Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP

Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg is a three-office, Chicago-headquartered firm with sophisticated practices in bankruptcy; compensation and employment; corporate and securities; financial institutions; insurance coverage; intellectual property; litigation; manufacturing, distribution and franchising; motor vehicle; real estate; tax and business planning; and white collar defense and regulatory enforcement. The firm takes a flexible and modern approach with a legal team of more than 100 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; technology; wine and spirits; and energy—and numerous other well-known U.S. and international entities.

Distinctly Different

In 1984, the founding vision of BFKN 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 lawyers 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.

BFKN 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, wine and spirits, and energy. S&P Global Market Intelligence has ranked BFKN 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, BFKN’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

BFKN 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.