Brian O'Connor Watson
Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP
Recognized since 2022
Chicago, Illinois
Commercial Litigation
Brian gets things done: a nationally ranked lawyer with engineering and business expertise who’s just as comfortable trying cases in the courtroom as he is creating solutions at the negotiation table.
As a trusted advisor and first-chair trial lawyer, Brian has represented clients through every stage of litigation on both sides of the “v” from pre-suit negotiations through trials and verdicts to appeals and judgment enforcement.
Earlier in his career, Brian finished graduate degrees in engineering, business, and law—all while working full time and cherishing caffeine—so he’s also spent time with clients out on their 100‑degree factory floors, their unpredictable fields, their innovative tech centers, and their company headquarters.
Brian dedicates countless hours to pro bono and community service in a broad range of areas from constitutional and civil rights, discrimination, family and consumer law, to public benefits and immigration. He’s deeply committed to helping those most in need.
- E-mail: bwatson@rshc-law.com
- Direct Phone Number: 312-471-8776
- Phone Number: 312-471-8700
- Lawyer Page: https://www.rshc-law.com/attorneys/attorney/brian-o'connor-watson
- 1 South Dearborn Street, Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60603
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Gender: Male
- Chicago-Kent College of Law at IIT, J.D., cum laude, graduated 2010
- Purdue University, M.S., Engineering, graduated 2005
- DePaul University, M.B.A., with distinction, Delta Mu Delta, graduated 2004
- Michigan Technological University, B.S., Electrical Engineering, Economics Minor, cum laude, graduated 2002
- Illinois, Illinois State Bar
- Indiana, Indiana State Bar
- Missouri, Missouri State Bar
- Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Bar
- American Bar Association - Member
- Chicago Bar Association - Member
- Defense Research Institute (DRI) - Member
- Federal Bar Association - Member
- Illinois State Bar Association - Member
- Indiana State Bar Association - Member
- Missouri Bar Association - Member
- Wisconsin Bar Association - Member
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court
Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP
23 The Best Lawyers in America® awards
21 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America awards
Visit Website
View Firm Profile
- Commercial Litigation
- The Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers® (Commercial Litigation, 2022-2023)
- Illinois Leading Lawyer in Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Defense Law: General, and Products Liability Defense Law, Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyers (2020-2022)
- Top 100 Emerging Lawyers, Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyers (2020)
- Illinois Emerging Lawyer in Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Defense Law: General, and Products Liability Defense Law, Law Bulletin Media Leading Lawyers (2017-2019)
- Chicago's Notable Rising Stars in Law, Crain's Chicago Business (2021)
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
- Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Your browser is not fully compatible with our automatic printer friendly formatting.
Please use the print button to print this profile page.