Levin & Perconti Partner Serving as Chair of The American Association for Justice’s Nursing Home Litigation Group
Michael F. Bonamarte IV, a partner at Levin & Perconti has committed to supporting The American Association for Justice’s Nursing Home Litigation Group as the 2019-2020 term Chairman. Bonamarte, who will collaborate alongside many other knowledgeable members, will be leading a crucial role in advocating for safety and accountability in nursing home facilities.
“We provide our members — who represent our nation’s seniors and their families — with education on developments in case law and regulation and foster collaboration so that members can share knowledge and strategies,” Bonamarte recently told the Chicago Law Bulletin. “The group enables lawyers to stand up for the most vulnerable people in our society. It is my honor to take the reins as chair for the 2019-2020 term and I look forward to continuing the group’s work in various areas.”
In this leadership role, Bonamarte says he will focus on collaboration, education and recruitment efforts for the group.
- Collaboration: A Focus on Forced Arbitration
Corporate nursing homes routinely hide forced arbitration clauses in the fine print of admissions contracts. The nursing home residents and their families who sign them rarely understand that they are forfeiting their access to the civil justice system. Nursing home litigators will continue to advocate for their clients and against this unfair practice. Further, they can count on the litigation group to assist them in their work. In his chair role, Bonamarte plans to collaborate with consumer advocacy groups to further raise awareness of this pernicious denial of nursing home residents’ legal rights and fight for a return to accountability.
- Education: Continuing Legal Support
The litigation group provides in-depth education for its members, whether through seminars at its annual conference or the “colleges” that offer professional development around topics in our practice area.
“As a member, I have learned a great deal from the CLE programs, and I will be working with the CLE committee to launch new topics in this space,” said Bonamarte.
- Recruitment: Building Reputation and Enhancing Representation
The litigation group has a reputation as a resource for lawyers that it needs little marketing to recruit new members. Bonamarte plans to be on the lookout for new ways to reach out to lawyers and communicate with them thru sharing knowledge, strategies and referrals. Seminars will also be a great way to attract well-known speakers and strengthen a culture that reminds attorneys we’re all in this profession together.
“On a personal note, my election to the position of chair is especially meaningful given that my mentor and a founding partner of my firm, Steve Levin, is one of the founding members of the litigation group as a past chair,” continued Bonamarte. “It is an honor to follow in his footsteps and I look forward to serving my colleagues throughout this term.”
Additionally, Bonamarte works with the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and the Justinian Society of Lawyers and travels both locally and nationally to speak at bar associations and community groups. He joined Levin & Perconti as an associate attorney in August 2005, was named as one of the Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s “40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch” in 2010 and became a partner at Levin & Perconti in 2014. He is the youngest attorney in the firm’s history to be made partner.
Join us in congratulating Mike on his continued commitment to the profession by reaching out to him at mfb@levinperconti.com.
