A look at our honor classes

BatesCarey LLP — Insurance coverage
It hasn’t taken Patrick Bedell long to earn the trust of his colleagues and clients. Katie Falkenberg, partner at Chicago’s SmithAmundsen, saw this firsthand back in 2005, when she and Bedell represented co-defendants in a declaratory judgment action involving exposure to asbestos. The case was a long and complex one. But…

Simmons Hanly Conroy LLC — Estate planning
Courtney Gregory boasts all the skills you’d expect a top attorney to possess: She has an in-depth knowledge of the law, a tireless work ethic and the ability to craft winning strategies when facing even the most complex of cases. But Gregory also has a deep commitment to her clients. She will do whatever it takes to earn the…

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…

Legal Aid Chicago — Housing law, poverty law
Dennericka Brooks has spent her legal career advocating for some of the most vulnerable individuals in the country: the poor who have lost or are on the brink of losing their homes and children who need legal assistance. Brooks is a supervisory attorney for Legal Aid Chicago, one of the largest civil legal aid organizations in the…

Polsinelli P.C. — Global privacy and security law
Katie Kenney’s fellow attorneys are quick to praise this health-care specialist. And why not? Kenney might only be 35, but she’s already delivered a steady stream of positive results for her clients. It’s why Kenney is quickly gaining a reputation as a top privacy and security specialist in the Chicago region. Kelly…

Swanson, Martin & Bell LLP — Products liability
A command of the issues. That’s what Patrick Clyder’s peers often cite when describing just why this young attorney has risen so quickly among the ranks of Chicago’s products liability specialists. Clyder has the ability to break down even the most complex of cases and translate their details into stories that jurors…

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP — Employment litigation, higher education
How has Sarah Flotte managed to build such a successful employment practice at such a young age? Flotte’s fellow attorneys point to her legal skills, acute business sense and constant professionalism. As Kerryann Haase Minton, managing partner of Michael Best & Friedrich’s Chicago office put it, Flotte “quickly…

Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney Ltd. — Civil litigation
Jill Felkins is an accomplished civil defense litigator known for her successful track record defending clients in areas such as toxic tort, transportation, class action and premises liability cases in Illinois, Indiana and beyond. But she also exhibits a degree of versatility and passion for the law that allows her to take on new and…