CHICAGO - FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that Craig R. Thorstenson, Managing Partner of the firm’s Chicago office was named to the 2026 Illinois Super Lawyers list and Joel M. Zeid was named to the 2026 Illinois Rising Stars list.
Attorneys are selected as a Super Lawyer only through a statewide nomination process, peer review by practice area and independent research on candidates. The rigorous process is designed to identify lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only five percent of attorneys in the state of Illinois are named “Super Lawyers.”
Craig devotes his practice to the litigation of employment disputes and providing related counseling. With over 30 years of experience, he has vast experience in a broad range of labor and employment matters, including defending numerous WARN Act, FLSA and Title VII class actions, prosecuting and defending actions over restrictive covenants, and handling complex labor arbitrations. Craig is a former member of FordHarrison's Executive Committee, serving as the Executive Committee liaison for the firm's offices in the Midwest and California for several years, and currently serves as the Managing Partner of the firm's Chicago office. In 2025, Craig was recognized in Illinois Super Lawyers and listed in Best Lawyers in America for 2026.
The Rising Stars list recognizes the top up-and-coming attorneys in the state – those who are 40 years old or younger, or those who have been practicing for 10 years or less. No more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in the state are named to Rising Stars.
Joel's practice is solely focused on the representation and counsel of management clients in labor and employment law issues. He is adept at managing complex cases from inception through the discovery process to resolution, as well as providing strategic legal advice and achieving favorable outcomes for clients from a diverse range of industries. While in law school, Joel obtained judicial experience as a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Senior District Judge Richard E. Webber in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, and as a Legal Extern in the U.S. Attorney's Office Western District of Missouri. As an undergraduate, Joel served as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. Senate.
About Super Lawyers
Super Lawyers Magazine features the list and profiles of selected attorneys and is distributed to attorneys in the state or region and the ABA-accredited law school libraries. Super Lawyers is also published as a special section in leading city and regional magazines across the country. In the United States, Super Lawyers Magazine is published in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., reaching more than 13 million readers. Super Lawyers selects attorneys from all firm sizes and over 70 practice areas throughout the United States.