Johnson & Bell, Trial Lawyers

What Johnson & Bell, Trial Lawyers does

Johnson & Bell, Trial Lawyers is a privately-held defense litigation and commercial transactions law firm founded in 1975 by William V. Johnson and John W. Bell in Chicago, Illinois. The firm employs over 90 attorneys across two offices — its Chicago headquarters at 33 West Monroe Street and an Indiana office in Crown Point — operating across 13 practice areas and 9 industry sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, hospitality, construction, retail, insurance, professionals, and government/municipalities. The firm has secured 51 defense verdicts over the last decade and defended clients against more than $335 million in claimed damages. Leadership is held by shareholder-attorneys including President Robert M. Burke and Vice Presidents Matthew L. Johnson and Brian P. Gainer; the firm maintains no external investors and operates independently as Johnson & Bell, Ltd.

The firm's core offering is litigation defense across medical malpractice, product liability, professional liability, construction, transportation, toxic tort, commercial, and insurance coverage matters, complemented by a national transactional practice covering M&A, liquidations, real estate, and business entity formation. The firm does not develop proprietary technology; it uses standard legal practice management and communication tools. A modest client-facing web feature, 'Build a Book,' allows prospective clients to compile customized PDF packets of attorney biographies and practice capabilities. The firm does not publish pricing; engagements are negotiated per matter following a conflicts check and signed engagement letter. Geographic reach is Midwest-focused for litigation, with a national footprint for transactional matters and global capability through the firm's ALFA International network membership.

Revenue derives entirely from professional services fees billed on hourly or alternative-fee arrangements. The go-to-market is reputation-driven — direct attorney engagement initiated by clients or referrals, supplemented by peer recognition in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America (21 attorneys in the 2026 edition), Illinois Super Lawyers (15 attorneys in 2026), and Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings — and thought-leadership activity through attorney publications, bar association seminars, and ALFA International events. Distribution is direct (no resellers or marketplaces); the ALFA International network functions as a referral channel for matters outside the firm's primary footprint.

Name

Johnson & Bell, Trial Lawyers

Legal name

Johnson & Bell, Ltd.

Website

https://johnsonandbell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Johnson & Bell, Trial Lawyers is a privately-held Chicago-based defense litigation and commercial transactions law firm serving enterprise and mid-market clients across 9 industry sectors from offices in Illinois and Indiana, with 90+ attorneys and ALFA International network membership for global reach.

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Johnson & Bell generates revenue by providing legal representation services to clients across its practice areas. Fees are charged for litigation defense, commercial transactions, and related legal counsel. As a law firm, revenue is derived entirely from client engagements for legal services rendered, typically billed hourly or through alternative fee arrangements appropriate for the matters handled.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Johnson & Bell is a Chicago-based trial defense law firm with 90+ attorneys offering full-service litigation representation across 13 practice areas (including medical malpractice, product liability, construction, transportation, hospitality, professional liability, toxic tort, and commercial litigation) and a national commercial transactions practice covering M&A, real estate, and business counseling. The firm operates from offices in Chicago, Illinois and Crown Point, Indiana, serving enterprise and institutional clients throughout the Midwest.

Product overview

Johnson & Bell is a litigation law firm offering legal services through multiple practice areas rather than a technology product platform. The firm's core offerings include trial and commercial litigation, business litigation, commercial transactions, construction law, health care/medical malpractice defense, hospitality law, insurance coverage, product liability, professional liability, and transportation law. A notable web feature is the 'Build a Book' tool enabling users to compile PDFs of attorney profiles and practice capabilities. The firm operates from offices in Illinois and Indiana, serving clients throughout the Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Malpractice and Health Care Defense Defense representation for hospitals, hospital systems, physicians, nurses, long-term care facilities, and skilled nursing facilities against medical malpractice claims, professional negligence, and Illinois Nursing Home Care Act cases.
• Product Liability Defense Defense of manufacturers of ladders, construction equipment, fire trucks, power tools, coil processing equipment, and electrical components against product liability claims.
• Transportation Litigation Litigation services for trucking, railroad, and commercial carrier clients, including commercial vehicle liability defense and rail matters.
• Construction Litigation Representation of building owners, developers, architects, engineers, general contractors, and subcontractors in site accidents, defects, contract disputes, and OSHA matters.
• Hospitality Industry Defense Defense of hotels, restaurants, taverns, resorts, timeshare properties, golf courses, fitness facilities, and casinos against premises liability and other claims.
• Insurance Coverage and Defense Insurance coverage disputes, defense of excess liability carriers, and representation of insurers' insureds across coverage matters.
• Professional Liability Defense Defense of attorneys, law firms, accountants, and other professionals against malpractice claims, licensing disputes, and professional liability exposure.
• Toxic Tort Defense Defense against toxic tort claims and exposure matters for corporate clients.
• Commercial Transactions Legal services covering mergers and acquisitions, liquidations, real estate transactions, and business entity formation and maintenance on a national scope.
• Appellate Practice Appellate litigation representation, including motions to dismiss, summary judgment, trial, and appeals at every stage of litigation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 51 defense verdicts in the last 10 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ALFA InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJohnson & Bell is the designated member firm for northern Illinois and northwest Indiana in the ALFA International network, one of the largest and strongest legal networks in the world with 140 member firms globally (80 U.S. firms in 95 of the 100 largest metropolitan areas, 60 international firms across Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Africa, Canada, Mexico, and South America). The network enables member firms to refer clients to one another and provide high-quality, cost-efficient legal services worldwide. Johnson & Bell attorneys actively participate in ALFA International events, seminars, and practice groups.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP:

Direct peers

• SmithAmundsen LLC: Midwest-headquartered (Chicago) litigation defense firm of comparable size with parallel healthcare, product liability, transportation, and commercial defense practices. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping geography, practice mix, and institutional client base.
• Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen PC: Illinois-based defense litigation firm with a strong healthcare/medical malpractice and insurance defense practice, serving hospitals and long-term care providers throughout the Midwest — directly comparable in client vertical and geographic focus.
• Cassiday Schade LLP: Chicago-based defense litigation firm with medical malpractice, transportation, product liability, and commercial litigation practices — a peer competitor for the same Midwest corporate defense engagements.
• Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd. Chicago-headquartered defense firm with comparable practice mix across product liability, transportation, premises liability, and commercial litigation, plus national office footprint — competes head-to-head for the same institutional defense engagements.
• Litchfield Cavo LLP: Chicago-based insurance defense firm with healthcare, professional liability, product liability, and transportation practices — competes for similar institutional clients and offers comparable cost-efficient defense representation.

Broad incumbents

• Goldberg Segalla LLP: National litigation defense firm with offices across the U.S. including Chicago, offering broad insurance defense, product liability, and healthcare malpractice practices — competes for the same Midwest clients with deeper geographic reach.
• Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin: Large East Coast/Midwest defense firm with deep healthcare, professional liability, product liability, and insurance defense practices — competes for institutional clients seeking national panel representation.

Regional players

• Roetzel & Andress LPA: Multi-state Midwest defense firm with comparable healthcare, product liability, and commercial litigation practices from Ohio/Illinois offices — regional alternative for clients in adjacent Midwest geographies.
• Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick & Pearson LLP: Chicago-based defense litigation boutique with concentrated healthcare malpractice, professional liability, and product liability practices — direct niche competitor for hospital and long-term care defense work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/johnson-&-bell-ltd-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Johnson & Bell, Trial Lawyers