Kylie Kim and Bret Vallacher Recognized on Benchmark Litigation’s 40 & Under List for a Second Year
We’re proud to congratulate Kylie Kim and Bret Vallacher on being named to Benchmark Litigation’s 2025 40 & Under List for the second consecutive year. This recognition reflects their exceptional litigation talent, leadership, and dedication to delivering outstanding results for our clients. We sincerely thank our clients and peers for their continued trust and support in helping make this achievement possible. View the full list here.
Victory in Landmark Antitrust Case for Union Pacific
Massey & Gail LLP was proud to represent Union Pacific Railroad as part of the defense team in one of the most significant and long-running antitrust cases in recent history. The litigation, which originated in 2007, involved more than 100 consolidated cases and approximately 380 plaintiffs, all centered on allegations that the nation’s largest railroads conspired to fix fuel surcharge rates, with claims totaling in the billions of dollars. On June 25, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted summary judgment in favor of the railroad defendants, including Union Pacific. The court’s ruling dismissed all claims across two MDLs and an additional individual lawsuit, bringing an end to nearly 18 years of complex and high-stakes litigation.
Massey & Gail recognized in Legal 500 2025 rankings
We are proud to announce that Massey & Gail has been nationally recognized as one of the best performing law firms in The Legal 500’s rankings for General Commercial Disputes. We extend our sincere thanks to our valued clients and professional peers. Their trust, collaboration, and insights made this honor possible. The Legal 500, founded in 1987, ranks the world’s top-performing law firms across major practice areas, spotlighting those that are most consistent, accomplished, and highly regarded. This recognition is the result of a rigorous evaluation process by a team of over 150 researchers, technologists, data analysts, journalists and content specialists who aggregate, analyze, and weigh Legal 500’s jurisdictional rankings and research data.
Massey & Gail recognized in Chambers & Partners USA 2025 Guide
Massey & Gail LLP is honored to be recognized by Chambers and Partners USA Guide as a leading firm for General Commercial Litigation in Illinois. A heartfelt thank you to our incredible clients who made this recognition possible by describing us as “a small and nimble firm that is able to handle extremely complex matters more efficiently than bigger firms” and praising “the strength of the team . . . insightful and great listeners [and] practical.” The firm is also honored that Jonathan Massey and Lenny Gail were recognized in the individual rankings for Washington, D.C. and Illinois, respectively. Jonathan and Lenny won praise from our clients, who described Jonathan as “a creative thinker when it comes to novel legal issues” and Lenny as someone who “impresses . . . with his knowledge, care, and responsiveness.” We remain committed to delivering top-tier legal counsel and practical solutions. Thank you again for your continued support!
Congratulations to Leonard Gail for being recognized on Crain’s Chicago Business list of Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys
Leonard Gail, a founding partner, was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the “accomplished attorneys shaping Chicago’s legal landscape.” This special feature spotlighted 92 attorneys who “advocate for clients in complex disputes and influence legal developments nationwide.” Since co-founding the firm with Jonathan Massey in 2008, Lenny has represented Fortune 100 clients in high-stakes litigation and has made notable contributions to civic endeavors outside the courtroom.
Leonard Gail, one of Chicago’s top-ranked trial lawyers, talks litigation boutiques with Legal Business
Leonard Gail says firms like Massey & Gail are “basically becoming extinct” due to two trends: clients prioritizing specialization over trial skills, and fewer high-stakes cases going to trial because of the financial risks involved. Despite this, Massey & Gail has found a niche by “making otherwise complex ideas convincing to a court or jury.” Lenny also observes that boutique firms are increasingly being absorbed by larger ones, especially in a consolidating legal market like Chicago. Read the full article here.
Massey & Gail is proud to join over 500 firms in an amicus brief defending the legal system and the rule of law against the Trump Administration’s attack
Massey & Gail is proud to join over 500 firms in an amicus brief defending the legal system against the Trump Administration’s attack. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, analyzing Shakespeare’s famous line, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers,” wrote that the Bard “insightfully realized that disposing of lawyers is a step in the direction of a totalitarian form of government.”
Congratulations to Leonard Gail and Paul Berks for their recognition in Legal 500’s inaugural US Elite rankings for Commercial Disputes
Leonard Gail and Paul Berks have been recognized for Commercial Disputes in Legal 500’s inaugural US Elite rankings. Congratulations to our partners. We would also like to thank our professional peers and wonderful clients for their invaluable insights that resulted in this honor. The Legal 500 US Elite rankings aim to highlight significant lawyers working at regional firms across the United States. This recognition highlights outstanding US lawyers who work outside of global elite firms, focusing on those at regional powerhouses who might be overlooked in other rankings. The US Elite rankings specifically emphasize lawyers engaged in high-profile work within their cities. The research process involves conducting interviews, gathering feedback from clients and peers, and documenting the key cases managed by the ranked attorneys over the past year.
Massey & Gail challenges New Jersey’s unclaimed property law
Jonathan Massey, Bret Vallacher, and Matthew Layden are assisting the class in challenging the New Jersey Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. They argue that the Act does not provide sufficient notice to class members before the destruction of unclaimed property. The property administrator currently holds an estimated $6 billion in unclaimed property, asserting that they are unable to reunite this property with its rightful owners. Read more here.
Massey & Gail recognized in Benchmark Litigation’s 2025 edition
We are thrilled to share that Massey & Gail has been named a “Recommended Firm” for Dispute Resolution in both Chicago and Washington, D.C. in the 2025 edition of Benchmark Litigation. This is the fourth year in a row the firm has been so honored! Additionally, three individual partners, Jonathan Massey, Lenny Gail, and Paul Berks have been recognized as Litigation Stars, while Suyash Agrawal has been acknowledged as a Future Star. Benchmark Litigation determines law firm and lawyer rankings through confidential client surveys and feedback.