Bartlit Beck is celebrated among peers for forging a template of what many aspire to; the firm’s name is one of the most frequently referenced by maverick litigators who calve off of larger “Big Law” institutions and forge their own shops. One peer declares, “They set the standard for litigation boutiques in the US. Most people setting up litigation shops owe at least some debt to Bartlit Beck, whether they know it or not.” Ironically, the runaway success that the firm has experienced with its business model has caused it to outgrow its “boutique” status; the firm now has more than 40 partners practicing in its offices in Chicago and Denver. “Yes, they’re like a boutique on steroids now,” sums up one peer. “The big difference between them and a boutique is that it’s not ‘eat-what-you-kill’ and it’s not just a ‘one-star’ system. They have the bench depth! They don’t need to take on all the cases to make a lot of money, they can just take the lead on two or three and just do a great job on them. That puts the client more at ease because they feel like they will get more attention.”
While Bartlit Beck has arguably demonstrated its most high-profile successes in the fields of product liability, intellectual property and antitrust, the firm’s generalist approach has ensured that it is certainly not limited to these practices by any means.
While the firm’s legacy as a gold-standard trial-centric litigation powerhouse remains unchanged throughout the years, one noticeable change that has played out is the transition of generational talent and the work being managed by these groomed ranks of personnel. Based in the Denver office, Kat Hacker led Bayer-Monsanto to a victorious verdict in a trial in Missouri concerning allegations of the client’s Roundup herbicide causing cancer. “The snowball momentum has continued for Kat Hacker,” observes a peer. “Bartlit Beck in general seems very busy, and Kat in particular has been very impressive.” Hacker serves as lead national coordinating counsel on fraudulent-transfer claims for three DuPont entities in over 6,000 cases pending across the country related to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In these cases, plaintiffs allege that DuPont engaged in a series of corporate transactions to try to fraudulently transfer assets to avoid paying potential judgments. “These are ugly, nasty cases, but Kat doesn’t flinch from them!” Also based in Denver, Karma Giulianelli has emerged as what peers identify as “an antitrust rockstar, who is also doing plaintiff work!” In one such example of this, Giulianelli represented a class of consumers that purchased applications and in-app products on Android-compatible mobile devices in a case against Google, alleging monopolization of the application distribution market for Android devices and the associated aftermarket for in-app purchases. The case alleged that through a series of contractual restrictions and other anticompetitive conduct, Google's Play Store obtained a monopoly over the distribution of applications, allowing Google to generally charge a 30% commission for all application and "in-app" purchases. Following Giulianelli’s appointment as lead counsel, many State Attorneys' General followed suit, and the teams worked together on a novel joint prosecution effort, which culminated in a settlement prior to a planned trial.
In the Chicago office, Rebecca Weinstein Bacon continues to enjoy a status as a peer favorite on the strength of her versatility and trial acuity across a spectrum of practice areas. Bacon and Chicago future star
Luke Beasley triumphed for Align Technology in two AAA Arbitrations and confirmation proceedings. Both concerned breach-of-contract claims related to Strategic Supply and Operating Agreements between Align Technology and SmileDirectClub In one case, Align was the defendant; in the other, Align was the plaintiff.
Sean Gallagher represents Hamilton Sundstrand in a series of personal-injury lawsuits alleging exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) due to the operation of an industrial facility that a predecessor company owned and operated during the 1970s and 1980s. TCE was detected in the community water supply in the late 1990s and it has been detected in area soil and groundwater as well as ambient air in nearby houses. The plaintiffs in these cases include former employees and area residents with various injuries and ailments that they attribute to occupational or environmental exposures to TCE. A trial was held in August 2023, and a Missouri jury returned a complete defense verdict later that month. A peer insists, “You need to recognize Jason Peltz – he is the managing partner there, but he also has his own very cutting-edge litigation on the go.” Peltz and
Hamilton Hill represented Collins Aerospace in a suit brought by Boeing for breach of contract and warranty. Boeing alleged that Collins (a supplier) breached certain contracts related to components Collins provided for the CST-100 Starliner Space Vehicle. The parties settled their dispute in late 2023. Peltz and
Brian Swanson also act for Raytheon in another breach-of-contract case brought by Boeing in Missouri Circuit Court relating to landing gear, avionics, and other various components on the F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets. The case was settled in late 2023.
