Who Are the 7 Best Illinois Government Lawyers in 2024? Thomson Reuters Rolls Out its List
Michael Del Galdo Tapped as Local Government “Super Lawyer” Since 2016
A national legal magazine is out with its 2025 list of best Illinois lawyers and it tapped just 7 Illinois attorneys as the state’s “super” state, local and municipal government lawyers, including Berwyn-based attorney Michael Del Galdo.
“Super Lawyers” magazine, part of Thomson Reuters, just rolled out its 2025 list of its top attorneys – “Illinois Super Lawyers” – and selected, among approximately 85,000 licensed Illinois attorneys, just 5% of Illinois barristers as “super lawyers”.
Within its 70 practice categories reviewed, the magazine identified only 8 Illinois state, local, and municipal attorneys as “super lawyers”, including Del Galdo of the Berwyn-based, Del Galdo Law Group, LLC.
Since 2016, Del Galdo has been named an Illinois “super lawyer” for each of the last 11 years. Previously, the magazine recognized him as a “rising star” five times over five years.
Del Galdo, who founded his now 30-strong attorney firm in 1998, represents multiple park districts, school districts, municipalities, and other units of government in Cook, DuPage, and the collar Counties as the general counsel or special counsel, including Village of Melrose Park; Village of Stickney; Village of Sauk Village; Town of Cicero; City of Berwyn; Village of Broadview, City of Chicago Heights; Village of McCook; among others.
Del Galdo said that he owes his “super lawyer” selection, in part, to providing 24/7 accessibility and relentless monitoring of waves of new state laws approved by the Illinois General Assembly that annually alter the legal playing field in which local governments operate.
“A mayor has to be able to reach you just as easily and quickly on a Saturday night as on a Monday morning,” said Del Galdo. “And your advice obviously must be cognizant of not only the nuances of current law, but also – and equally as important – looming changes to laws coming from Springfield.”
Del Galdo, added, “A good local government attorney also needs to be able to work with lawmakers to change or blunt laws that negatively impact our mayors and school boards,” said Del Galdo. “That’s what I do. And that’s what makes our firm unique.”
In addition to Del Galdo, Barbara Adams; Robert Hoban, III; John Murphey, Jr; Karl Ottosen; Kenneth Shepro; and Julie Tappendorf were also chosen as top government lawyers.
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