Rich is a passionate and aggressive advocate for his client’s interests. Rich leads a team of dedicated and service-oriented professionals in achieving innovative, cost-effective results in workers’ compensation, general liability and entertainment law. He is also an accomplished and successful litigator, bringing a killer instinct and unparalleled focus to representing his clients.
Some of Rich’s recent accomplishments include being elected to the Illinois Super Lawyers List (given to no more than 5% of lawyers in Illinois), named a Leading Lawyer for being honored by SEAK as one of the 50 Most Influential People In Workers’ Compensation. Rich has received the top score for Target Corporation’s nationwide panel of general liability attorneys. In May 2017, Target also named him their Bullseye Barrister for an outstanding jury trial and other successful results. He is a highly in-demand lecturer and webinar host. He is a leader in a number of national organizations, including Claimsxchange, CLM, and Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute.
Rich is also the founder and CEO of The Sports and Entertainment Risk Management Alliance (SERMA). SERMA is the first and only organization for defense industry professionals in the sports and entertainment industry. Rich works closely with Advisory Board Members from organizations like the National Basketball Association, Paramount Global, The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and AEG Presents to provide the premier forum for networking and education in this space.
On the nation’s longest running legal podcast, Legal Face-Off on WGN Radio. Rich and his co-host, Tina Martini, analyze and debate breaking legal news and welcome prominent guests including Alan Dershowitz, Gloria Allred and Ben Crump. Rich is also the legal go-to analyst for various media outlets including WGN Radio, WLS, Radio America and WJBC. Rich also hosts several other podcasts, including Trial by Vinyl, the SERMApod and Da Movie Pod.
Rich is actively involved as community, including serving on the Northern Illinois University College of Law Board of Visitors and Legal Prep Charter Academy Advisory Board. Legal Prep Charter Academy is Chicago’s only legal-themed charter school. Rich served on the Harriet Tubman Elementary Local School Counsel for 4 terms including 1 as chairperson. He also served as Community Representative for the Lincoln Park High School Local School Council. Rich has been honored as Northern Illinois University College of Law Alumnus of the Year and Northern Illinois University College of Law Outstanding College Alumni. Rich is also head varsity basketball and football coach for Harriet Tubman Elementary School. He served as head coach in the Oz Park Baseball Association for 6 years.
Rich is co-owner of Fame, one of Chicago’s most popular new nightclub. He is also co-founder of Triopolis Productions, a multi-media, multi-platform production company. Rich was lead producer on ’85: The Greatest Team In Football History, an award-winning documentary about the 1985 Chicago Bears and NFL Legends. The documentary featured interviews with over a dozen members of the team including NFL legends Mike Ditka and Mike Singletary, President Barack Obama and Bill Murray. His other credits are A Perfect Storm: The Story Of The 1994 Montreal Expos and John Wayne Gacy, Defending a Monster.
Among Rich’s live theater credits are Renegades, a live production at Cesar’s Palace in Las Vegas featuring legendary athletes Terrell Owens, Jim McMahon and Jose Canseco. His other live productions include Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel in Concert, Rock of Ages and Steve Van Zandt’s The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream.
DID YOU KNOW: I have seen Bruce Springsteen in concert well over 110 times. At one of those shows, at Wrigley Field in 2012, my daughter Emma sang with Bruce on stage in front of an intimate audience of 50,000 people. View video here.
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Education:
- J.D., Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb, Illinois, 1995
- B.A., McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, 1992
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Professional Memberships & Associations:
- Canada-US Business Council Chicago
- Central Ohio Self-Insurers Association
- Chicago Claims Association
- Claims Association of Greater Chicago
- City Club of Chicago
- Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program Panel, Chairperson
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
- ClaimsXchange, Advisory Board
- DuPage County Bar Association
- Event Safety Alliance
- Foodservice Industry Risk Management Association
- Harriet Tubman Elementary School, Local School Council
- Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
- Illinois Manufacturers’ Association
- Illinois Retail Merchants Association
- Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association
- Legal Prep Charter Academy, Advisory Board
- Lincoln Park High School, Local School Counsel
- National Retail & Restaurant Defense Association
- Northern Illinois University College of Law, Board of Visitors
- Sports & Entertainment Risk Management Alliance (SERMA), Founder/CEO
- Sports Lawyer’s Association
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Seminars & Presentations:
- “What Holiday Movies Can Teach You About Handling Claims,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, December 2023
- “Managing Sports Sexual Abuse Risks,” Sports & Entertainment Risk Management Association, September 2022
- “5 Unique Sports & Entertainment Workers’ Compensation Situations,“ Sports & Entertainment Risk Management Association, September 2022
- “Criminal Activity at Sports & Entertainment Events,” Sports & Entertainment Risk Management Association, July 2022
- “Sports & Entertainment Business Interruption Claims,“ Sports & Entertainment Risk Management Association, June 2022
- “Top 5 Sports & Entertainment Risk Issues Right Now,” Sports & Entertainment Risk Management Association, May 2022
- “Breakout on Multi-State Workers’ Compensation Laws,“ Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute Conference, December 2021
- “Winning Your Case Using Surveillance & Social Media,” Bryce Downey & Lenkov Clients, December 2021
- “Investigating Illinois & Indiana Repetitive Trauma Claims with Dr. Phillips & Dr. Yahuaca,“ Downey & Lenkov Clients, October 2021
- “Illinois Workers’ Compensation: Beyond COVID-19 with IWCC Chairman Michael Brennan,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2021
- “Preparing for and Presenting at the Hearing,” National Business Institute, June 2021
- “Tips From The Trenches,” Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, April 2021
- “Worst Year Ever: 2020 Lessons & 2021 Solutions,“ Downey & Lenkov Clients, March 2021
- “COVID Claims, Compensability and Vaccines, Oh My!,” Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute, February 2021
- “Defending Hip Claims: A Medical & Legal Perspective,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, February 2021
- “What Horror Movies Teach Us About Workers’ Compensation,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, October 2020
- “Comparing COVID-19 WC Claims in NY, CA & IL,” ClaimsXchange, September 2020
- “A Multi-State Analysis of Common Compensability Issues Confronting Workers’ Compensation Claims Handlers,” WCIvirtual Conference, August 2020
- “How To Get A Zero,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2020
- “Addressing the New Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law,” Illinois Retail Merchants Association, July 2020
- “Workers’ Compensation Presumption and COVID-19,” Business Insurance, July 2020
- “Understanding The New Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2020
- “Workers’ Compensation Post COVID-19: Occupational Injuries & Telemedicine,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, May 2020
- “COVID-19 Psychological Claims,” Claimsxchange, May 2020
- “COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation,” Chicagoland Associated General Contractors, April 2020
- “WCDI Answers Your COVID-19 Questions, Part II,” WCDI, April 2020
- “Illinois COVID Update and Takeaways for Other States,” WorkCompCentral, April 2020
- “Workers’ Comp Management Amid COVID-19,” Business Insurance, April 2020
- “COVID-19 Hot Topics,” Claimsxchange Industry Insights, March 2020
- “WCDI Answers Your Coronavirus Claims Questions,” WCDI, March 2020
- “Your Employee Has COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Claim–Now What?,” Claimsxchange Industry Insights, March 2020
- “Lockton Feud,“ Lockton Law Day, February 2020
- “What Holiday Movies Can Teach You About Handling Workers’ Compensation Claims,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, December 2019
- “3rd Annual BDL Great American WC Quiz,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, September 2019
- “Breakout on Multi-State Workers’ Compensation Laws,“ WCI Conference, August 2019
- “Top 10 Myths About IL Workers’ Compensation,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2019
- “New Case Law You Need To Know,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, May 2019
- “PTSD Claims from First Responders,” CLM Workers’ Compensation Conference, May 2019
- “How Does The IWCC Work?,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, March 2019
- “Top Ten Red Flags,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, January 2019
- “2018 Review,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, December 2018
- “Workers’ Compensation Issues Raised By Millennials Part II,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, November 2018
- “Defending Shoulder & Knee Injuries,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, September 2018
- “2nd Annual BDL Great American WC Quiz,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2018
- “Injuries Away From Work,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2018
- “Settlement Strategies,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, May 2018
- “Ask Us Anything Part II,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, April 2018
- “When Is An Employee Not An ‘Employee’?,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, February 2018
- “The Other Side: 5 IL WC Issues From A Petitioner’s Attorney’s POV,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, January 2018
- “Ask Us Anything,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, December 2017
- “Horror Stories: The 6 Scariest Cases In IL Workers’ Compensation,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, October 2017
- “Top 10 Differences Between IL WC & GL Claims Part II,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, September 2017
- “Management Of Common Cervical & Lumbar Pathologies,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, August 2017
- “Top 10 Differences Between IL WC & GL Claims,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2017
- “You Asked For It, You Got It Part II,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2017
- “The Power Of Video Surveillance As A Defense Strategy,” FIRMA Chicago Conference, June 2017
- “3 Common Ethical Dilemmas From 3 Different Perspectives,” 2017 CLM & Business Insurance Workers’ Compensation Conference, May 2017
- “Case Law Update,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, April 2017
- “The Ups & Downs Of Upper & Lower Extremity Claims,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, March 2017
- “Workers’ Compensation Mock Trial,” Artex Risk Management Conference, February 2017
- “Illinois Workers’ Compensation Reform,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, February 2017
- “Workers’ Compensation Under Trump,” Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, January 2017
- “New OSHA Regulations,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, January 2017
- “1st Annual Great American BDL WC Quiz,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, December 2016
- “Common Workers’ Compensation Issues Defined Part II,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, October 2016
- “Common Workers’ Compensation Issues Defined,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, August 2016
- “Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law,” Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, August 2016
- “My Toughest Claim: Your Fellow Claims Professionals Discuss Real Workers’ Compensation Cases,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2016
- “The 5 Factors Determining Illinois Permanency,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2016
- “10 Common Causation Scenarios And How To Defend Them,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, May 2016
- “Defending Pain Claims,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, April 2016
- “Stratified General Liability Claims: Fast Tracking and Other Techniques,” CLM Annual Conference, April 2016
- “Compensable Or Not? 10 Common Accident Scenarios And How To Defend Them,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, March 2016
- “What The Movies Can Teach You About Handing Workers’ Compensation Claims,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, February 2016
- “Workers’ Compensation Issues Raised By Millennials,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, January 2016
- “Ask A Workers’ Compensation Attorney Anything,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, December 2015
- “Workers’ Compensation Horror Stories,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, October 2015
- “Reduce Your Legal Expenses Now,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, September 2015
- “Illinois Workers’ Compensation,” Conference On Multi-State Workers’ Compensation Laws, August 2015
- “You Asked For It, You Got It: Your Most Requested WC Questions Answered,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, August 2015
- “More Top 5 Lists,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, July 2015
- “Our Hottest Illinois Workers’ Compensation Top 5 Lists,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2015
- “Workers’ Compensation Fraud: What You Can Do About It,” 35th Anniversary SEAK, Inc. National Workers’ Compensation And Occupational Medicine Conference, June 2015
- “Workers’ Compensation 4 Ways: Strategies For Defending Claims In 4 States,” Downey & Lenkov Clients, June 2015
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Articles & Publications:
- “Border War: Key Differences Between Illinois and Indiana,” Downey & Lenkov Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, June 2021 – Present
- “Perspectives: Tips for Rebutting COVID-19 Presumption,” Business Insurance, June 2021
- “3 Questions With…,” Downey & Lenkov Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, October 2020 – March 2021
- “Illinois Legislature Extends COVID-19 Rebuttal Presumption,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, January 2021
- “Amendment to Extend COVID-19 Rebuttal Presumption Filed,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, January 2021
- “Dear Rich,” Downey & Lenkov Workers’ Compensation Newsletter, January 2019 – August 2020
- “Gov. Pritzker Signs COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Law,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, June 2020
- “Illinois Passes COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Law,“ Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, May 2020
- “Pro-Employee Workers’ Compensation Law Coming,“ Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, May 2020
- “Illinois Repeals Workers’ Compensation Rule Change,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, April 2020
- “Temporary Restraining Order Nullifies Illinois Workers’ Compensation Rule Change,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, April 2020
- Business Groups Sue IWCC Over Rule Change,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, April 2020
- “IWCC Emergency Rule Change For COVID-19,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, April 2020
- “Dramatic Expansion of IL Employees Workers’ Compensation Rights,” Downey & Lenkov Client Alert, April 2020
- “Your Employee Has A COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation Claim…Now What?,” Claimsxchange, March 2020
- “How Do You Deal With Difficult People?,” Workers’ Compensation Magazine, October/November 2016 Issue
- “What Types Of Workers’ Compensation Claims Have You Seen Involving Workplace Violence?,” Workers’ Compensation Magazine, August/September 2016 Issue
- “Why Is Workers’ Compensation Fraud Such A Major Problem?,” Workers’ Compensation Magazine, June/July 2016 Issue
- “Why Do Workers’ Compensation Claims Cost So Much?,” Workers’ Compensation Magazine, April/May 2016 Issue
- “Why Do Claims Stagnate?,” Workers’ Compensation Magazine, February/March 2016 Issue
- “Chicago E-Cigarette Ban: Your Workers’ Compensation Exposure,” January 2014
- “Getting to Yes, the Do’s and Don’ts of Mediation,” Litigation Management Magazine, Summer 2012
- “Illinois Workers’ Compensation Reform,” The Illinois Manufacturer Magazine, Winter 2012
- “Workers’ Compensation Claims by At-Home Employees,” Business Insurance Magazine, September 2011
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News & Insights:
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “Chicago Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair and attorney Rich Lenkov on jury selection for the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial” October 2021
- WMBD’s The Craig Collins Show, June 2021
- WGN Radio’s Pinch Hitters With Lisa Dent, “Bill Cosby out of prison, Britney Spears still stuck in conservatorship,” July 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “‘Legal Face-off’ co-host Rich Lenkov explains recent SCOTUS ruling on student athlete compensation,” June 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “Attorney Rich Lenkov discusses Capitol rioter from Kenilworth,” June 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “Derek Chauvin should have testified,” April 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “‘I don’t know how else you can get a stronger testimony’ than in Monday’s Derek Chauvin case,” April 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “‘Derek Chauvin was at least guilty of negligence in the death of Floyd’,” April 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “‘Legal Face-Off’ host Rich Lenkov explains the legal latest on the George Floyd case and the Capitol insurrection that resulted in death,” March 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “‘Legal Face-Off’ co-host, attorney Rich Lenkov weighs in on several current cases,” March 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “Gorilla Glue’s defense would’ve been ‘It’s glue!’ if Rich Lenkov were involved,” February 2021
- Radio America’s The Chad Benson Show, February 2021
- WGN Radio With John Williams, “‘Unequivocally, Trump has committed a crime’ by threatening the people on that phone call,” January 2021
- WJBC’s Craig Collins Show, September 2020
- Radio America’s The Chad Benson Show, August 2020
- WGN Radio with John Williams, “Defending Those businesses? [Kyle Rittenhouse] Has No Way to Prove That,” August 2020
- WGN Radio with John Williams, “Federal Charges Against Looters Would ‘Send a message!’ That This Won’t Happen Again,” August 2020
- WGN Radio with John Williams, “Prosecutors Will Let The St. Louis Couple Who Threatened Protesters Go,” July 2020
- Business Insurance, “More Legacy Comp Claims Closures Anticipated With Pandemic,” May 2020
- WGN Radio with John Williams, “There Is A Waiver Of Liability You Enter Into When Buying A Baseball Ticket,” May 2020
- WGN Radio with John Williams, “Pastor Joe Wyrostek’s Church Cited, Man Who Recorded Ahmaud Arbery’s Death Might Be Charged,” May 2020
- WJBC Radio with Craig Collins, “Wal-Mart’s COVID-19 Wrongful Death Suit,” April 2020
- Business Insurance, “Coronavirus Comp Claims present Challenges: Experts,” April 2020
- Business Insurance, “COVID-19 Comp Expansions Could Have Significant Impact on Industry,” April 2020
- WGN Radio with John Williams, “Attorney and “Legal Face-Off” Co-Host Rich Lenkov On Sick Leave Lawsuits,” March 2020
- WGN Radio with Ji Suk Yi, “Relationship Advice for 2020, Movies to See This Weekend, & ManBQue,” January 2020
Recognition:
Assistant:
Amy Bulthuis
312-327-0020
abulthuis@dl-firm.com
Practice Areas:
Licenses:
- Illinois Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois