Jeffrey N. Smith

Jeffrey L. Rudd is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Jeffrey L., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew R. Kipp concentrates in complex commercial litigation and governmental investigations. His experience includes representing clients in federal, state and arbitral tribunals, and in all phases of litigation, at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Kipp has represented a variety of companies or their audit committees in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission into alleged accounting irregularities and improper business practices, including General Mills, Inc., The H...

Nick is of counsel in the firm’s Securities Litigation & Regulatory practice group. A trial lawyer with 40 years of experience, he defends financial services firms and their employees in securities matters all over the country. Nick’s practice encompasses the full range of investor-based disputes and regulatory enforcement proceedings, as well as disputes arising out of employment practices in the financial services industry. He also handles internal investigations and investi...

Melissa A. Siebert is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants. Melissa A., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melissa A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Leonidas L. Bezanis II , a partner at Beermann LLP , brings extensive experience in litigation, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution to help clients navigate a wide range of family law matters. Whether representing high-net-worth individuals, high-profile clients, or families facing life’s challenges, Mr. Bezanis approaches each case with the same dedication, ensuring that every client feels understood and supported. His ability to handle complex financial estates and intricate...

Timothy S. Schafer is the founding partner of Schafer & Schafer and a seasoned trial lawyer with more than four decades of experience fighting for the injured. Over the course of his career, he’s recovered more than $500 million in verdicts and settlements, including over 100 individual cases where he secured $1 million or more. Timothy has been consistently recognized as one of the top trial lawyers in Indiana and the country, earning honors like Best Lawyer of the Year by U.S. New...

Richard “Rush” Howell is a litigation partner in Kirkland’s Chicago office. Recognized as a trial lawyer companies call when the issues are too important not to fight, Rush has significant experience serving as trial counsel for companies in high-profile restructuring and product liability cases and representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a wide array of business disputes. His practice spans commercial litigation, restructuring, data security an...

Stephanie Samz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Patent Law. Stephanie, who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stephanie is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mr. Kilyk practices exclusively in the field of intellectual property law, especially patent law. Mr. Kilyk specializes in patent post-grant review proceedings, inter partes reexaminations, interferences, and oppositions, as well as legal opinions, prosecution, and litigation matters, with specific concentration in the areas of biotechnology, chemistry, and pharmaceuticals. Recent technologies with which he has been involved include biosimilars, new chemical compounds, nucleic acid sequences,...

Stephen Wu is a nationally recognized antitrust lawyer who focuses his practice on defending antitrust litigation in federal courts around the country, defending mergers and acquisitions before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division and State Attorneys General and counseling clients on antitrust compliance issues. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/wu-stephen/