Barry E. Fields, P.C.
Overview
Barry E. Fields is a retired partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Barry has an expansive record of successfully representing Fortune 500 companies and large professional services firms in complex, high profile cases across the United States. For the past 30 years, he has successfully resolved environmental, products liability, mass tort, discrimination, and commercial claims inside and outside the courtroom. Clients such as General Motors, BP, 3M, Dow Chemical, and Textron have trusted Barry to handle their challenging cases and always stay one step ahead of adversaries.
Barry’s trial docket reflects a unique agility with both science-related issues and complex commercial disputes. For example, he successfully represented BP in the litigation surrounding the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill. He also helped General Motors in the wide-ranging litigation over ignition switches, including obtaining dismissal midway through the first bellwether trial. Outside the courtroom, he has garnered many summary judgments for clients and has routinely helped clients achieve favorable settlements ahead of trial.
A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Barry clerked for the Honorable Boyce F. Martin, Jr., on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He earned a chemistry degree, summa cum laude, from Bellarmine University, where he now serves on the Board of Trustees and was the 2022 Alumnus of the Year. Barry is a member of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees, a member of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees, former president of the Federal Bar Association (Chicago Chapter), former president of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and former president of the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice. His leadership in the legal community and commitment to civic service have been recognized with the Appleseed Spirit of Justice Award.