Attorney Profile
Mitch Gilfillan is a passionate trial litigator with proven success. With significant trial experience across Illinois, Gilfillan advocates for clients in all forms of personal injury, medical malpractice defense, family dissolution, sports management, and individuals seeking both personal and professional guidance. As a former Division I basketball player competing in the NCAA March Madness Tournament, Gilfillan embraces competition and approaches each case with a winning mindset.
Having earned countless favorable jury trial verdicts across Illinois and successfully argued at multiple appellate courts, Gilfillan embraces the courtroom atmosphere and prepares each case with a flexible and winning mindset. As part of his practice, Gilfillan has been selected and listed as panel counsel for multiple national insurance carriers. In addition to his law practice, Gilfillan is a frequent guest speaker throughout the State of Illinois and speaks to professionals regarding representation in the new Name, Image Likeness (NIL) arena. As part of his work, he has been featured and quoted on ESPN, CBS, NBC Sports, and the New York Post, among others. Gilfillan is consistently referred to as one of the top sources in all of college basketball.
As a nationally recognized lawyer, Gilfillan also spearheads numerous charitable causes across Illinois. As an active civic and charitable contributor, Gilfillan has performed hundreds of hours of pro bono service earning him statewide recognition with the 2020 John McAndrews Pro Bono Award from the Illinois State Bar Association. Gilfillan is also President of the Children’s Hospital of Illinois Community Advisory Council, serves on the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions Board of Directors to fight glioblastoma, leads the Heart of Illinois United Way legal campaign division, and serves on the Public Interest Law Initiative board to serve poverty-stricken litigants out of Chicago.
Gilfillan’s focus outside of work is coaching his daughters’ sports teams, volunteering at St. Philomena School, emceeing charity events, and eyeing the next marathon.
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Practice Areas
Education
- J.D., Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, Indiana, 2009
- Executive Board for the Trial Advocacy Team
- Moot Court Honor Society
- Highest Course Honors: Trial Practice II
- Finance Chair for the Steering Committee
- B.A., Political Science, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 2006
- One of four students in the Class of 2006 (1,029 total students) to receive The Undergraduate Merit Award
- Received Outstanding Service Award given to the top graduating student-athlete at Lehigh University
- Recipient of the Coach’s Award for attitude, effort & special leadership presented by the Lehigh basketball coaching staff
- Recipient of the Southside Boosters Award presented by Southside Booster Association, Inc. for outstanding citizenship
- Four-year member of Lehigh’s C.O.A.C.H. program (Community Outreach by Athletes who Care about Helping)
- Earned full Division I basketball scholarship, four-year letter winner & voted team captain 2005-2006 season
Admissions/Associations
- State Courts of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
- Appointed to Standing Committee on Judicial Evaluations – Outside Cook County by the Illinois State Bar Association (2019 -2020)
- 10th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee
- Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
- Public Interest Law Initiative – Help Desk Pro Bono Volunteer in Tazewell and Peoria County
Community Activities
- OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois – Community Advisory Council, Vice President
- Public Interest Law Initiative – Board of Directors (2023 – present)
- Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions – Board of Directors (2020 – present)
- Pediatric Resource Center – Board of Directors, Past President (2017 – 2022)
- Peoria Friendship House of Christian Service – Board of Directors, Past President (2016 -2022)
- Heart of Illinois United Way – Campaign Cabinet (2019 – present)
- Peoria Notre Dame Youth Softball League – Board of Directors (2019 – present)
- Peoria County Bar Association – Board of Directors (2017 – 2022)
- Co-chair of H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Patients Every day) – Children’s Hospital of Illinois (2015 – 2018)
- St. Philomena Men’s Club – Volunteer
- IHSA March Madness Volunteer Committee (2015 – 2020)
Presentations
- The Do’s and Don’ts to Avoid a Malpractice Claim, Peoria District Dental Society Seminar, Spring 2024
- Playbook Mondays: NIL Rules and Regulations, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Summer 2023
- Footpath Falls, Animal Brawls and Sports Calls: A Personal Injury Assortment to Respond to your Neighbor, CLE Civil Practice Seminar, PCBA, Spring 2020
- Maintenance: A 2020 Update in Law and Reality, CLE Family Law Seminar, PCBA, Spring 2020
- When an Employer is Asked to “Show Me the Money:” Complying with Income Withholding Orders and Qualified Domestic Relations Orders – Quinn Johnston Labor & Employer Seminar, Spring 2019
- Business Law in 2018: Marketing, Technology and Social Media at the Forefront – Quinn Johnston Business & Tax Seminar, Fall 2018
- Cybercrime, Digital Evidence and the Impact on an Intellectual Property Practice – Quinn Johnston Business & Tax Seminar, Fall 2017
- “New Job Offer, May I Accept?”: Changing Face of Noncompete Agreements in Illinois, Quinn Johnston Labor and Employment Seminar, Summer 2017
- Spoliation Spoiler: To Save or Not to Save, Greater Peoria Claims Association Seminar, Spring 2017
- ‘Tis the Season: Update on Snow and Ice Removal, CLE Civil Ligation Seminar, PCBA Spring 2017
- Social Media Maelstrom: Changes in Business Policy, Recent Rulings and the Legal Impact on a Business – Quinn Johnston Business & Tax Seminar, Fall 2016
- Medical Marijuana and Concealed Carry in the Workplace: Recent Developments in Illinois Law and What the Future Holds for Employers and Employees – Quinn Johnston Labor and Employment Seminar, Summer 2016
- Farm Liability Policy, Farm Employee Medical Payments, & Worker’s Compensation Coverage – Farm Business and Farm Management Association, Spring 2016
- Minor Settlements: Obtaining Court Approval and Keeping them Confidential, CLE Civil Litigation Seminar, PCBA, Spring 2015
- Nursing Malpractice – How to Avoid It?, Central Illinois Health Information Management Association’s Seminar, Spring 2015
Professional Publications
- United We Stand, Without Diversity We Fall, Peoria Magazines InterBusiness Issues, June 2020
- Legendary Work for the Public Good, Peoria Magazines InterBusiness Issues, July 2019
- The Brave New World of E-Filing, Peoria Magazines InterBusiness Issues, July 2018
- Healthcare Payment Issues Involving Provider Agreements and Patient Insurance, IDC Quarterly Survey of 2017 Tort Law
- The Fiduciary Quagmire: A New Standard for Advisers and Investors is Quickly Approaching, Peoria Magazines InterBusiness Issues July 2016
- So Fresh, So Clean: The Clean Power Plan and its Current State of Legal Limbo, Peoria Magazines InterBusiness Issues, October 2016
Ratings/Recognitions
- Illinois Super Lawyers List 2022-2025
- Martindale-Hubbell rating of AV® Preeminent, 2024
- Named one of the 70 Most Influential People in America in NIL Space by Silver Waves Media (Los Angeles, CA), 2024
- Featured article in Illinois Super Lawyers Magazine, “From the Barn to the Bar,” 2023
- Illinois Leading Lawyer in Medical Malpractice 2022-present
- Won the largest Family Law termination of maintenance case in Central Illinois history, (IRMO Churchill II, 2022 IL App (3d) 210026)
- Named Illinois Jaycees Outstanding Young Person of Illinois, 2022
- Peoria Notre Dame High School – Pillar of the Year Award, 2021
- Selected by Illinois Super Lawyers, “Rising Stars,” 2019-2022
- Named to Illinois’ Emerging Lawyers by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2017-2022
- John C. McAndrews Pro Bono Service Award winner presented by the Illinois State Bar Association, 2020
- Named to inaugural Public Interest Law Initiative Honor Roll for outstanding contributions to pro bono work, 2020
- Selected Central Illinois’ “40 Leaders Under 40” by Peoria Magazines, 2019
- Peoria County Bar Association Pro Bono Plan Young Lawyer of the Year, 2017