Top Corporate Lawyers in Chicago | 89 available

“Having practiced law for 30 years, I pride myself on being aggressive, skilled, and prepared. My goal Is to resolve your problem with the least amount of time and expense.”. Karen has been a lawyer for 30 years, concentrating in all types of litigation—criminal, civil, and appellate. Karen has excellent and diverse trial experience and has litigated cases across the country in a wide variety of matters including: commercial business real estate litigation, insurance coverage disputes, physician disputes, contracts, probate, defamation, domestic relations, white collar criminal defense, environmental matters, employment discrimination, injunctions, business torts, trade secrets, professional negligence, and civil rights.  At the same time, Karen has exceptional negotiation skills which allow her to quickly and creatively settle matters for clients with the least possible expenditure of time and money. She is formally trained as a mediator and in collaborative law.. A member of the Illinois, California, and U.S., Supreme Court bars, Karen has handled numerous significant cases, including a successful United States Supreme Court appeal on behalf of the Cook County Democratic Party, the death row appeals of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a reversal in the Illinois Supreme Court in an employment discrimination matter, and a wrongful arrest and injury action against the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers arising from the infamous May 2000 brawl in the Wrigley Field stands.  In December 2008, Karen tried a six week jury trial and obtained a $1.2 million fraud verdict against a nationally known home builder, represented by the world’s largest law firm.. Karen’s valued clients include, among others, physicians, medical clinics, internet entrepreneurs, authors, retail establishments, small business owners,  construction companies, and a non-profit animal shelter.. For over 20 years, Karen has been an adjunct professor at University of Illinois College of Law and DePaul University College of Law.  She has guest lectured at Stanford University and American University and single-handedly teaches civil procedure to recent law graduates taking the bar.. Karen has extensive experience in domestic relations.  In 2008, she was appointed by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to assist in redrafting the divorce laws in Illinois.  She was solely responsible for redrafting the statute concerning grounds for divorce, when, if passed, should modernize and streamline the process of dissolving a marriage.  In 2007, she was a headline speaker at the Family Rights Rally at the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C. on the issue of child custody and parental alienation.. For over 20 years, Karen has been a part of the local and national media.  She has been the designated local Chicago Fox affiliate legal expert giving weekly commentary on diverse issues such as family law, business matters, criminal cases, and appellate decisions.  She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Nancy Grace, Court TV and other media venues.  For over 20 years, Karen hosted and produced radio talk shows including “Legally Speaking” on WGN Radio in Chicago for which she has won numerous awards, among others, Achievement in Radio for Best Public Affairs and the Kogan Award.  She currently has a weekly segment on WGN where she discusses current legal events and answers listeners’ questions.. Karen also writes and lectures. Her articles are published in the Chicago Sun-Times, local magazines, and online. She has spoken at many seminars and events on issues of family law, media law, women in business and current legal news stories.. Karen was voted one of 40 under 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch by Chicago Lawyer Magazine, One of the 100 Women Making a Difference in Chicago by Today’s Chicago Woman, Outstanding Alumni of the Year at University of Illinois College of Law, and the Distinguished Graduate Award. She was voted a Leading Lawyer, part of a network of elite lawyers in the state and received the Impresa Award from the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.

With more than 36 years experience, Christopher J. Horvay has represented senior creditors and asset-based lenders in complex litigation, workout and bankruptcy matters across the country. His practice also involves the representation of asset-based lenders in the documentation of complex loan transactions and in litigation disputes as well as the representation of creditor committees and liquidation trustees in litigation relating to fraudulent conveyances. Chris has consistently been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer since 2006, as well as an Illinois Leading Lawyer for the last two years in commercial bankruptcies and workouts.. Chris's recent creditor representations include senior secured lenders in Clark Retail Enterprises and United Airlines, significant landlord interests in K-Mart Corporation, and as special counsel to plaintiffs in Price v. Phillip Morris. He also served as debtor's counsel in a number of significant business bankruptcy cases, including Ben Franklin Stores in the Northern District of Illinois. Chris has represented numerous asset purchasers, including Newport News, Inc. and Spiegel Catalog, Inc., and sellers in transactions involving troubled companies as well as assignees for the benefit of creditors in out-of-court liquidations. He recently defended former directors and officers of troubled companies in litigation brought against them by bankruptcy trustees.. Chris has undertaken a leadership role in the Turnaround Management Association's Chicago/Midwest chapter since its inception. He previously served as a TMA National Director from 1999 through 2002, as well as president of the Chicago/Midwest chapter in 1997 and 1998. In 2004, Chris was recognized by the Chicago chapter as its Educator of the Year. From 2014 through 2016, he has served as President of the Chapter's Scholarship Foundation Board. In November 2016, he received the Chapter's Legend Award for outstanding service to the Chapter and the profession.

WILLIAM J. CADIGAN is principal in the Law Office of William J. Cadigan, P.C. located in Chicago, Illinois. Before starting his own firm, Mr. Cadigan was a member of the Health Industry Group of the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld L.L.P.. In his practice, Mr. Cadigan represents hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, physician practices, and health care trade associations and other tax exempt organizations in corporate, transactional and regulatory matters. In addition, Mr. Cadigan also provides counsel to small, middle-market, early stage and start-up companies in a variety of industries on matters ranging from formation and general corporate matters to financings and civil litigation. Mr. Cadigan also advises elected officials, candidates, and political action committees on federal and state election law compliance issues.. Mr. Cadigan formerly served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Technology Park, an incubator and multi-tenant facility for emerging companies in the field of biotechnology, genomics and pharmaceutical production. From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Cadigan served as a Commissioner of the Illinois Medical District. Located on Chicago’s Near West Side, the Illinois Medical District includes 560 acres of hospitals, medical research facilities, universities, and over 40 healthcare related facilities.. Before entering law school, Mr. Cadigan worked on Capitol Hill as an aide for Congressman John E. Porter (10th-IL), handling appropriations, health care, education and other domestic policy issues. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Cadigan served as in-house counsel for Metra, the commuter rail agency for northeastern Illinois. He is admitted to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.. Mr. Cadigan is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys, the American Society of Association Executives, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Lawyers Club of Chicago. He is a guest lecturer at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law Institute for Health Law and also a contributing author/editor to The Law of Medical Practice in Illinois, 3rd Edition (West Group), and Representing Physicians Handbook, 2nd Edition (American Health Lawyers Association). Mr. Cadigan provides pro bono services to the Legal Clinic of the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind and is a past recipient of the Tomorrow's Leaders of the Profession award by the Illinois State Bar Association.. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Illinois University and a Juris Doctorate from the Univiserity of Illinois Chicago School of Law.. Bill has completed 8 marathons and is an avid bicyclist in his spare time.

Timothy Tomasik is a founding member of Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC. In his 28 years of practice, Tim has distinguished himself as one of Chicago’s elite trial attorneys. Prior to joining the firm, Tim practiced for 15 years at the prestigious Clifford Law Offices in Chicago and, before that, as a member of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Bureau of Special Prosecutions. He has tried over 100 jury and bench trials to verdict. Tim has handled and successfully resolved hundreds of millions of dollars in claims in a variety of practice areas, including complex premises liability, aviation litigation, medical negligence, medical liability, hospital liability, and mass disasters.. As a trial attorney, Tim has handled some of this generation’s most high profile and complex cases. For instance, after 180 depositions and navigating millions of pages of documents over several years, Tim, acting as one of the lead counsel of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, secured a $1.2 billion settlement in the World Trade Center litigation against the airlines for security breaches that led to the tragic 9/11 hijackings and air crashes. After a scaffolding collapse at the John Hancock center in March 2002 that resulted in the heartbreaking death or serious injury of ten bystanders, Tim acted as co-counsel and received a $75 million global settlement for the victims. Tim also obtained a sizable settlement as one of the lead lawyers for NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol, who tragically lost his 14-year-old son when a chartered plane crashed moments after takeoff due to the pilot’s failure to de-ice the plane’s wings. Tim also successfully handled a wrongful death case for the surviving family members of a Cirrus SR 22 aircraft crash that settled for $2.5 million. Tim successfully demonstrated how the instructor failed to responsibly maintain proper air speed and prevent wing stall on approach for landing, which caused the plane to crash short of the runway. Pursuant to FAA Standards, the instructor was deemed the pilot in command, and failed to ensure the safe operation of the airplane at low altitude.. Most recently, Tim Tomasik, according to the 2015 National Law Journal's Big Money Wins ranking, obtained the largest verdict in Illinois and the 25th largest in the nation with a $25.9 million verdict on behalf of a client who was severely injured in a horrific Yellow Cab taxi crash 10 years ago. The incident involved the speeding cab hurling off an expressway ramp and smashing head-on into a concrete barrier. As co-counsel, Tim obtained a $13 million jury verdict for a medical doctor who was paralyzed as a result of negligently-administered epidural anesthesia before a routine knee surgery. The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the verdict as well as several key trial practice and agency issues. After a dilapidated structure owned and operated by the Chicago Cubs collapsed on a 21-year-old man, resulting in his death, Tim recovered a $2.5 million settlement from the Cubs. In another wrongful death action, Tim obtained a $1.9 million settlement from a national retailer after its pharmacy negligently provided incorrect prescription drugs that killed the victim in a matter of days. Tim's work was critical in obtaining a $3.02 million settlement for a 9-year-old victim of a sexual assault, Girl X. Tim also obtained a $2 million settlement for a Chicago Tuckpointer who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury after he was struck by cement falling from a building he was working on. Tim brought a medical malpractice action after a mother of two’s doctor failed to properly treat a lesion on the victim’s lung that led to Stage III B non-small cell lung cancer and death. The case settled for $5 million. In another matter, Tim obtained a $3 million settlement on behalf of a client who suffered multiple fractures while he was the unwitting passenger of a drunk driver in a horrific Ferrari crash.. Tim’s peers have also recognized his excellence in trial work. He was inducted as a fellow into the International Society of Barristers, an honor society of outstanding trial lawyers, and he currently serves on the Board of Governors of this organization. Tim’s accomplishments have followed him throughout his career. In 2000, the Law Bulletin Publishing Company of Chicago named him a Top 40 Under 40 award winner, and he was named a Leading Lawyer in 2008. Tim served for 15 years, including as a General Chair, for the Chicago Bar Association's Judicial Evaluation Committee. In 2009, Tim received the William J. White Award of Excellence for his exceptional efforts for that committee. In 2015, Tim was chosen to be one of 30 trial lawyers as a member of The Summit Council, an exclusive group of today’s top civil justice attorneys dedicated to the highest levels of courtroom advocacy, to obtaining justice for those who have been hurt by corporate wrongdoing, and to protecting of the civil justice system. All members are nationally recognized by their peers as top civil justice advocates. Tim has been recognized multiple times as a Super Lawyer, and in 2019, Super Lawyers named him one of the top 100 lawyers in Illinois.. Tim is a member of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, American Bar Association Torts Committee, and Chair of the Sub-Committee on Experts and Evidence. He is also a member of the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section and the Chicago Bar Association Antitrust Law Committee. Tim was a member of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Federal Agency Preemption of State Tort Laws and sits on the Chicago Bar Association’s Board of Managers. In February 2014, Tim was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), one of the most exclusive and respected groups of trial lawyers in America, and he serves as President of the Illinois chapter of ABOTA. In March 2018, he became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. In April 2018, Tim was nominated to join the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation (ABF) a global honorary society of legal professionals who have demonstrated an outstanding dedication to the legal profession and to their communities throughout their career.. Tim began his career as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County. As a member of the Bureau of Special Prosecutions, Tim handled numerous high profile criminal cases, including the trial of capital murder and sexual assault cases. In 1999, he was named the American Legion Expert Litigator for his outstanding service as a gang prosecutor in the Chicago community as well as for his excellence as a civil litigator.. Tim is frequently invited to speak before audiences ranging from anesthesiologists to business professionals to other lawyers. He has given presentations on aviation litigation and mass disasters before audiences in New York, Miami, London and Shanghai. Specifically, in February 2012, Tim lectured on the profound effects 9/11 has had on the aviation industry and aviation litigation to the International Air Transport Association Legal Symposium in Shanghai. Tim also presented on litigating cases in the United States at the 2012 Cross Border Personal Injury Seminar in London. As a recognized authority in the legal field, Tim also speaks regularly to members of the American Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, and Chicago Bar Association on a wide range of legal topics, including the benefits of mock juries, jury research, professionalism, Medicare, aviation, medical malpractice, and evidentiary issues. As a fellow of the Pound Civil Justice Institute, Tim also moderated a forum for state appellate court judges at the American Association of Justice Convention.. Widely published, Tim has authored numerous articles on varying legal topics. For instance, Tim has published multiple articles on the proper measure of damages for property damage on the ground in the wake of his work on the 9/11 litigation. Tim’s work on jury research can also be found in the American Bar Association’s publication for the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section.. Holding a number of prestigious faculty appointments, Tim regularly donates his time to assist law students and other lawyers. Tim is an Instructor of Trial Advocacy at the Trial Advocacy Institute at the University of Virginia Law School. He has also taught trial advocacy for the National College of District Attorneys and National Advocacy Center, and is a former instructor for the Illinois Federal Bar Training Course.. Away from work, Tim was also elected as Board Chair of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand, a foundation which provides grants to mentor programs dedicated to serving Chicago’s underprivileged youth. He is also a Board Member of the Western Springs Foundation for Educational Excellence, a non-profit, volunteer organization, raising funds to enhance the education of D101 students. He is a supporter of the Public Justice Foundation, which is devoted to advocating for the public interest and helping ordinary people combat injustice by providing them with access to the courts.. Tim received his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Colorado and his law degree from the University of Denver. He is also licensed to practice in Colorado.

Steven M. Levin, co-founder and senior partner of Levin & Perconti, is a nationally known attorney who has successfully represented clients in personal injury matters for over thirty years. In 1992, he and John Perconti founded the firm and our lawyers have achieved over $520 million for clients, including over $140 million in nursing home abuse and neglect cases.. Steve has obtained numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients in a variety of nursing home, medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death cases.. $17.7 million settlement  on behalf of an injured police officer who sustained a serious brain injury due to nursing staff negligence in a Chicago hospital.. $7 million verdict in a medical negligence suit against a doctor who failed to diagnose our client’s postpartum bleeding, resulting in her death.. $6.7 million verdict in a birth injury lawsuit against a hospital involving a birth injury lawsuit.. $5.7 million workplace injury settlement for a 27-year-old roofer who was injured on the job.. $2.9 million Cook County record nursing home neglect verdict in a pressure sore case.. Pioneering Nursing Home Litigation. Steve was among the first attorneys in the country to handle nursing home cases, and has established a reputation as one of the country’s top litigators in the area of nursing home litigation. He has advocated on behalf of hundreds of nursing home residents who have been victimized by improper care and treatment, achieving record-setting verdicts and settlements in these cases.. More importantly, Steve’s vigilance in representing victims in nursing home negligence lawsuits has brought national attention to this rampant and unacceptable problem, sending a message that mistreatment of one of society’s most vulnerable groups will not go unnoticed.. Steve is a member of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care's Leadership Council, an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of nursing home residents and their families.  He is also the former chair of the AAJ's Nursing Home Litigation Group. Steve's comments on nursing home litigation have been quoted in national news publications including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.. Steve was recently listed in the Illinois: The Top 100 list in the February 2015 issue ofChicago Magazine, a listing of the attorneys who ranked at the top of the Illinois Super Lawyers nomination, research and review process. He has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since 2005.. Steve is well-respected among his peers who have nominated him as one of the top Illinois lawyers in personal injury and nursing home litigation through the Leading Lawyers Network. Steve was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 in the field of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs.. Steve has been honored by the Martindale-Hubbell American Law Directory, and awarded their “AV” rating for his legal abilities and very high ethical standards and The National Trial Lawyers, an organization composed of The Top 100 Trial Lawyers from each state.  The Litigation Counsel of America also selected him as a Fellow of the organization.. In October 2012, Steve received an award for Trial Lawyer Excellence for the Highest Reported Illinois Verdict in a Nursing Home Malpractice case .  The award was presented by the Jury Verdict Reporter, a division of Law Bulletin Publishing Co.. As a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer, Steve is dedicated to helping people who have been injured, or the families of people killed, because of someone else’s mistakes or improper conduct. He stands by the belief that lawsuits not only bring relief to injured victims, but also motivate healthcare providers, businesses and manufacturers to make systemic changes to provide better care, service, and safer products.

Stephen Berman practices in his firm's Chicago and Milwaukee offices where he concentrates his work in the area of immigration and nationality law and handles all aspects of immigration law including employment and family based, temporary visa processing, investment and trade visas, applications for permanent residence and naturalization, humanitarian applications, removal defense, and both immigration court and federal court litigation, criminal aliens and appeals.  He assists corporate clients in maintaining compliance with U.S. immigration laws and he works with foreign investors, entrepreneurs and executives to facilitate entry to the U.S. Stephen also works with individuals and families to secure legal status and U.S. citizenship.

Stephen A. Glickman is a top-rated senior Chicago employment law attorney who has successfully represented employees and employers in a wide range of employment law matters for more than 34 years.  Dedicated exclusively to employment law, his legal practice covers all areas of employment law, including:. Mr. Glickman's client reviews and peer endorsements demonstrate what sets him apart from the field, including:. Over the course of his career, Mr. Glickman has earned the reputation as one of the top employment lawyers in Chicago, Illinois.  He was selected by Super Lawyers for inclusion in the 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019 Super Lawyers List of the Top-Rated Employment and Labor Lawyers in Illinois (Top 5% of all Illinois Lawyers) based on his high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  He was handpicked by for inclusion in the 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019 List of the Best Employment Lawyers in Chicago (Top 18 out of 1,063 Lawyers) based on his reputation, credibility, experience, engagement and professionalism.  Mr. Glickman also received the Clients' Choice Award in 2022, 2021 and 2020, based on his consistent 5-Star Client Reviews.. Mr. Glickman has an extensive employment law litigation background in federal and state court.  He aggressively litigates sexual harassment, retaliation, employment discrimination, FMLA, ADA, wrongful termination and many other types of employment law claims.  In addition, he represents clients in administrative proceedings before the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Department of Labor, and other governmental agencies.  He negotiates outstanding employment separation agreements, severance packages and settlements of employment law claims.  He also successfully resolves employment disputes through mediation.. Mr. Glickman advises employers on a whole host of employment issues, including hiring and firing decisions, employee discipline and discharge, personnel policies, employee handbooks, ADA accommodation requests, FMLA and other leaves of absence, employment selection testing, drug and alcohol testing, employment risk management and compliance with the ever-changing federal, state and local employment laws.  He also advises executives on executive employment contracts, executive compensation, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, as well as executive severance.. Mr. Glickman was admitted to the Illinois Bar and the United States Distrct Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 1987.  In 1989, he was admitted to the Federal Trial Bar and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  He is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Labor and Employment Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association and the National Employment Lawyers Association.  He has served as an Arbitrator for the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois since 1995.. Born in Chicago, Mr. Glickman received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1983 and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the DePaul University College of Law in 1987.. Mr. Glickman takes pride in providing his clients with a full range of quality legal services on a personalized basis.

Shawn Kasserman is a founding member of Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC.  Prior to founding TKK, Shawn was a partner with the Chicago Personal Injury law firm of Corboy and Demetrio.. Shawn’s success as a leading Chicago personal injury attorney has earned him many honors and great recognition. Shawn has been named one of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Illinois on multiple occasions, and in 2009, was the youngest of only 17 personal injury lawyers to be named to the list of the Top 100 Super Lawyers. In 2013 Shawn was inducted as Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers. Fellowship into the College is by invitation only and Membership is limited to one percent of the total lawyer population of the state in which the lawyer practices.

Over 25 years of legal experience in representing employees and small business employers in Chicago in Employment Law; Discrimination; ADA, Sexual Harassment; Wrongful Termination; Negotiating Employment and Severance Agreements.Admitted to practice in the State of Illinois in 1984. Admitted to practice before U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar; U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; United States Court of Federal Claims. Extensive experience before the following Special Agencies: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Merit Systems Protection Board; Illinois Department of Human Rights; Human Rights Commission (IL).; State, City and County Civil Service Boards.Practice includes the following areas: Employment Law representing individuals and small businesses in actions for wrongful discharge, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the Greater Chicago Area, including:• Title VII Employment Discrimination• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA),• Sarbanes Oxley,• USERRA,• Retaliatory Discharge

Our firm has been representing families and victims of negligence for over 60 years.

Our firm focuses on all areas of immigration law. We work with businesses and individuals to solve all of their immigration related needs. We look forward to assisting our current and future clients.

Ms. Hays' practice includes the handling of complex and multiparty litigation involving estates and trusts, contractual disputes, commercial disputes, construction-related issues, breach of contract actions, and other areas of civil litigation.. Ms. Hays is a member of the Illinois Bar and is also admitted to practice in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association. Ms. Hays was named as a 2011 Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine in the field of Business Litigation.

Mr. Hays is a member of the Illinois bar and is also admitted to practice in the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of the United States District Court. Mr. Hays’s admission to the federal bar includes membership in the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar. Mr. Hays was named as an Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers in Chicago Magazine in the field of Estate Planning and Probate for 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Nominations came from other Illinois attorneys and only 2.5% of the attorneys in Illinois receive this award annually.

Lou began his practice of law in New York in 1984 prior to moving to Chicago, where he became an equity partner at Gould & Ratner in 1992. He also held the same position at Neal, Gerber, & Eisenberg and Much Shelist, prior to forming Bernstein Law Firm in 2009. During those formative years, Lou garnered experience representing clients throughout the United States, in complex civil litigation matters before trial courts, arbitration panels, mediators, and numerous state and federal appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Lou also served as chairman of the litigation department and governing bodies of several of those firms. However, large firm politics and adherence to the bottom line took its toll. As Lou liked to joke, “I could not wait to get out of the office and into court for some peace and quiet.” Lou then decided to build upon his experience and open his own law firm to better represent his clients and provide a work environment more conducive to relationship building and fostering collegiality among the attorneys and staff of the firm.. Over the years Lou has primarily focused his area of expertise on complex civil litigation matters. The breadth of these representations has run from a multitude of real estate developers in the Chicagoland area, the Crown family, class action defense for Bumble Bee Foods and JPMorgan Chase, franchise litigation on behalf of Pepperidge Farm and in the fashion industry, most prominently, Tom Ford, AG Jeans and Carine Roitfeld. Some highlights include:. Lou is Chairman Emeritus of The Mankind Project International and a member of The Executives' Club of Chicago.  He is a featured speaker and regular panelist on timely issues of business, banking, real estate, and finance law at legal and business conferences around the country and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Northwestern University School of Law.

Kevin Thompson practices primarily in the area of domestic and international trademarks, copyrights, and internet law issues. He is experienced with prosecuting international applications under the Madrid Protocol, and coordinates clients' trademark portfolios in over seventy five countries, including the European Union. He advises clients with respect to enforcement of rights, and assists in representing them in disputes around the world to protect their valuable intellectual property.

Kevin Durkin is a partner at Clifford Law Offices. Over a career that spans more than 35 years, Mr. Durkin has successfully represented clients in many practice areas, including:. Mr. Durkin has been named a top-tier attorney by U.S. News-Best Lawyers in the areas of personal injury litigation, aviation law and product liability since 2011. Most recently he was named the Lawyer of the Year in 2020 in the area of Plaintiffs' Product Liability Litigation. These accolades are based on peer reviews and his legal ability, professionalism and integrity. He has also been named an Illinois Super Lawyer and a Leading Lawyer since 2003, its inception in the state.. While he is an established attorney for personal injury, Mr. Durkin is perhaps best known for his work as an aviation accident attorney. He has been involved in nearly every major commercial airline crash of the last four decades, often serving as lead counsel.. With his experience and success as an aviation accident attorney, Mr. Durkin served for four years as the Co-Chair of the Aviation Committee for the 75,000-member American Bar Association's Section of Litigation. In that position, he chaired an annual program that brings together the best and the brightest to discuss cutting-edge issues in aviation litigation. He often still serves as a speaker for that annual program. Mr. Durkin served for two years as Co-Chair of the Mass Torts Litigation Committee and has served as Vice-Chair of the Aviation and Space Law Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association.. After he graduated from DePaul University College of Law, Mr. Durkin served as an Assistant State's Attorney in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago for eight years from 1980 to 1988. Since then, he has focused on civil litigation at Clifford Law Offices.

JOSH M. KANTROW is a partner at Lewis Brisbois with a focus on computer and internet-related liabilities, including privacy, data security and technology litigation. He is an experienced litigator and savvy negotiator often retained by clients in crisis management situations. Josh also concentrates his practice in professional liability matters, with additional experience in bad faith and punitive damages matters. Clients frequently retain Josh on litigation throughout the United States involving high exposures and appreciate his ability to take over difficult cases and produce great results.. Josh’s previous experience managing claims enables him to view legal issues from the client’s perspective. Several years ago he was seconded to theLondoninsurance market where he worked directly with leading Lloyd’s claims and underwriting personnel to manage complex litigation, analyze claims, counsel on contract wordings, and assess risk. Josh also previously served for three years as outside counsel for a bedding manufacturer, managing claims and providing transactional advice.. Josh has been a featured speaker at approximately 35 seminars, including seminars conducted across the U.S.and in Europe. His recent presentations at major conferences have focused on data security and cyber liability issues, e-discovery and crisis management litigation strategies. Josh has been interviewed by Business Insurance and Metropolitan Corporate Counsel and also has published articles on cyber liability and litigation tactics.. Prior to moving to Chicago, Josh spent a semester in law school at the Université Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence,France, in 1988; interned at the U.S. Claims Court inWashington,D.C., for a federal judge in 1989; and practiced in New Orleans for five years.. Practice Details. Cyber Liability. In the area of cyber liability, Josh has recently: (a) successfully defended a media network that provides interactive online advertisements in a high-exposure, high-profile cyber class action matter; (b) worked with counsel in Florida and Washington State to defeat the plaintiff's complaint against an online legal rating agency, upholding the client’s right to post its ratings of lawyers and doctors online; (c) negotiated the favorable resolution of a complex and highly publicized multimillion-dollar data theft claim against a technology service provider for slightly less than 20 percent of the value of the multi-million dollar claim, despite evidence demonstrating that the service provider was responsible for the loss. The claim, pursued by several major U.S. banks and credit card issuers, involved coordinated theft of data in transit from hundreds of automatic teller machines; and (d) won dismissal of claims brought by a putative class of 82,000 individuals against a health care service company alleging negligence and violation of the Stored Communication Act, Illinois Personal Information Protection Act, HIPAA and Illinois Consumer Fraud Act.. Professional Liability. Josh handles a wide variety of professional liability coverage matters involving directors and officer’s (D&O) liability and fiduciary liability claims against professionals in the financial services, insurance, real estate, legal services and medical fields. As crisis management counsel, Josh defended foreign insurers in a complex professional liability coverage dispute against a involving a $25 million policy limit. Through aggressive litigation and savvy negotiations, Josh was able to attain a settlement at a significant discount off of the $25 million policy limits claim. He achieved a highly favorable settlement for another client in a D&O coverage dispute due to hisdiscovery of a policy defense that had been missed by the client’s former counsel. Josh also has a growing practice in professional liability defense.. Bad Faith and Punitive Damages. In the area of bad faith and punitive damages, Josh has: (a) first-chaired a first-party bad faithinsurance coverage trial for certain London market insurers in an unfavorable southern U.S. venue involving more than $25 million in claims. After trying the declaratory judgment phase of the case and obtaining significant rulings in his client’s favor, the case settled for a nominal amount; (b) assisted a Louisiana business association in convincing the Louisiana Supreme Court to reverse the award of punitive damages against a major refinery. This ruling has significant precedential value; and (c) as punitive damages counsel of record, worked with Kentucky counsel and two amicus organizations on briefs that convinced the Kentucky Supreme Court to overturn a $3.75 million punitive damages verdict against a hospital.

Joseph is known for his ability to make sophisticated legal issues and tax planning understandable and is highly regarded for his devotion and commitment to the diverse needs of business clients. Joseph represents corporations, partnerships and tax-exempt entities, as well as family-owned and other closely-held businesses, and their owners. He also represents high net worth individuals, lottery winners and professionals, including doctors, lawyers, accountants and wealth management advisors.. Joseph advises his corporate and business clients on critical financial, tax and business matters, including entity structure and formation, and asset ownership for asset protection and tax savings. He also assists closely-held and family-owned businesses and their owners with business succession planning for wealth preservation and to transition the business/ownership to younger generations and key employees. Joseph offers his individual clients a full range of estate, trust and tax planning services, from the drafting of wills, complex trust agreements and advanced wealth-preservation plans, to the formation of family foundations and other philanthropic entities to accomplish charitable objectives.. In addition to income and estate tax planning, a significant portion of Joseph's tax practice involves representing individual, business and corporate clients in administrative tax-controversy matters before the Internal Revenue Service and the Illinois Department of Revenue. Joseph is frequently asked by banks and financial consultants in the Chicago area to speak on wealth preservation, tax and estate planning, and business succession.. When not finding solutions to meet his clients' needs, Joseph enjoys spending time with his wife Karen and children Dominic, Gianna, Mia, Isabella and Vincent.

John J. Perconti is a highly-acclaimed Illinois attorney and co-founder of Levin & Perconti. For over 25 years, he has devoted his practice to advocating for people and families in personal injury and wrongful death cases.  In 1992, he merged his practice with Steven Levin, and now the firm employs over twenty lawyers and has obtained over $520 million in verdicts and settlements for clients.. John has an excellent record of success representing clients in injury, elder abuse and wrongful death cases.  He is nationally recognized as one of the country’s leading medical malpractice attorneys because of his extensive experience in federal and state courts. He possesses an in-depth knowledge of complex medical issues that has allowed him to achieve record-setting multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients.. John obtained a $14 million record failure to diagnose cancer verdict in Illinois for a woman whose doctor delayed her diagnosis of lung cancer. He also obtained a $7.5 millions record Illinois Jones Act settlement  for a boat worker who was injured in a boat explosion in Alton, Ill.. In a birth injury case, John reached a $6.5 million settlement for a young girl who suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of an inexperienced physician’s failure to perform a timely c-section.  John also achieved a $5.77 million Federal Tort Claims Act bench trial verdict against a Veteran’s Administration and a $5.35 million against a Chicago hospital for the family of an 18-year-old woman who died when hospital staff failed to diagnose her with postpartum cardiomyopathy.. John is regarded as one of the leading nursing home negligence lawyers in Chicago for his work on behalf of victims of abuse and neglect.  John achieved a $3 million Illinois record nursing home pressure sore settlement for a client.  In 2011 he recovered a $1 million settlement in a nursing home fall case.. John also has experience in all types of injury and accident cases.  He achieved a $10 million settlement for a 5-year-old boy who lost his leg when he was run over by a fire truck. In 2010, John obtained a $6.5 million settlement for the family of a 32-year-old woman who was killed in a trucking accident. This settlement was a record-high settlement for a Kane County wrongful death claim . Additionally, John negotiated a $6 million settlement for two families who lost six children in an apartment fire, and in 2008, he reached a Jones Act settlement for $4.5 million for a deckhand whose leg was injured on a barge and required an above-the-knee amputation. He also settled a $3 million medical malpractice lawsuit against Advocate Brommen Hospital in Normal, IL.. John is an active member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Society of Trial Lawyers, The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America and The Justinian Society of Lawyers, and has been a strong voice against tort reform. He is also a member of The National Trial Lawyers, an organization composed of The Top 100 Trial Lawyers from each state, and is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.. John was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 in the field of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. He has received an “AV” rating from the Martindale-Hubbell American Law Directory, indicating preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards. He has also been named one of Illinois’ top litigators by Leading Lawyers Network and achieved a Lead Counsel Rating in Elder Law .. In 2013, 2014, and 2015 John was included in  Chicago Magazine's  Illinois: The Top 100 list , a listing of lawyers who topped the Illinois Super Lawyers nomination, research and review process. He has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since 2005.. John was born and raised in Chicago and resides in suburban Chicago with his wife, Toni, and daughters Morgan and Paige.

IRA N. HELFGOT is a sole practitioner in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice in commercial litigation, including the following types of disputes, employment, mechanic's liens, contracts, mortgage foreclosure, partition, brokerage commission, partnership, corporate, injunctions, commercial forcible entry and detainer, sale of businesses, class actions, fraud, consumer fraud, and commodities and securities fraud, business collections, including collections for law firms, and professional liability law. Ira has published extensively on debtor-creditor issues and professional liability law topics for among others, IICLE, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and the Illinois Creditors Bar Association and has lectured on debtor-creditor issues for the Illinois Creditors Bar Association and the Illinois Credit Union League. Ira is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, formerly serving on its Committee on Judicial Evaluations and as a CLE Coordinator for the Commercial Banking, Collections & Bankruptcy Section Council, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, where he formerly served as a member of the CLE Committee and as a member of the Board of Directors, and the Illinois Creditors Bar Association, formerly serving as president and as a member of the Board of Directors. Ira is also currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Lawyers’ Assistance Program, pursuant to an appointment by the Illinois Supreme Court and has been elected as president of the Board of Directors.

I specialize in defending retailers, restaurants and the hospitality industry, in addition to working with my clients to lower their legal costs, minimize their risk and to develop thorough internal policies. When I am not working I am spending time with my family and writing.

I offer legal advice and representation to victims of personal injuries, businesses involved in commercial disputes, legal and professional malpractice victims, and construction contractors involved in claims.  My approach is to give honest, straight-talking advice, and personally tailor my representation in order to obtain the best result possible, through settlement, mediation, or trial.. Away from work, I spend as much time with my family as possible.  One of my greatest enjoyments is as a coach for my kids' baseball, softball, and basketball teams, which I have done for more than 6 years.  My favorite hobbies include cooking, smoking meats, and playing guitar.

I have been handling civil jury trials for 40 years.  The highest level of compliment that I have received over these years has come from clients that express their gratification of the work that I have done on their behalf.  I have a collection of notes and letters from individuals who have gone out of their way to thank me and my staff for a job well done. Those notes and letters remain the highest level of praise for my devotion to clients and in helping them solve their issues and concerns. I truly cherish those compliments.. Whether I am helping someone on the phone solve an issue or doing pro bono work, I sincerely enjoy helping people.  In my practice I come in contact with people from all walks of life.  This includes experts in technical and sophisticated areas of science or medicine. I have represented truck drivers, factory workers, house wives, the unemployed, the disabled, children of all ages, engineers, cab drivers, bike messengers and business executives and professionals. I believe that I treat all of my clients with respect and show each of them that I am responsible, reliable, honest and forthcoming.  I am also tenacious and hardworking when it comes to the cases I handle for my clients.

I got my feet wet as a former Trademark Examining Attorney with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), and, since then, have worked for over eight years in the private sector, almost exclusively in the intellectual property (I.P.) field.  I currently work at an I.P. boutique law firm, focusing primarily on trademark (including unfair competition) and copyright legal matters, as well as domain name disputes and Internet law-related issues.. I have represented and assisted clients from one person start-ups to Fortune 100 companies in a wide range of industries, such as insurance and financial services, industrial technology products, game software, and consumer goods.  My representation and client counseling services have included (1) the clearance, registration, maintenance and enforcement of trademarks worldwide; (2) domain name disputes (UDRP & ACPA proceedings) and DMCA as well as other Internet-related matters; (3) intellectual property due diligence matters in connection with the purchase or divestiture of businesses, and conducting I.P. audits; (4) trademark oppositions, cancellations, and ex parte appeals at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board level, as well as trademark, copyright, unfair competition, counterfeiting and related dispute matters before various United States courts; (5) preparation and filing of copyright applications and providing related counseling; and (6) the preparation of Terms of Use and Privacy Policy agreements for web-based businesses, as well as Non-Disclosure Agreements and other documents to protect intellectual property assets.

I am honored to have represented businesses and their owners in numerous fields for many years, including high tech and computer industry clients, retail, manufacturing and service business, in many cases acting as outside general counsel for such companies. I  have achieved an “AV/Preeminent” rating, the highest possible rating, among my peers for legal ability, professional reliability, diligence and ethics. Serving our firm's clients is a privilege and one to be taken seriously, at all times acting in the clients' best interests.