Super Lawyers Selected (2009-2023)
Matt P. Connelly was admitted to the bar in 1995 after receiving a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois Law School at Chicago. He is licensed and/or admitted in various state and federal courts in Illinois, Missouri, District of Columbia, Florida, Connecticut, Indiana, and Wisconsin. He practices in the areas of commercial/securities litigation, employment/labor law, construction/design defect litigation, transportation/common carrier law, professional malpractice, cyber security – breach response and litigation, insurance coverage litigation, and general tort and product liability law as well as representing clients in various class actions. He has tried numerous jury and bench trials in all areas of litigation.
For more than 20 years, he has counseled privately held businesses and investors on a wide range of matters including mergers and acquisitions, sales, financing, licensing, contract work, cyber law compliance, and other commercial matters. Matt works extensively with the CEOs and senior management teams of clients in industries such as professional services, distributing, manufacturing, software development, and other technology, commercial real estate development, and insurance brokerage. Matt has represented private equity funds and general investors in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and general corporate work in all the aforementioned industries.
He is admitted to practice before various state courts, United States District Courts, and various United States Courts of Appeals. He has co-authored and presented numerous seminar materials and articles on various topics such as legal malpractice, all areas of employment and labor, construction defect/design issues, insurance coverage issues, securities litigation, ERISA matters, and class actions. He was honored as one of the “40 Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois to Watch,” has repeatedly been named in Chicago Magazine’s “Illinois Super Lawyers,” and recently has been named a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a Trial Lawyer Honorary Society.
Position
- Principal / Founder
Areas Of Practice
- Commercial/Securities Litigation
- Construction/Design Defect Litigation
- Transportation/Common Carrier Liability
- Professional Malpractice
- Employment/Labor Litigation
- General Tort/Product Liability Law
- Cyber Security Law
- Trademark/Copyright
- Antitrust
- Commercial Contracts
- Emerging Growth
- Employee Benefits
- Management Representation
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Private Equity
- Technology Transactions, Outsourcing & Deal Support
- Class Actions
Admitted
- Illinois State Bar
- Missouri State Bar
- Indiana State Bar
- Wisconsin State Bar
- U.S. District Court
- Northern District of Illinois
- Southern District of Illinois
- Southern District of Indiana
- Central District of Illinois
- Eastern District of Michigan
- Western District of Michigan
- Southern District of New York
- Eastern District of Wisconsin
- District of Connecticut
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th CircuitU.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
Education
- University of Illinois Law School at Chicago, Illinois, 1995 Juris Doctor
- Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois, 1992 Bachelor of Science
Recognitions/Published Works
- Defenses to the Legal Malpractice Case (Co-Author), IDC Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 2
- Co-authored a number of seminar materials and articles on various topics
- including legal malpractice, sex/race discrimination, insurance coverage for contractors and manufacturers
- Previously selected as one of the youngest “40 Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois to Watch.”
- Awarded the AV Rating by members of the Illinois Bar. The AV Rating in Martindale-Hubbell identifies a lawyer with preeminent legal ability and is a reflection of their expertise, experience, integrity, and overall professional
- excellence. Just 5% of all Lawyers in the U.S. receive this distinguished honor.
- Selected as “Illinois Super Lawyer,” Chicago Magazine*
- Featured In Crain’s Chicago Business: Roundtable on Cybersecurity 2022
Outside Counsel to:
- Scrip Companies
- Premier Design & Build Group
- IHC Construction Companies LLC
- Home Run Inn Inc.
- Monaco Mechanical Inc.
- Avancos Global
- Sutoer Solutions, Inc.
- Power Play Distributors, LLCIllinois Central Sweeping, LLC
- Christensen & Niwinski, Inc.
- Impact Staffing, LLC
- Id Additives, Inc.
- And various others
Civic Involvement
- Former member of the Hemophilia Foundation of Illinois
- Board of Directors
- Foundation for Children in Need
- Pro-bono legal counsel to Board of Directors
- Former Village of Riverside Police Commissioner
- Board of Director
Legal Affiliations
- American Bar Association – Member
- Illinois State Bar Association – Member
- Illinois State Bar Association Privacy & Information Security Law Section Council
- Chicago Bar Association – Member
- Missouri Bar Association – Member
- Federal Bar Association – Member
Other Associations
- Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Fox Valley General Contractors Association
- Illinois Manufacturers’ Association
- Illinois Restaurant Association
- Illinois Road Transportation Builders Association Illinois Trucking Association
- National Association of Independent Insurers
- The Association of Credit and Collection Professionals H.A.C.J.A
- Former committee member to ISRB Committee on Privacy/Cyber Current Director of the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association
* Law Bulletin Publishing Company survey of over 35,000 attorneys in Illinois under the age of 40 wherein 40 were selected by their peers and judges as proven and reputable attorneys to watch.
** Illinois Super Lawyers are chosen by nomination and selection by their peers. Only 5% of the licensed attorneys in Illinois are admitted to this accomplishment.
