Gary Feinerman helps to enhance the firm's litigation practice in Chicago
Latham & Watkins LLP has welcomed Gary Feinerman – a former district judge of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and former solicitor general of Illinois – to the firm’s Chicago office. He joins as a partner in the complex commercial litigation practice, and member of the litigation & trial department.
Nominated to the district court by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2010, Feinerman left the bench on December 31, 2022.
At Latham, Feinerman will handle a broad spectrum of commercial and other high-stakes litigation, with a particular focus on trials and appellate advocacy.
“Gary leaves the bench as one of the most well-respected judges in Illinois. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome him to our elite global team of trial lawyers and litigators, and to our dynamic Chicago group,” said Sean Berkowitz, global chair of Latham’s complex commercial litigation practice.
“With tremendous experience garnered from years not only on the bench but also in private practice and in multiple government roles, Gary is incredibly versatile, and his unique insights will be invaluable to clients as they navigate their most challenging disputes,” he added.
Prior to his 12 years on the bench, Feinerman served in a number of government roles. He spent two years at the US Department of Justice as counsel in the office of policy development (1994-1996), with some of that time on assignment to the White House Counsel’s Office. From 2003-2007, Feinerman served as solicitor general for the State of Illinois, where he led a team of forty lawyers handling the State’s appellate litigation in state and federal court, and was part of the attorney general’s leadership team.
In the intervening years, he spent a decade in private practice, first as an associate and partner at Mayer Brown LLP, and later as a partner at Sidley Austin LLP before taking the bench.
“We’re fortunate to have the best of the best transactional and litigation teams in Chicago, with seamless integration across the global Latham platform,” said Mary Rose Alexander, managing partner of Latham’s Chicago office.
Feinerman added: “When it comes to litigation prowess, innovation, and capabilities, Latham is one of the most well-regarded firms – not only in Chicago, but around the world. For good reason – the firm’s culture of client service and entrepreneurship, and its commitment to pro bono service is renowned. I could think of no better place to start this next chapter of my career. I’m looking forward to engaging with the many talented lawyers in the firm, and to applying my experience and insights to cutting-edge commercial and other matters.”
