Dr. Kenneth C. Chessick (’84) was selected to 2020 Super Lawyers, an honor for only the top 5% of each state’s attorneys.
Dr. Kenneth Chessick
Chessick, of counsel to Clifford Law Offices, is a well-respected and well-known lawyer and doctor. Principal partner of the Law Office of Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D. for nearly 30 years, he made his mark in the area of fighting for patients’ rights in medical malpractice cases, having obtained numerous record verdicts and settlements.
Chessick received a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in psychology and zoology from the University of Illinois in 1965. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree with scholarships from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1968. He served a straight internal medicine internship at Michael Reese Hospital in 1969, and four years of general surgery residency at Hines VA Hospital in 1970 and the prestigious Boston City Hospital in 1973. He then served a fellowship in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the University of Florida Shands Teaching Hospital in 1979. Chessick is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He obtained his Juris Doctor cum laude from Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1984. He is an experienced trial and appellate attorney, admitted to the State Bar Associations of Illinois and Nevada. Chessick has achieved record verdicts in several jurisdictions, including a $10 million verdict in Ogle County in 2001. Consistent with his specialized medical training and broad experience, his main focus is medical and hospital negligence that caused catastrophic injuries to innocent patients. Chessick has published numerous articles on these topics in both medical and legal literature. Clients of the Law Office of Kenneth C. Chessick, M.D. have received well-deserved compensation for catastrophic injuries exceeding $100 million in the counties of Cook, Winnebago, Ogle, Boone, DuPage, Kane, McHenry, Lake, Lee, Stephenson and Whiteside.
Chessick maintains a close affiliation with NIU. He was given the prestigious NIU Alumnus of the Year award in 2001. He is a member of the board of directors of the NIU Foundation, a member of the board of directors of the NIU Alumni Association and chair of the board of visitors to the NIU College of Law. Chessick has taught or been the moderator of a number of law seminars on Medical Negligence Law, Personal Injury Law and Trial Technique attended by the practicing legal community. A generous donation from Chessick helped create the Kenneth Chessick, M.D., J.D. Technology Center at the NIU College of Law, designed to help train lawyers in the use of technology in the practice of law and in the courtroom.
He gives back to the community in many ways. His legacy is the Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Practice Facility at NIU. With a generous multi-million-dollar gift to the school, Chessick and his wife’s donation allowed for the building of a state-of-the-art practice facility for athletes at the university. The facility opened the last weekend in October 2013, just as the Huskies’ football team was 7-0 in their conference and were ranked 18th in the country as they appeared headed to another bowl game. The Chessicks’ strong belief in the value of a successful athletic program is only surpassed by their firm commitment to a strong academic program, something that goes hand in hand in enhancing the entire college experience for all students, faculty, administrators and alumni.
“We are dedicated to helping to provide the best possible college education experience for our NIU students, and our student-athletes are instrumental to that positive experience,” Chessick said.
As a 1984 graduate of the NIU College of Law, Chessick established the Kenneth C. Chessick Legal Training Skills Center in 2004, providing students with experience and expertise in using computerized software to present ideas. Three years later, he created a series of academic scholarships named in honor of his clients, and there are now five endowed scholarships in the Kenneth C. Chessick Civil Justice Endowed Scholarship Program, which is presented annually at the school.
Chessick is now CEO and chairman of the board of directors of Restaurant.com, where he was one of the creators of this internet marketing organization for restaurants and restaurant consumers. Restaurant.com has tens of thousands of restaurant partners in all fifty states in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as 350 full-time employees, and more than 1,000 independent consultant partners.
