PROGRAM MATERIALS
A Guide for Young Lawyers: Starting Your Career
Mike Bonamarte, Justinian Society Past President, CLE Chair and Managing Partner of Levin & Perconti, will share his advice on what young lawyers can and should do (and not do) early in their professional lives to increase their chances of a successful career. Mike will be joined by Levin & Perconti Associates, Bryan Ruggiero and Gabe Aprati, who will offer their perspectives on lessons they’ve learned that have led to early career success. The presentation promises to inspire and motivate young lawyers and offer practical tips on time management, how to stay motivated, and achieving personal and professional fulfillment.
Presenters:
Michael F. Bonamarte, IV is a managing partner and trial attorney at Levin & Perconti in Chicago. He is a past president of the Justinian Society and current chair of the Justinian CLE committee. He’s the immediate past chair of the AAJ Nursing Home Litigation Group and a member of Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Managers. He has tried many cases to jury verdict resulting in several upper seven figure verdicts and a recent eight figure verdict. Mike is also currently serving on the governing board of Consumer Voice, a national organization dedicated to championing and protecting the rights of nursing home residents. Mike speaks regularly to consumers and attorneys across the country.
Gabriel Aprati joined Levin & Perconti in November 2018, after graduating cum laude from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in May 2018. During his time in law school, Gabriel was a staff writer and editor for the Chicago-Kent Law Review. He also was a member of the Moot Court Honors Society/Appellate Advocacy and the National Trial Team. Gabriel decided to pursue a career in personal injury law when a close family member was involved in a life-threatening car accident and Gabriel witnessed first-hand the difficulties that emerged from the incident. Gabriel now puts this perspective to use by vigorously fighting for individuals who have been injured due to the negligence of others. As an associate at Levin & Perconti, Gabriel handles a number of complex medical malpractice, nursing home, assisted living, wrongful death, premise liability, auto and trucking, and personal injury cases. While providing injury victims and their families with a voice, Gabriel places an emphasis on communication with clients and ensuring that their stories and tribulations are expressed in a meaningful way from start to finish. Since 2018, Gabriel has helped to recover millions of dollars for his clients and their families.
Bryan A. Ruggiero joined Levin & Perconti in November 2017 as an associate trial attorney. He graduated cum laude in the top 5% of his class at The John Marshall Law School, and was on the Dean’s List for five semesters. Bryan has a passion for trial work, and began obtaining valuable trial experience in the Traffic Division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office with his Illinois Supreme Court 711 License in 2017. There, he personally tried 11 cases with 11 successful verdicts, and litigated a number of other matters and hearings. Bryan also served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Jorge Alonso of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois.
As an associate at Levin & Perconti, Bryan handles a number of complex medical malpractice, nursing home, assisted living, community integrated living arrangement (CILA), wrongful death, premise liability, dog bite, and personal injury cases, and he plays a key role from the outset of the case through trial. In 2020 just prior to the pandemic, Bryan helped obtain a successful jury verdict on behalf of a family who lost their loved one at nursing home after suffering an unwitnessed and undocumented fall and hip fracture. Since 2018, Bryan has helped to recover tens of millions of dollars for his clients and their families.
Complimentary to JSOL Members and to JSOL Law School Student Chapters.
*Renew or join the Justinian Society of Lawyers.
