Luke DeGrand

Bio | Qualifications | Publications and Admissions

Following his experience as an associate for two established Chicago law firms, Luke DeGrand began his own practice more than 20 years ago. In that time, he has enjoyed the variety that comes with a small firm practice. For example, Luke has represented a pension plan in the defense of a federal ERISA class action; he has tried cases ranging from employment discrimination to attorney malpractice; and he has represented a death row inmate in the pursuit of post-conviction relief at the trial level and before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Luke has appeared in courtrooms from Nevada to Florida, Missouri to Boston. He has argued appeals before the Illinois Supreme Court, the Appellate Court of Illinois, the United States Courts of Appeals for the First and Seventh Circuits, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Luke devotes a substantial portion of his practice to employment-related litigation and arbitration. He also consults with clients regarding employment contracts and separation and severance agreements. Luke regularly handles other types of commercial litigation, including class action defense, shareholder derivative and securities claims, real estate litigation, and a variety of business disputes.

Luke is dedicated to the following as the hallmarks of his practice: thorough preparation... tenacious client commitment … and honest, forthright communication. Luke places a high premium on the flexibility and responsiveness that he believes a smaller firm is uniquely suited to offer both corporate and individual clients. His approach to the practice of law was ingrained at an early age as he watched his father encounter the frustration and all-too-infrequent joy of being a party to consuming litigation. He strives to use that experience to help his clients navigate the litigation process today.

Luke attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received both his undergraduate and law degrees. He is licensed to practice before the Illinois Supreme Court as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and is a member of the Trial Bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Luke DeGrand

Bio | Qualifications | Publications and Admissions

Education and Academic Honors

• University of Illinois College of Law
  (J.D. magna cum laude, 1985)
• Associate Editor, University of Illinois Law Review
• University of Illinois (B.A., 1982)

Distinctions

• AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell
• Selected for inclusion in Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers
• Recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer®
  (top 5% of Illinois lawyers)

Professional Affiliations

• Member, American, Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations
• Member, Chicago Council of Lawyers

Employment

• DeGrand & Wolfe, P.C., Shareholder, 2006 – Present
• Luke DeGrand & Associates, P.C., Shareholder, 2002 – 2006
• Clark & DeGrand, Partner, 1990 - 2001
• McDermott, Will & Emery, Associate, 1988 - 1990
• Isham, Lincoln & Beale, Associate, 1985 -1988

Luke DeGrand

Bio | Qualifications | Publications and Admissions

Publications

• Challenging the Exclusion of Libel and Slander from Survival Statutes,
  1984 U. Ill. L. Rev. 423
• Representing the Condemned: Professional Responsibility and Death Row,
  78 Ill. Bar.J. 30 (1990)
• The Demise of the "You-Break-It-You-Bought-It" Rule in the Seventh Circuit: Lost Profit and Overhead Damages Under the UCC, Social Sciences Research Network (www.ssrn.com) February 15, 2010

Licensure and Admissions

• Illinois Supreme Court (1985)
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (1985); Trial Bar (1992)
• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (1989)
• United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1995)
• United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois (1996)