John J. Perconti

Founder and Senior Partner

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Best Lawyers 2016 badge - John J. Perconti

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Meet John—Advocate, Expert, Family Man, Trial Attorney

John J. Perconti is a nationally recognized attorney and one of the country’s leading medical malpractice experts, with extensive experience in federal and state courts. As one of the firm’s founding partners, he has worked tirelessly to build Levin & Perconti into one of the nation’s best personal injury firms. John’s excellent record of success representing clients in injury, elder abuse and wrongful death cases can be attributed to both his acclaimed skill as a lawyer and to his acute understanding of what it means for a family to experience a loss.

When John was just a 9-year-old boy growing up in Morton Grove, his father died suddenly, leaving John and his brother and sister to be raised by their mother, who worked as a nurse, and their grandparents. Losing a loved one at such a young age taught him a difficult but valuable lesson, that life is fragile and precious, and that when someone dies the lives of family members are forever changed. From a young age, John knew that he would pursue work helping people. His commitment has only deepened over the years as he became a father to his two daughters, Morgan and Paige.

Initially interested in pursuing medicine, John spent two summers as a Page in the U.S. House of Representatives and two more as a tour guide of the U.S. Capitol. It was there he discovered his love for the law. He changed his major at the University of Illinois from pre-med to pre-law and continued on to John Marshall Law School for his law degree.

John still found a way to put his interest in medicine to good use. His in-depth knowledge of complex medical issues has allowed him to achieve record-setting multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients over the course of his career spanning more than 35 years. In 1992, he merged his practice with Steven Levin, and now the firm employs more than 30 lawyers and has obtained over a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients.

Losing my father at just 9 years old taught me the devasting effects the loss of a father has upon the entire family. When a loved one dies, the lives of family members are changed forever. My career path as an attorney was to fight for people who were wrongfully harmed by the conduct of others. As a founding partner of Levin & Perconti, we have spent over 30 years protecting and vindicating the rights of people injured or had their lives taken by the negligence of others.

John is an active member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Society of Trial Lawyers, The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America and The Justinian Society of Lawyers, and has been a strong voice against tort reform. He is also a member of The National Trial Lawyers, an organization composed of The Top 100 Trial Lawyers from each state, and is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.

John has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2013 in the field of Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. He has received an “AV” rating from the Martindale-Hubbell American Law Directory, indicating preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards. He has also been named one of Illinois’ top litigators by Leading Lawyers Network and achieved a Lead Counsel Rating in Elder Law.

John is also included in Chicago Magazine’s Illinois: The Top 100 list, a listing of lawyers who topped the Illinois Super Lawyers nomination, research and review process. He has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since 2005.

John's firm has recovered nearly a billion on behalf of their clients including the following notable results:

$40M

birth injury verdict

$29M

on behalf of a child who suffered brain damage and other injuries after a delayed cesarian section

$20M

jury verdict for a child who suffered a catastrophic hypoxic-ischemic brain injury due to, among other things, mismanagement of abnormal fetal heart rate tracings during labor and delivery

$16M

birth injury settlement

$14M

birth injury settlement

$10M

settlement for a 5-year-old boy who lost his leg when he was run over by a fire truck

$9.75M

missed diagnosis settlement

$6.5M

settlement for a young girl who suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of an inexperienced physician’s failure to perform a timely c-section

$6M

settlement for two families who lost six children in an apartment fire

$5.35M

verdict against a Chicago hospital for the family of an 18-year-old woman who died when hospital staff failed to diagnose her with postpartum cardiomyopathy

$4.5M

Jones Act settlement for a deckhand whose leg was injured on a barge and required an above-the-knee amputation

$4.29M

medical malpractice settlement for a 38-year-old woman who died as a result of a hospital and 5 physicians failing to recognize and treat a pericardial effusion, causing cardiac tamponade

John's record-setting multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements

$14 MILLION

record failure to diagnose cancer verdict in Illinois for a woman whose doctor delayed her diagnosis of lung cancer

$7.5 MILLION

record Illinois Jones Act settlement for a boat worker who was injured in a boat explosion in Alton, IL

$6.5 MILLION

record-high settlement for a Kane County wrongful death claim for the family of a 32-year-old woman killed in a trucking accident

Education

J.D., John Marshall Law School, 1982

Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Assistant Attorney General, representing all state agencies in civil litigation, 1983-1986

B.A., University of Illinois, 1979

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

Illinois, 1982
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1982

Professional & Bar Association Memberships

Past and Present memberships and positions

Illinois State Bar Association, Member
Chicago Bar Association, Member
American Association for Justice, Member
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member, Medical Negligence Committee
The Society of Trial Lawyers, Member
Justinian Society of Lawyers, Member, DuPage and Cook County Chapters
Illinois Super Lawyer, Member
Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, Member
Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America, Member
National Italian American Bar Association, Member
American Board of Trial Advocates, Member

Awards & Honors

The Best Lawyers in America®: Medical Malpractice Law: Plaintiffs, 2013-2024
The Best Lawyers in America®: Personal Injury Litigation: Plaintiffs, 2013-2024
Illinois Super Lawyers®: Personal Injury, 2005-2006, 2008-2024
Illinois Super Lawyers®: Illinois Top 100, 2013-2021
Leading Lawyers: Leading Lawyer, 2003-2023
Leading Lawyers: Top 10 Lawyer: Nursing Home Negligence, 2021-2022
Leading Lawyers: Personal Injury: Plaintiff, 2021
Leading Lawyers: Top Lawyers in Illinois
Top 50 Medical Malpractice Settlements in the United States, 2020
Top 100 Wrongful Death Settlement, 2020
Top 20 Illinois Settlement, 2020
Jury Verdict Reporter: Trial Excellence Award: Highest Jones Act Settlement: Illinois, 2015
Chicago Lawyer Magazine: Illinois Top 100 Attorneys, 2013
Nursing Home National Trial Lawyers: Top 10 Lawyer
Jury Verdict Reporter: Plaintiff Attorney Achievement Award, 2024

Professional Presentations

Presented to the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Webinar, “How to Successfully Sue Nursing Homes,” Chicago, IL.
Presenter at 20th Annual Elder Rights Conference, “Litigation and Advocacy Tips,” Chicago, IL.
Faculty presenter for Lorman Education Services: “An Update on Supreme Court Rule 213(f) and (g) in Illinois.”
American Trial Lawyers Association, National College of Advocacy, “Litigating Rezulin Cases.”
Chicago Bar Association, “Federal Expert Witness Practice.”

Client Testimonials

My brother and I lost our mom while she was recovering in a nursing home in 2016. Nobody was able to answer our questions. What happened? Why did it happen? Could it have been avoided? If so, what steps could be implemented to help others in the future? We spoke with several different attorneys. However, some did not want to take the case and others, we felt uncomfortable representing us. From our first meeting with Megan, and each subsequent meeting with [Levin & Perconti], John Perconti, and their staff, my brother and I knew we were with the right law firm to represent us. They respectfully gathered all the information, reviewed it in a prompt manner and, quickly replied with honest feedback. They confirmed that: 1) There was a legitimate case. 2) They would gladly handle this case. Contracts were signed. All terms were clearly explained. They maintained regular contact with us at each step in the case. John and his team were clear, articulate, professional and well prepared. They were ready to play hardball but, they preferred to be nice/kind. And nice they were. My brother and I received everything we requested. 1). Clear answers to how our mom died. 2). The nursing home implemented immediate training and protocols to ensure that this would not happen again. 3). While no dollar amount can replace the loss of our mom, John Perconti and his team rendered an exceptional settlement, far greater than we had anticipated. If you’re reading this review, I send love, blessings and hope for a kind and gentle resolution to your circumstances. Hopefully, your search for a reputable law firm to handle your case will stop with Levin & Perconti. Whatever happens, consider placing your trust in John Perconti and rest of the team at Levin & Perconti. They gave us their absolute best and it was well worth it.

Since the very beginning of the proceedings, the staff here have been very courteous and helpful. Their response time was lightening fast, they cared about the case, and they were very knowledgeable pertaining to everything. I HIGHLY recommend this law firm to anyone in need of their services.

Thank you to Levin and Perconti for all that you have done for my family. I would highly recommend anyone who has experienced medical malpractice to reach out to this firm. All the lawyers that worked on my case were familiar with the medical terminology and law which helped them to be prepared for a case like mine. The lawyers always made sure that my husband and I were aware of what was going on with our case and how long to expect a wait. The lawyers made sure that we were comfortable with every decision that they made and they advocated on behalf of me and my family in an fair but aggressive manner. Our lives will never be "normal" because of the malpractice but this firm made sure that we will live comfortably for the rest of our lives. They are more than lawyers to me they have become my family. They gave my family a chance to dream and hope again. Special thanks to Steve, Margaret, and John for giving my family a chance to live.

Levin & Perconti has the best of the best. marvett and her team is phenomenal. so caring and helpful. I truly believe that I have the best of the best guardian angels to help me get thru this and I am so thankful to have them on my side. I am so glad that I reached out to Levin & Perconti. they are the best. you will not be disappointed.

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