Mike Ponticelli has been practicing law since 1975 and is licensed in the Illinois Courts and the Federal Courts. He is an experienced Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator, and Educator.
J.D., Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago-Kent College of Law, 1974.
M.Ed., Administration & Supervision, Loyola University of Chicago, 1966.
B.S., English, Loyola University of Chicago, 1964.
Zenith Electronics Corporation and Northwest Industries, inc., both Corporations ranked as Fortune 500 companies, with the latter being ranked number 75. At Zenith he was a human resource executive gaining experience in ever increasing positions while attending law school at night to acquire his law degree. At Northwest industries, his assignments were nationwide. In both corporations, he directed strategy and functioned as chief spokesperson in labor negotiations; tried numerous arbitration cases; and represented the corporations in matters before various Federal, State and local agencies (e.g. National Labor Relations Board; EEOC, OFCCP, OSHA, DOL, etc.) as well as in the State and Federal Courts.
In 1985 Mike entered into private law practice where he continued to represent corporations and began representing individual clients as well. Mike is well versed in labor and employment law. Mike regularly counsels and represents clients on hiring, discipline, termination, sexual harassment, mergers and acquisitions, reductions in force, plant closures, separation/severance agreements, covenants not to compete, protection of confidential information and trade secrets, independent contractor agreements, arbitration agreements, designing employment and compensation/wage policies, and drafting employee handbooks. He also has substantial experience in real estate law, corporation law, estate planning and general law matters.
Mike has acted as an independent arbitrator in numerous cases. He has acted as an arbitrator as a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Labor Panel, a Hearing Officer for the Illinois State Board of Education, for the Illinois Labor Relations Board and for the U.S. Postal Service. Some of Mike’s decisions have been published by Commerce Clearing House in its Labor Arbitration Awards series.
Mike has successfully completed the American Arbitration Association advanced arbitrator training course, entitled Labor Arbitrator II Training, He also attended a forty (40) hour training course at DePaul University’s Center for Dispute Resolution and acquired a Mediation Training Certificate, which certificate qualified him to act as a Court appointed Mediator.
Mike has taught graduate and undergraduate level courses at local colleges and universities (i.e. Illinois Benedictine College, Oakton Community College, Keller Graduate School of Business Management) covering such subjects as Labor Relations/EEO and Human Resource Legislation, Human Resource Management, Business Law and Governmental Regulations. Additionally, Mike has conducted seminars for clients and various organizations/associations and has spoken before various organizations on Employment/Labor Law and Human Resource Management topics.
Established in 1986, Ponticelli & Vito is a law firm that is based in the Chicagoland area with a practice that serves our clients’ needs with an emphasis in employment and labor issues. We are conveniently located close to O’Hare International Airport in Park Ridge, Illinois. Our location allows easy access to out of town clients as well as to the city and suburban clients. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in the State of Illinois and in the Federal District Court.
Monday – Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm