What McCarthy Duffy does

McCarthy Duffy LLP is a Chicago-based business law firm organized as an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership, founded in 1886 and headquartered at 180 North LaSalle Street, Suite 3150, with a secondary office in Oak Brook, Illinois. The firm maintains approximately 15 attorneys across partners, associates, and junior associates, supported by additional non-attorney staff within an 11-50 employee range, and has operated continuously in the Chicago market for over 100 years.

The firm's practice spans eight service areas: Corporate & Transactions, Real Estate, Private Investment, Banking & Commercial Finance, Estate Planning & Administration, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Land Use & Zoning, and Health Care. Its client base includes PE-backed multinationals, national and regional banking institutions, manufacturing and retail concerns, real estate developers and managers, healthcare companies, and high-net-worth individuals and family offices. Notable recent engagements include advising Epicore Biosystems on a $35 million Series B financing and advising Chicago Autism and Behavior Specialists on its sale to Already Autism Health.

The business model is a traditional professional services fee structure with quote-based, engagement-scoped billing rather than disclosed rates or subscription pricing. Revenue is generated through hourly and project-based legal fees across multiple practice areas, with no subscription, transactional, or alternative fee arrangements disclosed. Go-to-market relies on direct client relationships, referrals, the firm's website consultation-booking flow, and content marketing through a News & Insights blog, LinkedIn presence, and partner podcast appearances. The firm has remained privately held since founding with no external investment, no parent company, and no public ticker.

Name

McCarthy Duffy

Legal name

McCarthy Duffy LLP

Website

https://mccarthyduffy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McCarthy Duffy LLP is a Chicago-based business law firm founded in 1886 with approximately 15 attorneys, serving PE-backed companies, banks, healthcare firms, real estate developers, and high-net-worth individuals across corporate, real estate, banking, healthcare, and litigation matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Traditional law firm billing for legal services including corporate transactions, real estate, banking, litigation, estate planning, and healthcare matters. Services are provided to businesses, executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and individuals on an engagement basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McCarthy Duffy LLP is a business-focused law firm delivering legal counsel across corporate transactions, real estate, banking and commercial finance, private investment, estate planning, litigation, land use and zoning, and health care. The firm serves multinational, private equity-backed, and closely-held companies as well as individual and institutional investors, with engagements ranging from general contract matters to multi-hundred-million-dollar transactions.

Product overview

McCarthy Duffy LLP is a business-focused law firm offering legal services across multiple practice areas. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of legal services including Corporate & Transactions, Real Estate, Banking & Commercial Finance, Private Investment, Estate Planning & Administration, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Land Use & Zoning, and Health Care. The firm serves businesses, executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and individuals in corporate, commercial, banking, transactional, and litigation matters throughout the Midwest and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corporate & Transactions
• Real Estate
• Private Investment
• Banking & Commercial Finance
• Estate Planning & Administration
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Land Use & Zoning
• Health Care

Quantifiable outcome

• Handles transactions ranging from general contract matters to multi-hundred million dollar investments and acquisitions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Much Shelist, P.C. Chicago-based mid-size business law firm serving closely-held companies, entrepreneurs, and lenders across corporate, real estate, banking, and litigation matters — directly comparable scale, geography, and practice mix to McCarthy Duffy.
• Aronberg Goldgehn Davis & Garmisa: Chicago mid-size law firm offering business, real estate, banking, healthcare, and litigation services to closely-held companies and middle-market clients — near-identical practice footprint and Chicago Midwestern client base.
• Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC: Chicago mid-market business law firm with strong corporate, real estate, banking, and private equity practices serving entrepreneurs, family offices, and middle-market sponsors — comparable mid-market PE-backed client focus.
• SmithAmundsen LLC: Chicago-headquartered mid-size firm with full-service business, banking, healthcare, and litigation practices serving regional and national clients — similar scale, full-service platform, and Midwest commercial client base.
• Neal Gerber Eisenberg: Chicago mid-size business law firm providing corporate, real estate, banking, healthcare, and private equity services to closely-held and middle-market companies — comparable practice mix and Chicago headquarters footprint.
• Robbins Schwartz: Illinois-based mid-size law firm with strong corporate, real estate, banking, and public-sector practices serving closely-held businesses, lenders, and municipalities — comparable Chicago-area mid-market orientation.
• Freeborn & Peters LLP: Chicago-founded mid-size business law firm with strong corporate, banking, healthcare, and litigation practices serving closely-held companies and Fortune 500 clients — comparable mid-market positioning and Midwest roots.

Broad incumbents

• Vedder Price P.C. Larger Chicago-founded business law firm with deep banking, real estate, healthcare, and corporate practices — overlaps with McCarthy Duffy across most practice areas but at meaningfully greater scale and national reach.
• Holland & Knight LLP: Large national law firm with significant Chicago real estate and corporate practices — broader scale and geographic reach than McCarthy Duffy, but directly comparable on commercial real estate and M&A mandates (Marty Murphy's prior firm).
• Seyfarth Shaw LLP: Large Chicago-headquartered law firm with deep corporate, real estate, banking, healthcare, and litigation practices — overlapping practice areas at much greater scale and national footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccarthy-duffy-llp
• Facebookfacebook.com/McCarthy-Duffy-LLP-161441253867665

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 McCarthy Duffy