Overview

BFKN congratulates the 46 lawyers named by Best Lawyers in 2024. In a record year, the firm’s recognition includes 30 partners named in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America© and 16 lawyers (7 partners & 9 associates) named in the 4th 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 30th publication highlights the top 6% of private practicing lawyers in the United States based on more than 13 million evaluations, recognizing just over 158,000 lawyers in 150 practice areas in 76 countries around the world.

We congratulate the following BFKN lawyers on being recognized by their peers:

2024 Lawyer of the Year - Chicago, IL

  • Thomas M. Williams (Advertising Law)

2024 Best Lawyers - Chicago, IL

  • William J. Barrett (Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization Law)
  • Mark J. Beaubien (Real Estate Law)
  • Sarah M. Bernstein (Corporate Law; Franchise Law)
  • Suzanne Bessette-Smith (Real Estate Law)
  • Matthew A. Bills (Commercial Litigation; Insurance Law)
  • Jeremy T. Bunnow (Real Estate Law)
  • Louis S. Chronowski (Franchise Law)
  • Brett A. Feinberg (Real Estate Law)
  • Lloyd "Buddy" Ferguson (Commercial Litigation; Franchise Law)
  • Dennis A. Ferrazzano (Real Estate Law)
  • Robert M. Fleetwood (Financial Services Regulation Law)
  • John E. Freechack (Banking & Finance Law; Financial Services Regulation Law)
  • John M. Geiringer (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)
  • Richard S. Nikchevich (Real Estate Law)
  • 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; Litigation - Bankruptcy)
  • Scott J. Slavick (Trademark 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)

2024 Best Lawyers - Wayzata, MN

  • Nicholas H. Callahan (Commercial Litigation)

2024 Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch - Chicago, IL 

  • Josh Bashioum (Real Estate Law)
  • Corwin J. Carr (Litigation - Labor & Employment)
  • Will Cronin (Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
  • Carmel I. Dooling (Intellectual Property Law; Litigation - Intellectual Property)
  • Michael Educate (Commercial Litigation)
  • Connor T. Gants (Commercial Litigation)
  • Katherine Fritzi Getz (Corporate Law; Securities Regulation)
  • Kait E. Kelly (Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
  • Brandon P. Knop (Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
  • Neil R. Patel (Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
  • Megan Ratia (Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
  • Carrie Sear Rummans (Commercial Litigation; Product Liability Litigation - Defendants)
  • Ryan V. Smith (Real Estate Law)
  • Megan E. Toal (Tax Law)
  • Zoe Xiuha Uvin (Mergers & Acquisitions Law)
  • Katie E. Yonover (Corporate 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 lawyers 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 lawyers 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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