©2009 McKeown Law Firm

          Nicholas Sakellariou specializes in local governmental law and employment and labor law. He has represented numerous school districts, municipalities, community colleges, park districts, townships, fire districts, other special districts and private employers. In his representation of these entities, Nick has provided services in numerous areas of the law such as governmental operations; all aspects of labor and employment law including labor negotiations, grievance and interest arbitrations, employee discipline, and employee discrimination claims; student’s rights; finance; land use, annexations and zoning; litigation in the state and federal courts including constitutional issues, civil rights matters, tort defense, employment issues, contract claims and land use and litigation before administrative agencies such as the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, the Illinois State Labor Relations Board, Boards of Fire and Police Commissioners, Illinois Pollution Control Board.

             Nick graduated from the University of Illinois in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1974. He began his legal career in 1974 as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Civil Division of the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office. In that position, he represented the County and all County Officials and employees in various types of legal issues and litigation. He joined the Legal Department of the City of Joliet in July 1978. In October 1978, he became the City’s Corporation Counsel and served that position for eight years. As Corporation Counsel, he was responsible for performing all legal work for the City, and for supervising the City’s fulltime Legal Department. He also served as Acting City Manager for six months.

             In 1986 he joined a Chicago law firm and continued his practice in municipal law, school law and labor and employment law. In 1994, he opened the Joliet office of the firm, which he managed until joining the McKeown Law Firm in 2003.

             Nick is a long standing member of the Board of Directors of the George Werden Buck Boys and Girls Club. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Joliet Area Community Hospice.