A look at our honor classes

Neal Gerber & Eisenberg LLP — Intellectual property law, privacy law
Greg Leighton ranks as one of the most sought-after data privacy and intellectual property attorneys in Chicago’s legal community. His peers say that few lawyers boast as deep an understanding of this always-evolving field. This knowledge has paid off. Leighton has built a deep and skilled practice group in data privacy and…

Perkins Coie LLP — Corporate law
For many, the lottery conjurs up thoughts of random drawings, dreams of jackpots and everything a player could do with their winnings. The contract to privatize the Illinois Lottery would be none of these. Instead, it was a challenging victory. Only three states – Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey – operate under a private…

Power Rogers & Smith LLP — Plaintiffs’ personal injury and medical malpractice
Limitless energy, passion and organization, combined with a wealth of legal knowledge and skill. That’s what Kathryn Conway’s peers point to when describing how this plaintiffs’ personal injury litigator has risen to the top of her profession. Conway, with Chicago’s Power Rogers & Smith, has already…

Jenner & Block LLP — Intellectual property law, patent litigation
It hasn’t taken long for Sara Tonnies Horton to build a reputation as one of the top life sciences, intellectual property and patent law specialists in the city of Chicago and around the country. That’s partly thanks to her legal skills, work ethic and her knack for earning the best possible results for her clients. Word…

Locke Lord LLP — Intellectual property law, patent litigation
Carolyn Blessing boasts a key skill: She can distill the facts of even the most complex pharmaceutical patent cases into winning strategies for her clients. The reason? Blessing’s peers say this intellectual property and patent litigation specialist relies on her extensive knowledge of science and the law. Karen Carroll with the…

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP — Regulatory and compliance, consumer law
Vaishali Rao is blazing a difficult trail by developing and leading a regulatory and compliance practice at Hinshaw based on her prior successes in public service. She has earned many victories for her clients during her career specializing in consumer law. But one of her greatest wins? When her work helped homeowners and communities…

Much Shelist P.C. — Real estate transactions and financing
Much Shelist attorney Patrick Brennan combines excellent legal counsel and outstanding negotiating skills to craft successful strategies for his clients. Nicholas Chulos, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary for Chicago-based First Midwest Bancorp, was Brennan’s first mentor when the pair were…

Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP — Employee benefits
Dan Salemi’s peers say that this employee benefits specialist has a unique ability: He can make the most complex benefits and ERISA issues understandable to his clients. This is an important skill. And it’s one reason why Salemi has built a thriving employee benefits practice at such a young age. As nominator Edward Druck,…