Mark DeBofsky

DeBofsky & Associates
200 W Madison St. Suite 2670
Chicago, IL 60606
312-561-4040
debofsky.com


Attorney Mark DeBofsky is a member of the firm as well as an adjunct professor of law at John Marshall Law School. He is a prolific author who has written many journal articles and has been a regular columnist for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin since 2004. Mark DeBofsky is also an annual contributor to the 2014 Edition of the ERISA Survey of Federal Circuits published by the American Bar Association and served for many years as a senior editor of Employee Benefits Law published by Bloomberg.    Mark DeBofsky is also a frequent speaker and has lectured at conferences sponsored by many organizations, including the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Chicago Bar Association and LexisNexis/Mealey's. Many of his cases have resulted in precedent setting decisions issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Circuits.    In 2008, he was nominated as a finalist for LexisNexis' Insurance Law Center Policyholder Attorney of the Year award. Attorney DeBofsky is proud to have been recognized by his peers in the legal profession with the coveted AV® PreeminentTM Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®. He was named a Super Lawyer in Employee Benefits/ERISA in every year since 2009, and since 2011, he has been listed among the Top 100 Lawyers in the State of Illinois and among the Top 10 in Illinois in 2017. Recently, the National Trial Lawyers has named him one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of Illinois. He has also been ranked by the Leading Lawyers Network.  

Areas of Practice

  
          
  • Bad Faith Insurance
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  • Disability Insurance
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  • Health Insurance
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  • Pension and other retirement and deferred compensation claims and litigation
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  • Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
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  • Long Term Care Insurance (LTC)
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  • Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)
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  • Litigation & Appeals
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  • Employee Benefits
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Education

  
          
  • University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois  
            
    • Juris Doctor - 1980
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  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan  
            
    • Bachelor of Arts - 1977
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    • Honors: With Honors and High Distinction
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    • Major: History
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Honors and Awards

  
          
  • Top 10 Leading Plaintiff's Employment Lawyers in Leading Lawyers Magazine - Consumer Edition 2016
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  • One of the Top 100 Super Lawyers, 2014
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  • Martindale-Hubbell “AV†rating (Highest)
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  • Top 100 lawyer in the State of Illinois by Illinois Super Lawyers, 2009- Present
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  • Top Ten Illinois Plaintiff's Employment Attorneys by the Leading Lawyers Network
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  • Top Ten Illinois Social Security Disability Attorneys
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  • 2013 Top Rated Midwest Lawyer, American Lawyer Media and MartindaleHubbell
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  • 2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law, American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell
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  • The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers, 2012
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  • American Academy of Trial Attorneys – Premier 100
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  • Finance Monthly, Law Awards 2011, ERISA Firm of the Year, USA
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  • Illinois Super Lawyer – Employee Benefits/ERISA, 2005- Present
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  • “Leading Lawyer†by Leading Lawyers Network (Illinois) – Top Ten Plaintiff’s Employment Lawyer and Top Ten Social Security Disability Lawyer, 2012
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  • Finalist - LEXIS/NEXIS Insurance Law Center Person of the Year 2008, Policyholder Attorney of the Year
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  • Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel – Inducted 2005
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  • Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation
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  • Recipient of Pro Bono Leader Award, Equip for Equality
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  • Center for Disability and Elder Law – Volunteer Recognition
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  • Top 10 Super Lawyer in Illinois, 2017
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Professional Associations and Memberships

  
          
  • American Association for Justice, Member
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  • Illinois State Bar Association, Member
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  • Chicago Bar Association
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  • Illinois State Bar Association
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  • American Bar Foundation, Fellow
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  • American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
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  • National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives, Member
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  • American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Member
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  • Chicago Bar Association, Chairman, Lawyer Referral Service Committee, 1986 - 1987
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  • Chicago Bar Association, Chairman, Social Security Law Committee, 1990 - 1991
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  • Chicago Bar Association, Secretary, Insurance Law Committee, 1992 - Present
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  • Appellate Lawyers Association, Director, 1992 - Present
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  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member
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  • Seventh Circuit Bar Association, Member
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  • American Bar Association, Employee Benefits Committee, Committee Co-Chair, 2007 - 2010
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  • Association of Trial Lawyers of America
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  • Chicago Bar Association, Chairman, Chairman, Lawyer Referral Service Committee, 1995 - 1996
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  • Federal Bar Association, Director, 2007 - Present
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  • American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Director, 1992 - 1994
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  • Hawaii State Bar Association
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  • Appellate Lawyers Association, Director, 1992 - 1994
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