Mark M. Brennan

Mark M. Brennan is a co-founder of Brennan Burtker LLC, where he serves as Managing Partner and Chairman of the firm’s Executive Committee. Mr. Brennan devotes his law practice to civil litigation and issues pertinent to the health care profession. Previously, he practiced for 22 years at a large litigation firm where he was a senior capital partner, an elected member of its Executive Committee, and Chairman of its Healthcare Law Practice Group before moving his entire practice (formerly known as Brennan Garvey LLC), now known as Brennan Burtker LLC. Brennan Burtker LLC was named a Regional Tier 1 Best Defense Firm for Medical Malpractice in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report. Mr. Brennan is the 2023 recipient of the JVR Trial Lawyer Excellence Award for Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Medical Malpractice Case.

Mr. Brennan concentrates his trial practice in the area of medical malpractice defense but also represents physicians and hospitals in all areas of litigation involving commercial, administrative, and personal tort matters, including healthcare professionals in IDFPR matters. He represents some of the Chicago’s top children’s hospitals and pediatric specialists and has defended some of the most complex and highest profile cases filed against academic medical institutions.

He has successfully tried several cases to verdict. In 2023 alone, Mr. Brennan obtained three consecutive defense verdicts in four months for his clients, the last of which was a complex medical malpractice case where the plaintiff asked the jury to award over $44 million.

Mr. Brennan’s defense of highly complex and high-exposure medical malpractice cases for academic medical centers has been invaluable to the protection of the healthcare industry. In addition to his impressive trial record, which has involved defense verdicts in cases where juries were asked to award up to $50 million, his creative defense strategies and careful client guidance have consistently provided his clients with the very best results in the defense of medical malpractice claims with the utmost integrity. He has protected his clients from hundreds of millions of dollars in exposure over the course of his career.

In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Brennan serves as a consultant to many Chicago area hospitals on matters ranging from evolving health care law on HIPAA, quality assurance, consent, and other regulatory compliance issues to trends in health care law and medical device litigation. Mr. Brennan has been honored yearly for his accomplished career by the publications Super Lawyers, Leading Lawyers, and The Healthcare Lawyers. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and various bar committees and sections pertinent to his areas of practice.

Mr. Brennan is the author of “Legal Issues Involving Children – A Hospital’s Guide” and “Jury Selection: A Defendant’s Perspective.” Mr. Brennan has also lectured and authored numerous papers dealing with issues that pertain to children in the health care setting, and on legal privileges such as the Medical Studies Act, HIPAA, and the physician-patient privilege at hospitals and seminars for lawyers.