Partner Sara Olschewske Joins Barnes & Thornburg's Esteemed Labor and Employment Practice

Olschewske concentrates her practice primarily on traditional labor relations, including representing employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). She has successfully represented employers in union campaigns and negotiations and defended them in grievance and arbitration procedures, unfair labor charges, objections to elections, and board hearings and trials. She also defends employers against harassment and discrimination claims. 

“Sara brings exactly the kind of traditional labor experience our clients are asking for right now,” said John Maley, chair of Barnes & Thornburg's Labor and Employment Department. “Union organizing activity has picked up across a range of industries, and clients need counsel who can help them prepare long before a petition is ever filed and manage the campaign skillfully if one is. Sara has built her career doing exactly that, and she's a terrific addition to our national labor team.”

Olschewske joins from one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management. She also brings additional in-house perspective from her time as senior labor counsel for a major technology and e-commerce company, where she focused on labor and gig economy-specific issues. Olschewske earned her J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law and her B.A. from the University at Buffalo. She is admitted to practice in South Carolina and her license in Tennessee is pending. Olschewske is being supervised in the firm’s Nashville office on any Tennessee-related matters until her license is approved.

“The labor landscape has shifted significantly over the past few years, and employers need counsel who can move quickly and strategically when a campaign starts — or ideally, well before one does,” said Olschewske. “Barnes & Thornburg has built a labor and employment practice with real national reach, and I'm excited to bring my background in traditional labor relations and the tech sector to a platform with this kind of depth.”

Barnes & Thornburg opened its Nashville office in May 2023, and its total headcount has grown by nearly 300%, including the addition of entertainment partner Farrah Usmani earlier this year. The firm is the 25th largest law firm in Nashville, according to the Nashville Business Journal. 

“Sara is a welcomed addition to our growing community in Nashville,” said Jay Knight, managing partner of Barnes & Thornburg's Nashville office. “Her combination of law firm and in-house experience gives her a perspective that's genuinely valuable to clients navigating today's labor landscape. She understands these issues from both sides of the table, and that kind of practical judgment is exactly what we look for as we continue to grow across the Southeast.”

About Barnes & Thornburg

Barnes & Thornburg operates 26 offices across the United States, enabling more than 900 lawyers to serve clients nationwide. As one of the 100 largest law firms in the country, we provide seamless coast-to-coast coverage for high-stakes litigation, complex transactions and innovative IP matters. Our national reach and knowledge of local markets help clients conduct business confidently wherever opportunities arise. Visit btlaw.com.