Barack Ferrazzano

Barack Ferrazzano is a two-office, Chicago-headquartered firm with sophisticated practices in bankruptcy; compensation and benefits; corporate and securities; employment; financial institutions; insurance coverage; intellectual property; litigation; motor vehicle; real estate; and tax and business planning. The firm takes a flexible and modern approach with a legal team of more than 120 attorneys, and its clients represent some of the most internationally renowned companies over a wide range of industries—including fashion, luxury goods, and retail; manufacturing; motor vehicle; financial services and fintech; and private equity and venture capital —and numerous other well-known U.S. and international entities.

Distinctly Different

In 1984, the founding vision of Barack Ferrazzano was to create a new model that departed from the standard "mega-firm" approach and, instead, focused on delivering efficient, team-oriented services of the highest quality. The founding partners—two highly respected law professors at Northwestern University and two former members of a prominent Chicago firm—were soon joined by like-minded colleagues also seeking an alternative to the large law firm environment. The firm's efficient structure and staffing philosophy allows them to build skillful teams designed to bring the strongest talent possible to every challenge.

Leading Litigators and Tough Transactional Attorneys 

The Litigation Group trial attorneys have been selected by some of the world’s most prominent companies for representation in their most significant lawsuits in state and federal courts throughout the United States, handling a variety of cases, including disputes concerning contracts, motor vehicle franchises, trade secrets, licensing, consumer class actions, real estate, professional liability, civil RICO and conspiracy actions, director and officer matters, negligence and product liability, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, securities and derivative securities, and bank regulatory and other financial disputes.

Barack Ferrazzano also houses internationally renowned transactional practices, handling large-scale mergers and acquisitions for companies in finance, as well as in industries such as luxury goods, retailing, manufacturing, private equity and venture capital, and insurance. S&P Global Market Intelligence has ranked Barack Ferrazzano one of the top firms in the U.S.—and the top in the Midwest for the last decade—in bank and thrift M&A transactions. The firm’s real estate practice is consistently top ranked by U.S. News Best Lawyers/Law Firms and Chambers USA. In addition, Barack Ferrazzano’s Intellectual Property practice group assists fashion and luxury brands and other U.S. and international clients with trademark clearance and counseling, copyright services, and IP-related litigation.

A Sum of its Parts

Barack Ferrazzano selects attorneys from the most renowned law firms and top law schools. A number of attorneys write and speak on various legal, political, and social topics for industry conferences and education programs, both in the U.S. and abroad. Individual attorneys are recognized in their respective practices and industries and hold leadership positions in professional organizations. Firm attorneys include several adjunct professors and instructors of courses at law and business universities, chairs of industry associations and committees, nonprofit boards of directors, a major contributor to the revision of the Illinois Business Corporation Act, and several diversity and community outreach organization leaders.

• Represented LVMH in connection with the sale of the Marc Jacobs brand to WHP Global and G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. (Nasdaq: GIII). The transaction involved G-III’s acquisition of the Marc Jacobs’ operating business and the formation of a joint venture, co-owned equally by WHP Global and G-III, to own and grow Marc Jacobs’ intellectual property, with WHP Global leading global brand licensing and G-III leading the operating business.
• Represented Audi of America, Inc., and Volkswagen of America, Inc., in securing three consecutive victories before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, defeating a multiple dealership buy-sell transaction that sought to circumvent Audi and VW's rights of first refusal over dealership and real estate assets.
• Represented LVMH in connection with design and construction documents for partial redevelopment of LVMH Tower at 19 East 57th Street and 598 Madison Avenue in New York, NY.
• Since 2000, S&P Global Market Intelligence rankings have listed Barack Ferrazzano as one of the top firms in the nation in the number of announced bank and thrift M&A  transactions, ranking No. 1 in the Midwest and No. 3 in the United States. The firm has represented buyers and sellers of financial institutions in more than 300 mergers and acquisitions.

• Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification Plus, 2023-2025—Diversity Lab
• Top Ranked Midsize Law Firm in Chicago, 2022 through 2026-2027—Vault
• Ranked in Real Estate; Intellectual Property: Trademark, Copyright & Trade Secrets; Financial Services Regulation: Financial Institutions M&A; Transportation: Road (Automotive); Corporate/M&A & Private Equity; Litigation: General Commercial; and FinTech Legal, 2026—Chambers USA
• 13 national and 14 metropolitan rankings among Best Law Firms for Advertising Law, Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Financial Services Regulation Law, Franchise Law, Insurance Law, Litigation— Bankruptcy, Litigation—Real Estate, Real Estate Law, Securities Regulation, and Trademark law, 2026—U.S. News—Best Lawyers
• Shortlisted as Illinois Litigation Firm of the Year, 2022-2026—Benchmark Litigation