Meet John—Advocate, Expert, Family Man, Trial Attorney
John J. Perconti is a nationally recognized attorney and one of the country’s leading medical malpractice experts, with extensive experience in federal and state courts. As one of the firm’s founding partners, he has worked tirelessly to build Levin & Perconti into one of the nation’s best personal injury firms. John’s excellent record of success representing clients in injury, elder abuse and wrongful death cases can be attributed to both his acclaimed skill as a lawyer and to his acute understanding of what it means for a family to experience a loss.
When John was just a 9-year-old boy growing up in Morton Grove, his father died suddenly, leaving John and his brother and sister to be raised by their mother, who worked as a nurse, and their grandparents. Losing a loved one at such a young age taught him a difficult but valuable lesson, that life is fragile and precious, and that when someone dies the lives of family members are forever changed. From a young age, John knew that he would pursue work helping people.
Initially interested in pursuing medicine, John spent two summers as a Page in the U.S. House of Representatives and two more as a tour guide of the U.S. Capitol. It was there he discovered his love for the law. He changed his major at the University of Illinois from pre-med to pre-law and continued on to John Marshall Law School for his law degree.
John still found a way to put his interest in medicine to good use. His in-depth knowledge of complex medical issues has allowed him to achieve record-setting multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients over the course of his career spanning more than 40 years. In 1992, he merged his practice with Steven Levin, and now the firm employs more than 25 lawyers and has obtained $2 billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients.
Losing my father at just 9 years old taught me the devasting effects the loss of a father has upon the entire family. When a loved one dies, the lives of family members are changed forever. My career path as an attorney was to fight for people who were wrongfully harmed by the conduct of others. As a founding partner of Levin & Perconti, we have spent over 30 years protecting and vindicating the rights of people injured or had their lives taken by the negligence of others.”
John is an active member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Society of Trial Lawyers, The Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America and The Justinian Society of Lawyers, and has been a strong voice against tort reform. He is also a member of The National Trial Lawyers, an organization composed of The Top 100 Trial Lawyers from each state, and is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
John has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2013 in the field of Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. He has received an “AV” rating from the Martindale-Hubbell American Law Directory, indicating preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards. He has also been named one of Illinois’ top litigators by Leading Lawyers Network and achieved a Lead Counsel Rating in Elder Law.
John is also included in Chicago Magazine’s Illinois: The Top 100 list, a listing of lawyers who topped the Illinois Super Lawyers nomination, research and review process. He has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since 2005. In 2024, John was awarded the Plaintiff Attorney Achievement award by the Jury Verdict Reporter for achieving five verdicts over $5 million in his career.
John's firm has recovered nearly a billion on behalf of their clients including the following notable results:
John's record-setting multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Illinois, 1982
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1982
Professional & Bar Association Memberships
Past and Present memberships and positions
- Illinois State Bar Association, Member
- Chicago Bar Association, Member
- American Association for Justice, Member
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member, Medical Negligence Committee
- The Society of Trial Lawyers, Member
- Justinian Society of Lawyers, Member, DuPage and Cook County Chapters
- Illinois Super Lawyer, Member
- Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, Member
- Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America, Member
- National Italian American Bar Association, Member
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Member
Awards & Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America®: Medical Malpractice Law: Plaintiffs, 2013-2026
- The Best Lawyers in America®: Personal Injury Litigation: Plaintiffs, 2013-2026
- Illinois Super Lawyers®: Personal Injury, 2005-2006, 2008-2025
- Illinois Super Lawyers®: Illinois Top 100, 2013-2021
- Leading Lawyers: Leading Lawyer, 2003-2023
- Leading Lawyers: Top 10 Lawyer: Nursing Home Negligence, 2021-2022
- Leading Lawyers: Personal Injury: Plaintiff, 2021
- Leading Lawyers: Top Lawyers in Illinois
- Top 50 Medical Malpractice Settlements in the United States, 2020
- Top 100 Wrongful Death Settlement, 2020
- Top 20 Illinois Settlement, 2020
- Jury Verdict Reporter: Trial Excellence Award: Highest Jones Act Settlement: Illinois, 2015
- Chicago Lawyer Magazine: Illinois Top 100 Attorneys, 2013
- Jury Verdict Reporter: Plaintiff Attorney Achievement Award, 2024
- Nursing Home National Trial Lawyers Association: Top 10 Lawyer, 2025
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100, 2025
Professional Presentations
- Presented to the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Webinar, “How to Successfully Sue Nursing Homes,” Chicago, IL.
- Presenter at 20th Annual Elder Rights Conference, “Litigation and Advocacy Tips,” Chicago, IL.
- Faculty presenter for Lorman Education Services: “An Update on Supreme Court Rule 213(f) and (g) in Illinois.”
- American Trial Lawyers Association, National College of Advocacy, “Litigating Rezulin Cases.”
- Chicago Bar Association, “Federal Expert Witness Practice.”















