Antonio M. Romanucci

Antonio M. Romanucci has lived his commitment to justice, from his early work as a Cook County Public Defender to being named Leading Lawyers’ Number One Civil Rights Lawyer and Chicago Lawyer Magazine’s 2021 Person of the Year. Chicago Magazine also recognized him on their ‘New Power 30’ list and Crain’s The Book 2024 for his many contributions to the Chicago community. As a founding partner of the Chicago-based trial firm of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, he has fought fiercely for victims of negligence, abuse, and wrongful death arising from cases of Civil Rights & Police Misconduct, Mass Torts & Class Actions, as well as Medical Malpractice and other catastrophic personal injuries. In the more than 25 years since co-founding R&B, he has taken pride in its impact litigation for clients around the country, as well as the firm’s contributions to legislation related to its cases, which aim to improve safety in communities.

Referred to as the “architect” of the record-breaking and historic civil lawsuit alongside Ben Crump against the City of Minneapolis and four of its police officers for the murder of George Floyd, Mr. Romanucci also has a steadfast commitment to fighting for those seeking justice across the country. He is a recognized leader in complex, high-profile tort cases. Mr. Crump praised Mr. Romanucci’s commitment to all clients, saying, “When it’s not the George Floyd cases, he still is as passionate as ever working on those cases that get no attention.” Mr. Romanucci’s vast experience has earned him the admiration of his colleagues, who have supported his rise to leadership positions locally and nationally. Following the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, he was appointed to the legal steering committee, which helped obtain a settlement with MGM Resorts International worth up to $800 million for thousands of victims and relatives affected. In February 2020, Romanucci was appointed to the Executive Leadership of attorneys in the 737MAX case against Boeing International. More recently, he has represented the family of Tyre Nichols, a former Chicago Blackhawks player abused by a coach and survivors and families of those impacted by mass shootings around the country. He was also part of the legal team that won a historic $98 million verdict in Dallas in November 2024 for the shooting death of Botham Jean by former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger.

Outside the courtroom, Mr. Romanucci participates in many professional and charitable organizations. He was president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association in 2019-2020 and served as Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee. He has held multiple leadership roles for the American Association for Justice, including serving as a member of the Executive Committee, National Finance Committee, Exchange Advisory Committee and Evergreen Advisory Board, as well as prior roles as Judiciary Liaison for the state of Illinois. AAJ has honored and recognized him with several awards, including the Above and Beyond Award and the Distinguished Service Award. He was on the Board of Governors of the Chicago Bar Association and in 2017 served as Chair of “A Path Towards Solutions: A Summit on Curbing the Violence in Chicago” hosted by the Chicago Bar Association, in addition to a subsequent Lawyers Call to Action event to directly aid those in Chicago most impacted by gun violence. He is a founding chairman of the Midwest Brain Injury Clubhouse and a founder of the Justinian Society of Lawyers Charitable Endowment Fund, which annually awards thousands of dollars to charitable organizations.

Often called upon by the media as a legal expert, Mr. Romanucci appears regularly on local and national television to comment on his cases, as well as other high-profile legal matters and trends throughout the country. He has been featured by CNN, CBS This Morning, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Associated Press, and others.

Mr. Romanucci has been widely recognized for his insight and experience and has been named repeatedly as a Top 100 Super Lawyer in Illinois, a Top 10 Leading Plaintiff Lawyer in Illinois by Leading Lawyers, and appears consistently on the list of The Best Lawyers in America©. He maintains a perfect Martindale-Hubbell AV rating and an AVVO rating of 10/10.

Mr. Romanucci earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin in 1982 and earned his law degree from UIC John Marshall Law School in 1985. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, along with numerous other pro hac vice admissions throughout the country.