Katz Friedman

What Katz Friedman does

Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca (operating as Katz Friedman) is a Chicago-based plaintiff-side law partnership founded in 1953 by Irving M. Friedman and Harold A. Katz after the two met as opposing counsel in a labor relations case. The firm concentrates on four practice areas: Workers' Compensation (its largest practice, with deep specialization in airline, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, and construction claimants), Personal Injury (including car, truck, rideshare, motorcycle, aviation, and medical malpractice cases), Social Security Disability (application and appeals before the SSA and Administrative Law Judges), and Labor and Employment Law (union-side representation and individual employee claims under federal and Illinois statutes). It maintains a single Chicago office at 321 North Clark Street and serves clients primarily across Illinois, with virtual service to select U.K. clients. The firm is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, has been named a U.S. News Tier 1 Best Law Firm in Labor and Workers' Compensation consecutively from 2019 through 2025, and counts five Illinois Super Lawyers and four Best Lawyers in America honorees among its 12 active attorneys.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through contingency-fee arrangements on personal injury and workers' compensation matters, where clients pay no fees unless recovery is secured; Social Security Disability representation is fee-capped at 25% of past-due benefits up to a maximum of $9,200; labor and employment matters may be billed hourly or on contingency depending on the engagement. Client acquisition runs through free phone and online consultations, a Spanish-language website launched in 2024, the firm's Illinois Injury Law Blog, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn), community outreach, and a durable referral pipeline from major labor unions. The firm is organized as a private partnership with no external institutional capital, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Ownership is held by its named partners following the deaths of both founders and the retirements of three senior partners (Martha Garcia in 2017, Deborah Fertel in 2021, and Stanley Eisenstein in 2024), with succession being managed through internal elevations such as Hayley K. Graham's promotion to Partner in 2023.

Name

Katz Friedman

Legal name

Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca

Website

https://kfeej.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Katz Friedman is a Chicago-based plaintiff-side law partnership founded in 1953, representing injured workers, personal injury victims, Social Security Disability claimants, and labor unions across Illinois through contingency-fee and hourly engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services (Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation)

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

Keywords

• Workers compensation law
• Personal injury law
• Social security disability
• Labor and employment law
• Legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Contingency Fee (Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation): The firm handles personal injury and workers' compensation cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning no charge to the client unless they recover money for damages in the case. Social Security Disability fees are limited to 25% of past due benefits up to a maximum of $9,200 with no upfront costs.
2. Hourly Billing (Labor and Employment): Labor and employment matters may be handled on a contingency or hourly basis depending on the matter.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Katz Friedman is a Chicago-based law firm providing legal representation to injured workers, accident victims, and disability claimants across Illinois. Its four core practice areas are Workers' Compensation, Personal Injury (including car, truck, Uber/Lyft, aviation, and medical malpractice cases), Social Security Disability claims, and Labor & Employment Law (union-side representation). The firm primarily operates on contingency fee arrangements for personal injury and workers' compensation matters.

Product overview

Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca is an AV-rated Chicago law firm offering legal services across four core practice areas: Workers' Compensation (representing injured employees in Illinois), Personal Injury (civil litigation for negligence victims), Social Security Disability (benefits claims and appeals), and Labor and Employment Law (union-side representation and employee rights). The firm also provides specialized services including Uber/Lyft accident representation, truck and car accident litigation, aviation accident cases, medical malpractice, and airline-specific workers' compensation. The practice operates from a contingency fee basis for personal injury and workers' compensation cases, and serves clients throughout Illinois from its Cook County office.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workers' Compensation Legal Services Legal representation for employees injured on the job in Illinois, covering workplace injuries across industries including manufacturing, construction, airlines, healthcare, and transportation. Services include filing claims with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and advocating for maximum recovery of benefits, on a contingency fee basis.
• Personal Injury Legal Services Civil litigation representing victims of negligence, including auto accidents, medical malpractice, product liability, aviation accidents, and catastrophic injuries. The firm pursues monetary damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage, typically on contingency fee basis.
• Social Security Disability Legal Services Representation for individuals unable to work due to disability lasting 12 or more months, assisting clients through the Social Security application and appeal process before the Social Security Administration and Administrative Law Judges. Fees limited to 25% of past-due benefits up to $9,200 with no upfront costs.
• Labor and Employment Law Services Legal services for labor unions and individual employees, including union-side representation, labor disputes, NLRB proceedings, arbitration, and employment matters under FMLA, ADEA, FLSA, Title VII, and the Illinois Human Rights Act. Handled on hourly or contingency basis depending on the matter.
• Car Accident Legal Services Legal representation for car accident victims in Illinois, covering liability determination, seatbelt injury claims, vehicle ejection cases, passenger negligence suits, and wrongful death claims.
• Truck Accident Legal Services Legal representation for victims of commercial vehicle collisions, including establishing liability against trucking companies and drivers under federal and state trucking regulations.
• Uber Accident Legal Services Legal representation for Uber passengers and others injured in accidents involving Uber drivers, addressing rideshare-specific insurance coverage and liability issues.
• Lyft Accident Legal Services Legal representation for Lyft passengers and other parties injured in Lyft vehicle collisions, navigating rideshare-specific insurance policies and liability coverage determinations.
• Aviation Accident Legal Services Legal representation for victims of airplane crashes and aviation accidents, including cases before federal courts and Plaintiff's Steering Committees for major commercial airline disasters.
• Medical Malpractice Legal Services Legal representation for victims of medical negligence, including malpractice in labor and delivery rooms, misdiagnosis, surgical errors, and other healthcare-related injuries.
• Airline Workers' Compensation Services Specialized workers' compensation representation for airline employees including flight attendants, cockpit crew, baggage handlers, and ramp agents, particularly for United Airlines and American Airlines employees filing claims in Illinois.
• Construction Accident Legal Services Legal representation for construction workers injured on job sites, including work with labor unions and pursuing claims against employers and third parties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of cases successfully litigated and negotiated
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Labor UnionscoreOthersThe firm represents several major labor unions and has been involved in some of the most significant labor disputes in the last several decades. Their experience in representing labor unions has been invaluable in helping successfully prosecute workers' compensation cases. They integrate union contract benefits with workers' compensation rights.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clifford Law Offices P.C. Chicago personal injury and aviation accident plaintiff firm; direct competitor on aviation accident and catastrophic injury matters, particularly given Katz Friedman's aviation accident practice and David Rapoport's $8.1M USAir verdict.
• Staver Law Group P.C. Chicago personal injury and workers' compensation firm with similar mid-market size, contingency fee model, and Illinois jurisdiction — directly comparable in target clients (injured workers) and service offering.
• Berger & Cahalane LLP: Chicago labor union-side law firm representing unions and individual workers in labor, employment, and workers' compensation matters — most direct peer to Katz Friedman's union/employee-side labor practice.
• Romanucci & Blandin LLC: Chicago personal injury, medical malpractice, and workers' compensation plaintiff firm of similar scale, competing for Illinois claimants in catastrophic injury and wrongful death matters.
• Corboy & Demetrio: High-profile Chicago personal injury and wrongful death plaintiff firm with comparable trial record and Illinois personal injury focus; overlaps on catastrophic injury and medical malpractice matters.
• Ankin Law Office LLC: Chicago-based plaintiff-side firm specializing in workers' compensation, personal injury, and Social Security Disability — a near-perfect peer given identical practice-area mix, Illinois focus, contingency fee model, and 12+ attorney footprint competing for the same claimant pool.
• Rubinstein Law Offices: Chicago-based workers' compensation and personal injury plaintiff firm with similar headcount and contingency fee pricing, competing directly for the same injured-worker and auto-accident claimant segments in Illinois.
• Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. Chicago plaintiff firm focused on catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and workers' compensation — overlap with Katz Friedman's PI and WC practice serving similar Illinois claimants.

Broad incumbents

• 1-800-Injured (Maryland Auto Accident Lawyers): National plaintiff-side marketing/lead generation operation affiliated with large law firms; competes for personal injury leads in Illinois through mass-market advertising, illustrating the marketing-driven pressure on boutique claimant-side firms.
• Morgan & Morgan: Nationwide plaintiff-side powerhouse with massive marketing scale and broad PI/SSD/WC practice; competes with Katz Friedman for Illinois accident victims and represents the scale/disintermediation threat against boutique plaintiff firms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KatzFriedman
• Facebookfacebook.com/KatzFriedman
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/katz-friedman-eagle-eisenstein-johnson-&-bareck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Katz Friedman