David J. Bradford is Co-Chair of Jenner & Block’s Litigation Department and a Fellow of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. Individuals and businesses seek him out as lead trial counsel in a wide variety of lawsuits and arbitration proceedings involving complex commercial and financial transactions, merger and acquisition disputes, and important constitutional and legal issues. Mr. Bradford has successfully tried to verdict cases in which his client has received nine figure recoveries and has successfully defended cases in which his client was faced with nine figure damage exposure.  He has also acted as special counsel to a number of internal investigations and special committees and is a skilled and experienced appellate advocate.

In 2009, the National Law Journal named Mr. Bradford one of 12 “winning” litigation lawyers nationwide who exemplify “the qualities that make a great trial attorney.”  In 2011 and 2012, Chambers USA named him one of the leading lawyers in litigation.  In his pro bono practice, Mr. Bradford has made significant contributions in capital litigation and beyond, representing many death row inmates at every stage of death penalty litigation.  In 2011, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty recognized him with their Outstanding Legal Service Award.

In addition to his role as Co-Chair of the Litigation Department, Mr. Bradford is also a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and the Real Estate Finance Litigation and Workout Task Force.  Mr. Bradford has served for the last 11 years on the Firm’s Policy Committee, which is its governing committee.  Mr. Bradford is the founding attorney and general counsel of the Roderick MacArthur Justice Center, which has been associated with the legal clinics at both the University of Chicago Law School and Northwestern University Law School.