and Kadjan, LLP in 1988 and has been a partner since 1994.
Illinois Supreme Court
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
Past member, Chicago Bar Association
Past chair, Civil Rights Committee, Chicago Bar Association
Past Member, American Bar Association
Past Member, Illinois State Bar Association
Washington University School of Law, J.D., 1979
Vanderbilt University, B.S., 1976
Lectured on labor arbitration
A union labor law firm with a Firm Philosphy to resolve problems promptly and litigate effectively.