Eiden’s upbringing leads to his labor of love

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Growing up in a union household, an eventual career practicing labor and employment law made perfect sense for Jonathan Eiden.

An associate at von Briesen & Roper’s Oshkosh office, Eiden focuses specifically on compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, including discrimination, workplace standards, medical-leave requirements, wage and hour regulations and labor regulations.

It’s a natural fit for Eiden because his family was involved in organized labor for his entire life. His grandfather, father and uncle were all members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

“Labor law was something that was known to me and I was familiar with at a very young age,” he said.

Eiden joined von Briesen late last year after working at another large law firm in the Fox Valley area. He said his motivation for joining his current firm stemmed from two things: his desire to work in public-sector law, and the fact that Oshkosh is his hometown.

Those working in labor and employment law find themselves speaking in front of groups of people, particularly because of the ever-changing nature of the field. Eiden said that rules and regulations essentially change with each election cycle, since the direction and priorities of certain agencies change with each new administration at the state and federal level.

“Those variables lend themselves to a lot of speaking engagements, a lot of questions and answers,” Eiden said. “I’ve enjoyed it very much.”

Since joining von Briesen, Eiden has spoke at events put on by organizations such as the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

He is also involved in a number of community groups. For instance, he was accepted to participate in the 2017 class of Leadership Oshkosh, a program designed to bring together a diverse group of people who share an interest in developing the next set of leaders in the Oshkosh area.

He is also a member of the board of directors for Community Clothes Closet, a non-profit group that provides free clothing for those in need. Eiden said the group operates a storefront and provides a retail atmosphere for those who can’t afford to go to a department store. Eiden said he liked serving on the board of directors for that group so much that he stayed on for a second three-year term.

“It’s been really great,” he said.