John T. Karnezis
John Theodore Karnezis, partner in the Chicago law firm Pullano & Karnezis, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, October 24, 2010 at LaGrange Memorial Hospital in LaGrange, Illinois.
John was a highly skilled lawyer, but what made him an outstanding attorney was his compassion and empathy for his clients. He always put his clients first and would do whatever was necessary to make sure they received the best result. John loved his work, but the one thing he loved most in life was going home at the end of the day to his wife, Dena, and his twin boys, Michael and John.
John was born July 23, 1966 and grew up in the Beverly neighborhood where he attended Christ the King Grammar School (1980), Marist High School (1984), University of Illinois (1988) and Loyola University Law School where he earned his J.D. in 1991.
Prior to forming Pullano & Karnezis in 2009, John was a litigator at Clifford Law Offices, where he started as an associate in 2000 and advanced to partner in 2005. He began his career as an assistant Cook County State’s Attorney, a position he served for nine years.
John was named as one of the Top 40 Attorneys Under 40 by Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, an Illinois “Super Lawyer” in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. He also earned a Martindale-Hubbell peer-review rating of “AV“, meaning his peers recognized him as having the highest legal ability and adhering to the highest ethical standards. In 2008 and 2009, he was named a “leading lawyer” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
John was an adjunct professor for trial advocacy at John Marshall Law School in Chicago and a faculty member at the National College of District attorneys in Houston; Norfolk, Virginia; San Francisco; and San Diego, California. He lectured on topics ranging from cross-examination theory, visual elements in trials, and witness examination, and had been a guest commentator on Court TV.
John was a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Trial Lawyers Association.