Lawrence M. Benjamin
Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
Areas of Focus
Overview
Lawrence Benjamin’s practice is diverse and client-oriented, serving the needs of managed care entities, business owners, developers, contractors, banks, and others.
Career & Education
- University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 1987
- Northwestern University, B.A., 1983
- Illinois
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- Ohio
Representative Matters
- Successfully defended a putative class action regarding Medicaid insurer’s “opt-out” provision under New York’s consumer protection statute.
- Successfully appealed and obtained a judgment in favor of a landlord, with a finding that a tenant did not strictly comply with lease option requirements to extend term.
- Successfully dismissed a vendor’s claim for breach of contract to supply natural gas to multifamily operators.
- Successfully defeated a debtor’s attempt to “squeeze out” a partial mortgagee’s interest in real estate.
- Obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of a national bank with respect to an account holder’s claim that a bank wrongfully foreclosed on an account pledged as collateral.
- Successfully obtained dismissal of claims against a guarantor based in part on certain “no deficiency” provisions of the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law following a deed-in-lieu transaction.
- Obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of a national bank arising from a sale-leaseback transaction and failed multiuse development.
- Obtained a favorable jury verdict on behalf of a national bank accused of knowingly participating in the embezzlement scheme of a fiduciary.
- Obtained a ruling from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals that the Fair Credit Reporting Act totally preempts common-law claims against furnishers.
- Established that the Illinois Notary Public Act modifies the employer’s common-law liability with respect to misconduct of an employee-notary.
- Obtained a summary judgment ruling in favor of a national bank in a case involving the embezzlement of funds by the personal secretary of the bank’s customer.
- Successfully defended mortgage company and defeated two separate class actions seeking to recover allegedly secret mark-ups on closing costs charged in connection with residential mortgages, and to recover the payment of a loan discount fee because allegedly no discount was given.
- Successfully defended an electronics manufacturer by knocking out the plaintiff’s damages expert and barring the counter-plaintiff’s damage theories seeking in excess of $50 million. That strategy was affirmed by the Seventh Circuit and has become a leading case on the admissibility of expert testimony.
Recognition
- AV Peer Review Rated (the highest possible rating) via the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings.
- Selected through peer review for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Real Estate Law, 2020-2025, and for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, 2025
