Laurel G. Bellows

Laurel Bellows, managing principal of the Bellows Law Group P.C., is internationally recognized for her expertise in executive compensation. She represents C-Suite, senior and mid-level executives, and corporations to negotiate employment offers, terminations, private equity and change in control agreements. The firm conducts internal investigations and litigates business disputes. The Bellows Law Group offers pragmatic advice, transactional and commercial litigation services to corporate executives, entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes.

Laurel is the past president of the nearly 400,000 member American Bar Association which operates throughout the United States and 40 other countries. Laurel also proudly served as president of the Chicago Bar Association. Her many accolades include acknowledgement for the last 20 years by Crain’s Chicago Business on their annual list of Chicago’s most influential business leaders. Laurel served as President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, The Chicago Network, and The International Women’s Forum Chicago. She served on the Global Board of the International Women’s Forum where she founded and chaired its Governance Committee. Laurel proudly serves on the Board of the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC).

At the WBDC this year, Laurel worked with women entrepreneurs facing the management of their business and employees in a COVID world. Laurel provided guidance to women entrepreneurs adapting to a new normal in survival mode, interpreting fast moving legal changes and helping to implement new processes in response to business threats resulting from coronavirus.

Laurel is highly regarded for her contributions to the Chicago and global community. As past president of the Chicago Bar Association, she founded the Alliance for Women which assures equality of pay and opportunity in law firms. She mentors individual women constantly on career moves, opportunities and compensation.

Laurel strongly believes that negotiation and communication skills provide a strong response to the inequality and lack of recognition which women, including women of color experience. Laurel uses her voice to advocate for equal pay and to fight human trafficking. As an internationally recognized opinion leader, she speaks globally to associations and corporations on topics including leadership, negotiation, supply chain solutions to human trafficking, and executive compensation.

Laurel was honored to serve on the Global Citizenship Commission, chaired by former United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown that reported directly to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The Commission’s task, completed and published, was to review and comment on the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights on its 60th Anniversary.

Laurel holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D. from Loyola University School of Law of Chicago. Laurel is licensed to practice law in Illinois, California and Florida and is a certified mediator.