Chirag Badlani

Chirag Badlani makes a difference.  Not only has he built a busy practice in diverse areas of the law such as employment, civil rights, class actions, and commercial litigation, he also represents clients in immigration matters before agencies and the federal courts.  And the reason for his success? He gets results for his clients in all facets of his practice. 

One example is the favorable pre-trial settlement Badlani recently obtained for whistleblowers in Lake County, Illinois, who alleged they were fired after making reports of improper spending.  He also served on the trial team representing the bankruptcy trustee in litigation against the directors and officers of the Emerald Casino. The trial resulted in a $272 million verdict that was upheld by a federal appeals court in 2017. 

Badlani is a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform too. He represented a class of individuals challenging the application of cash bail in Cook County, and worked with community groups to advocate for rule changes in Cook County Bond Court and statewide.  He also currently represents indigent individuals in Giles County, Tennessee, who brought constitutional and state law claims challenging user-funded private probation and the use of wealth-based detention. He was instrumental in obtaining preliminary injunctive relief for those clients, and recently, preliminary approval of a class-wide settlement.  

"Chirag has achieved a diversity of practice areas but has an in-depth knowledge and know-how in each one," said Erin McGinley, an attorney with the Chicago office of Jones Day. "From complex class-action litigation to individual employment representation, Chirag can quickly grasp the issues before him and achieve results for his clients."

Badlani’s talents haven't gone unnoticed. He was appointed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to the Illinois Supreme Court Statutory Court Fees Task Force in April 2021 to address access to justice issues.  He also received the LGBT Bar Association 40 Under 40 Award in 2018 and is a frequent speaker on immigration and civil rights issues.

John Sullivan, a lawyer with the Chicago office of Plunkett Cooney, met Badlani when the two were opposing counsel in a commercial dispute in DuPage County. Like others who have worked with Badlani, he came away impressed with this attorney’s legal skills. 

“Chirag was an associate when we first were on opposite sides and showed an ability to master technical issues quickly. He became Partner in 2016 and continued to show strategic judgment and creativity in his lawyering skills," Sullivan said. "In the time we have been on opposite sides, he has been a zealous advocate for his clients on both procedural and substantive issues.”