Nyhan Bambrick Kinzie & Lowry

What Nyhan Bambrick Kinzie & Lowry does

Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry, P.C. (NBKL) is a Chicago-based professional corporation law firm founded in January 1992 by former Pope, Ballard, Shepard & Fowle attorneys, including Thomas D. Nyhan and William A. Lowry. The firm employs approximately 80 attorneys and administrative staff and operates five integrated practice areas: Workers' Compensation Defense (the founding practice), Civil Litigation, Employment Law, Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Compliance, and Employee Workers' Compensation Fraud. Service clients are predominantly self-insured employers, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and governmental entities across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, with delivery via direct attorney-client engagement out of the firm's headquarters at 20 North Clark Street. The firm differentiates through a proactive, non-reactive defense model, a former Illinois Workers' Compensation Fraud Unit investigator on staff, in-house nurse consultants, and a custom docketing and litigation support software platform used for claims monitoring and reporting.

The firm generates revenue through hourly fee-based legal representation billed on a quote basis tailored to matter complexity, with multi-year engagement structures typical of outside-counsel relationships. Go-to-market is sales-led and driven by industry reputation, thought leadership via presentations at conferences (WCTI, ISIA, Illinois Chamber), professional association leadership positions, and referrals from existing clients and industry contacts. Marketing channels consist primarily of industry conference presentations, an active blog (361+ pages), professional association leadership across ISIA, WCTI, MSPN, and WCLA, and recognition in legal industry publications (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, Crain's). No digital distribution channels, resellers, or intermediaries are used.

Management is led by Managing Shareholder Robert E. Harrington, Jr., President William A. Lowry, and Vice President Amy E. Bilton, with Christine M. Jagodzinski serving on the Board of Directors. The firm is privately held by its shareholder attorneys and partners, with no parent company, private equity, or external institutional investors identified. Operating geographies remain regional (Midwest), with industry association engagement serving as the primary lever for influence beyond that footprint.

Name

Nyhan Bambrick Kinzie & Lowry

Legal name

Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie, & Lowry, P.C.

Website

https://nbkllaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry is a Chicago-based law firm founded in 1992 specializing in workers' compensation defense, civil litigation, employment law, Medicare Secondary Payer compliance, and fraud investigation for employers, insurance carriers, and TPAs across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Labor Relations & Employment Practice Advisory (BPAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Workers compensation defense
• Civil litigation services
• Employment law defense
• Medicare secondary payer compliance
• Workers compensation fraud investigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Workers' Compensation Defense: Hourly fee-based legal representation for employers, insurance companies, and third-party administrators in workers' compensation defense matters throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
2. Legal Services - Civil Litigation and Employment Law: Civil litigation, subrogation, employment discrimination defense, and related legal services billed on hourly basis.
3. Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance Services: MSP compliance counsel including MSA analysis, conditional payment negotiation, and settlement consulting services for clients involved in workers' compensation and liability cases.
4. Workers' Compensation Fraud Investigation: Investigation and prosecution support for employers dealing with fraudulent workers' compensation claims, including fraud complaints to government agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry is a Chicago-based law firm providing legal defense representation across five practice areas: Workers' Compensation Defense (founding practice), Civil Litigation, Employment Law, Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance, and Employee Workers' Compensation Fraud. Services are delivered through direct attorney-client engagements to employers, insurance companies, third-party administrators, and governmental entities across Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The firm operates with approximately 80 attorneys and administrative staff.

Product overview

Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry is a Chicago-based law firm offering five core legal service practices: Workers' Compensation Defense (their founding practice area), Civil Litigation, Employment Law, Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance, and Employee Workers' Compensation Fraud. The firm has grown to approximately 80 attorneys and administrative staff since its founding in January 1992. The practices operate as integrated service offerings, with attorneys frequently collaborating across practice areas to provide comprehensive defense counsel—for example, combining workers' compensation defense with civil litigation subrogation interests or coordinating employment matters with workers' compensation claims.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workers' Compensation Defense Legal defense representation for employers, insurance companies, and third-party administrators in workers' compensation claims throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, including litigation, settlement negotiation, and appeals.
• Civil Litigation Full-service civil litigation including subrogation, employer liability, employment discrimination, personal injury, property damage, dram shop liability, insurance coverage disputes, and product liability matters in state and federal courts.
• Employment Law Comprehensive employment law services for public and private sector clients including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation litigation, workplace investigations, alternative dispute resolution, policy compliance review, and management training.
• Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance Navigation of Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) requirements including traditional and non-traditional Medicare Set-Asides (MSAs), conditional payment analysis and negotiation, lien resolution, and MSP compliance program design.
• Employee Workers' Compensation Fraud Investigation and prosecution support for fraudulent workers' compensation claims, including evidence marshaling, fraud complaint filing with Illinois Department of Insurance Workers' Compensation Fraud Unit, and criminal proceeding assistance.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Illinois Self-Insurers' Association (ISIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNyhan attorneys hold key leadership positions including Executive Director (Adam Cox) and Executive Secretary (Lisa Azoory-Keller). The firm provides educational content through Nuts & Bolts Workshops and Annual Meetings, playing a central role in educating members on key insurance and employment issues.
• Workers' Compensation Trust of Illinois (WCTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNyhan attorneys regularly present at WCTI's Annual Meetings on topics such as IME best practices. WCTI is dedicated to stabilizing long-term workers' compensation costs for safety-focused Illinois manufacturers.
• National Medicare Secondary Payer Network (MSPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmy Bilton served as Past President and Co-chair of Annual Educational Conference Committee. Firm attorneys present regularly at MSPN conferences on MSP compliance topics.
• International Commission on Healthcare CertificationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmy Bilton serves as Chairperson of MSCC Board of Commissioners. Firm attorneys serve as instructors for CMSP certification programs.
• Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association (WCLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristine Jagodzinski served as President (2024), Vice-President (2023), Secretary (2021-2022), and Board Member. Nyhan attorneys collaborate on fellowship and practice development.
• Habitat for Humanity ChicagominorOthersAmy Bilton serves as President and Board Member. Firm supports through charitable giving and volunteer engagement including Women Build initiatives.
• Black Women Lawyer AssociationminorOthersDE&I Council members engage in community service aligned with diversity goals through involvement with this organization.
• Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission Medical Fee Advisory BoardcoreOthersAmy Bilton reappointed to IWCC Medical Fee Advisory Board for 2025-2029 term. Firm maintains strong regulatory relationships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BatesCarey LLP: Chicago-based law firm focused on workers' compensation defense, insurance defense, and employment law. Directly competes with Nyhan in the Illinois WC defense market with similar mid-size positioning and self-insured/insurance carrier client base.
• Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen: Illinois-based defense firm with a substantial workers' compensation practice serving employers, insurers, and self-insureds across Illinois. Comparable in size, geographic footprint, and practice mix to Nyhan, making it a direct Midwest competitor.
• Litchfield Cavo LLP: Chicago-headquartered insurance defense firm with significant workers' compensation practice. Competes for similar employer and carrier clients in Illinois and adjacent Midwest states with comparable mid-size firm positioning.

Regional players

• Matthiesen Wickert & Lehrer SC: Wisconsin-based firm with strong workers' compensation, subrogation, and insurance defense practices. Directly comparable to Nyhan's Wisconsin WC defense work and competes for similar regional Midwest accounts.
• Brown & James PC: St. Louis-based insurance defense firm with workers' compensation, civil litigation, and employment law practices. Overlaps with Nyhan in the broader Midwest insurance defense market with comparable mid-size positioning.
• Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP: Southeast-based insurance defense firm with workers' compensation, civil litigation, and employment practices. Comparable in size and practice mix to Nyhan but operates in different regional markets with similar employer/carrier client focus.

Broad incumbents

• Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP: National law firm with a large insurance defense and workers' compensation practice. Targets the same employer and carrier client base as Nyhan but offers broader practice breadth and deeper geographic footprint.
• Goldberg Segalla LLP: National insurance and litigation firm with workers' compensation and employment practices. Competes for similar self-insured and carrier clients with national scope and broader service capabilities than Nyhan.
• Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin: Large national insurance defense firm with workers' compensation, liability, and employment law practices. Competes for the same self-insured and carrier clients but operates at significantly greater scale with broader geographic reach.
• Quintairos Prieto Wood & Boyer PA: Large national insurance defense firm with workers' compensation, employment, and litigation practices. Competes in the same carrier and employer markets with a multi-state footprint and broad service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nyhan_c
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1253491

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nyhan Bambrick Kinzie & Lowry