Bio
Austin Edward Friedrich – was born and raised in Wisconsin. He graduated from Ripon College with a degree in Politics and Government and was also a four-year letter winner in football. After graduation, he moved to Washington, D.C. and worked on Capitol Hill for two different members of Congress. During his time on the Hill, he handled many different issues and areas of legislation, including those impacting small businesses, veterans, trade, appropriations and defense matters. Seeking a new challenge Austin attended UIC John Marshall Law School, where he was a regional finalist, in the ABA Negotiation Competition, served as a teaching assistant, and was a member of the Veterans Law moot court competition team. Upon graduation and passing of the Illinois bar exam, Austin worked for many years for an insurance defense and workers’ compensation firm. Of note, he was promoted to Partner, he was the youngest ever Partner in the firm’s history.
On a professional level, Austin has successfully tried and won cases at arbitration and on appeal before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. He has also successfully argued motions and Commission appeals in circuit court. In addition, he has participated in numerous depositions and mediations, where he has also obtained favorable results for his clients. Austin serves as a member of the board of directors for the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association. Lastly, Austin has presented on various workers’ compensation topics at seminars, ranging from case law to average weekly wage calculations/issues, as well as, he has authored case law summaries for the Workers’ Compensation Law Association membership.
