Overview

BFKN congratulates the 36 attorneys named by Best Lawyers in 2023. In a record year, the firm’s recognition includes 29 partners named in the 29th edition of The Best Lawyers in America© and 7 attorneys (5 partners & 2 associates) named in the 3rd edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch. The Ones to Watch list recognizes associates and other lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice. This year’s edition also includes a “Lawyer of the Year” accolade, a distinction awarded to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer-feedback in a specific practice area and geographic region.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Its 29th publication highlights the top 6% of private practicing attorneys in the United States based on more than 13 million evaluations, recognizing just over 66,000 attorneys in 150 practice areas in 76 countries around the world.

Partners of the firm who have been selected for more than 15 years are:

  • Suzanne Bessette-Smith - Real Estate Law
  • Dennis A. Ferrazzano - Real Estate Law
  • John E. Freechack - Banking & Finance Law; Financial Services Regulation Law
  • Howard J. Kirschbaum - Litigation - Real Estate; Real Estate Law
  • Lloyd "Buddy" Ferguson - Franchise Law

We congratulate the following attorneys on being recognized by their peers:

2023 Lawyer of the Year - Chicago, IL

  • Maile Hitomi Solís - Franchise Law

2023 Best Lawyers - Chicago, IL

  • Peter J. Barack - Corporate Law
  • William J. Barrett - Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law
  • Mark J. Beaubien - Real Estate Law
  • Sarah M. Bernstein - Franchise Law
  • Suzanne Bessette-Smith - Real Estate Law
  • Matthew A. Bills - Insurance Law
  • Jeremy T. Bunnow - Real Estate Law
  • Louis Chronowski - Franchise Law
  • Brett A. Feinberg - Real Estate Law
  • Dennis A. Ferrazzano - Real Estate Law
  • Robert M. Fleetwood - Financial Services Regulation Law
  • John E. Freechack - Banking & Finance Law; Financial Services Regulation Law
  • Howard J. Kirschbaum - Litigation - Real Estate; Real Estate Law
  • Amy L. Koenig - Real Estate Law
  • Alexander Lourie - Corporate Law
  • Joshua W. Mahoney - Commercial Litigation
  • Edward F. Malone - Commercial Litigation
  • Donald L. Norman, Jr. - Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Charles E. Picton - Real Estate Law
  • Brandon C. Prosansky - Franchise Law
  • Julie K. Rademaker - Real Estate Law
  • Nathan Q. Rugg - Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency & Reorganization Law
  • Maile Hitomi Solís - Commercial Litigation; Franchise Law
  • James R. Vogler - Franchise Law
  • Dennis R. Wendte - Banking & Finance Law
  • Thomas M. Williams - Advertising Law
  • Steven J. Yatvin - Franchise Law

2023 Best Lawyers - Minneapolis, MN

  • Nicholas H. Callahan - Commercial Litigation

2023 Best Lawyers - Waco, TX

  • Lloyd "Buddy" Ferguson - Franchise Law

2023 Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch - Chicago, IL 

  • Michael Educate - Commercial Litigation
  • Katherine Fritzi Getz - Corporate Law; Securities Regulation
  • Kait E. Kelly - Corporate Law
  • Brandon P. Knop - Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Alice Lin - Real Estate Law; Tax Law
  • Carrie Sear Rummans - Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Ryan V. Smith - Real Estate Law

To learn more about BFKN's The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch rankings,
click here. 

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers has become the oldest and most respected peer review publication in the legal profession, universally regarded as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere. The annual Best Lawyers in America list is a guide to the country’s top attorneys and represents those most nominated and voted on by their peers in specialty areas of law. Rankings are rated on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. Best Lawyers peer-reviewed listings are now published in more than 75 countries around the world.

To learn about Best Lawyers® and their methodology, visit the links below:

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