Mark E. Furlane
Of Counsel
Phone: 312-704-7223 (direct)
Phone: 312-782-5050 (main)
Fax: 773-360-7393
Email: mfurlane@bnf-law.com
Departments: Of Counsel – Litigation / Labor & Employment Relations / Pension & Employee Benefits
Mark is counsel to the Firm. He represents clients facing the full spectrum of labor and employment issues that confront today’s employers and executives. He has focused his practice in traditional labor, employment, benefits and fiduciary litigation and counseling. After law school Mark served as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves on active duty as a lawyer for almost five years before entering private practice. He gained valuable trial and administrative law experience while in the Marine Corps.
Mark has extensive experience representing private and public employers in virtually all types of employment-related litigation in federal and state courts, in individual and class actions, and before various administrative agencies. He also has experience negotiating executive and other employment and separation agreements and represents clients in OSHA matters, including litigation before the Occupational Safety and Review Commission. Mark has litigated class actions, both individual and class actions, and actions by the Secretary of Labor brought under ERISA, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and other laws and related regulations. He also has practices in traditional labor counseling, collective bargaining, handling grievances and labor arbitration.
In the area of restrictive covenants, Mark helps clients design effective policies, practices and agreements to protect their competitive advantage. His strategic approach to client representation helps clients develop successful programs to maximize protection of their competitive advantage. Mark has litigated restrictive covenant and trade secret matters, seeking injunctive relief and damages in state and federal court.
Mark has been active in the Federal Bar Association and serves as a board member and was Chicago Chapter, President 2014-2015; He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and past Chair of its Labor and Employment Committee. He is also a Member, US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Pro Bono Advisory Committee. Mark has been listed for many years as a management employment lawyer in the “Super Lawyers”, the “Best Lawyers” in the United States, Illinois, and Chicago, and in the “Leading Lawyers Network” publications.
Mark was born in Joliet, Illinois and graduated from Central College with a B.A. Magna Cum Laude. He received a Juris Doctorate with honors from George Washington and a MBA with a finance specialization from the University of Chicago. Mark wrestled in college and coached George Washington University’s wrestling team while a law student. Mark has been married to Susan M. Keegan for 30 years and they have two adult children, Gahan and Michael.