Overview
For the 15th consecutive year, BFKN is pleased to announce its continued recognition by Chambers USA as a top-ranking law firm. With the release of the 2022 edition, the Real Estate Group – a cornerstone of the firm since its founding – received its 15th Band 1 ranking, the Financial Institutions Group was honored with a Nationwide Band 4 ranking, and for the second time, the Intellectual Property and Litigation Groups received recognition in Illinois with band 5 and 2 rankings respectively.
For the first time, Chambers USA individually recognized John E. Freechack (Financial Services Regulation: Financial Institutions M&A – Band 3) in Illinois:
- John is the founder and co-chair of the Firm's Financial Institutions Group and has advised hundreds of financial institutions on strategic, corporate governance and other matters for over 30 years. His extensive experience includes the representation of numerous public companies, as well as regional and community banks. John spends considerable time counseling institutions and their boards with respect to mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory issues, corporate governance and securities law matters.
Chambers USA also individually recognized the following attorneys in Illinois, many of whom have been named for several years:
- William J. Barrett (Bankruptcy/Restructuring – Band 3)
The former co-chair of the Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights Group, Bill has more than 30 years of experience handling virtually all types of complex bankruptcy issues. Respected for his substantive command of bankruptcy law, Bill represents secured creditors, landlords, franchisors, suppliers, avoidance action defendants, and asset purchasers in Chapter 11 cases and other insolvency proceedings. One source describes him as “smart and a good advocate for his clients.” - Mark J. Beaubien (Real Estate – Band 4)
With more than 20 years of experience, Mark focuses on providing clients with practical solutions and strategic direction regarding commercial acquisitions and dispositions, and joint ventures for publicly-traded REITs. He handles a wide gamut of real estate transactions including recent work on asset acquisitions and real estate finance. One source said, "He is a very strong lawyer and is very technically gifted." - Suzanne Bessette-Smith (Real Estate – Band 3)
Suzanne is the Co-chair of the Real Estate Group. She concentrates her practice on commercial real estate and related corporate, securities, and business planning matters with an emphasis on the industrial, hospitality and office sectors, as well as REITs. Throughout her more than 35 year legal career, Suzanne has been lauded by clients and peers for her business acumen and industry knowledge, described by a source as “outstanding to work with” and “incredibly pragmatic, we could cut to the chase and get the deal done." - Dennis A. Ferrazzano (Real Estate – Senior Statesperson)
Dennis is a founding partner of the firm, and is highly regarded by both peers and clients for his tremendous knowledge in a broad array of real estate transactions. Throughout his more than 50 year career, Dennis has represented clients in commercial real estate transactions, as well as corporate, securities, and business planning matters. One interviewee said, “He is incisive and hyper-pragmatic" and “is phenomenal; he's very efficient to work with." - Howard J. Kirschbaum (Real Estate – Band 2)
Howard is a founding partner of the firm and former co-chair of the Real Estate Group. He has more than 40 years of experience in commercial real estate transactions, business planning matters, and real estate related litigation. One interviewee describes him as “an excellent attorney and a great lawyer” with “a very good reputation." - Scott J. Slavick (Intellectual Property – Band 3)
Scott is the Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Group and has more than 20 years of experience representing high-profile clients in all types of intellectual property matters. Whether devising unique strategies to provide maximum international trademark protection, searching and clearing new global brands on a rushed timeline, reviewing new marketing programs, or advising on risks with respect to social media marketing, Scott gets the job done efficiently and cost-effectively so his clients can get back to business. One interviewee describes him as “detail-oriented and extremely responsive…. very knowledgeable and always looking for ways to creatively help clients.” - Kait E. Kelly (Corporate & Securities – Associate to Watch)
Kait is an Associate in the Corporate & Securities and Fashion, Luxury & Retail Groups. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and other strategic transactions. Kait counsels both domestic and international clients in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, technology, and consumer products, but she concentrates the majority of her time in the fashion, luxury and retail and wines and spirits industries. One interviewee said, “She is smart, earnest and dedicated” and “keeps the fast-paced negotiation process organized and brings a calm, measured demeanor to discussions.”
To view BFKN's 2022 Chambers USA results, visit: https://chambers.com/law-firm/barack-ferrazzano-kirschbaum-nagelberg-llp-usa-5:66923
About Chambers USA
Chambers USA, a Chambers & Partners publication, is the definitive resource for businesses seeking external legal counsel in the U.S. Chambers USA bases its rankings on the research into the strengths and reputations of law firms and individuals. Each year, a team of researchers conducts thousands of in-depth, confidential interviews with lawyers and their clients worldwide. Chambers assesses the results and ranks law firms and lawyers according to the criteria most valued by clients. In a survey independent of Chambers, more than 50% of 20,000 in-house counsel around the world chose Chambers as the "go-to" source to identify law firms and lawyers. To learn more about Chambers methodology, click here.