Brendan J. Hammer

Attorney Profile
Top Rated Family Law Attorney in Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL 60601
Selected To Rising Stars: 2012 - 2015
- Family Law
An experienced and creative courtroom litigator, Brendan Hammer represents a wide variety of individuals, from executives, entrepreneurs, and medical, legal and creative professionals to political figures, professional athletes and their spouses. He concentrates his practice on the litigation of sophisticated family law matters including the valuation and division of assets, fraud and dissipation claims, complex compensation structures, spousal challenges to trust and estate plans and high net worth maintenance and child support.
In only his first five years of practice, Brendan was selected by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as one of 40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch and was named to the list of Rising Stars by Illinois Super Lawyers every year from 2010 through 2015. Since that time, Brendan also has become certified in divorce mediation through Northwestern University, completed the National Family Law Trial Institute’s family law trial advocacy program, and participated in the Advanced Cross Examination Program of the National Family Law Trial Institute with Roger Dodd. Brendan speaks and publishes on various trial related matters including cross examination, evidence, performance aspects of litigation, trial techniques and oral argument.
Brendan brings a unique perspective and set of abilities to his trial practice, drawing equally upon his wealth of experience litigating complicated family law matters and his background in the performing arts. While recognized by his peers and the judiciary as a zealous advocate, Brendan also enjoys a reputation as a pragmatic and collegial professional
About Brendan Hammer
Admitted: 2007, Illinois
Honors/Awards:
- Top Family Lawyers in Houston, H-Texas Magazine, 2016
- Moot Court
- 40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch, Law Bulletin Publishing Company
- Order of the Coif
- CALI Excellence Awards in Marital Dissolution Process and Trial Advocacy
- Emerging Lawyers - Leading Lawyers, Law Bulletin Publishing Company
- DePaul Law Review - Staff
- Magna Cum Laude graduate DePaul University College of Law
Bar/Professional Activity:
- American Bar Association; American Association for Justice (formerly ATLA); Association of Family and Concilliation Courts
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Author, Tainted Love: What the Seventh Circuit Got Wrong in Muth v. Frank, 56 DePaul L. Rev. 1165 , DePaul Law Review , 2007
- Family Law Update, Co-Authored with Barry A. Schatz, A Divorce Practitioner's Introduction to Determining Schedule C and Subchapter S Income, 2010
- ISBA Family Law Handbook, Co-Authored with Barry A. Schatz, Discovery in Family Law Cases, 2011
- Illinois Case Law Supplement, Co-Author with Barry A. Schatz, Drafting Prenuptial Agreements, 2012
- Co-Presenter, Williams v. Illinois: The Bleeding Edge of Crawford, National Council Of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, 2014
- Presenter, How to Cross Examine a Witness, Chicago Bar Association
Brendan J. Hammer:
Last Updated: 1/21/2021