Leading transactions and trial law firm, Akerman LLP is expanding its Chicago office further with the addition of former federal administrative law judge and assistant U.S. attorney Paul C. Lillios to the team. Lillios has joined Akerman as Partner in the Litigation Practice Group.
Lillios brings thirty years of federal court and federal agency experience to the firm. His practice includes representing clients in business disputes, healthcare fraud and abuse matters, as well as white-collar crime and government investigations.
Throughout his career, Paul Lillios managed a wide range of litigation as well as congressional investigations and inquiries, and interaction with members of the Congress. Paul has tried both civil and criminal bench and jury trials, and personally argued numerous appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals, while in the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Larry Rochefort, Akerman’s Litigation Practice Group Chair, said that they were thrilled to have hired Lillios. “Paul has a unique litigation background that will complement our White Collar Crime and Government Investigations Practice. After many years of serving as a trial lawyer and as a federal administrative law judge, Paul has a keen ability to navigate and resolve difficult legal, ethics and compliance issues for our clients,” he said.
Lillios, on his part, said, “Akerman is widely regarded for its premier trial team. I look forward to working alongside such a formidable group of lawyers, assisting clients faced with complex litigation and sensitive investigation matters at both the corporate and government levels.”
Lillios was first appointed as an administrative law judge for the U.S. Social Security Administration in 1994. Later he went on to become the Chicago Hearing Office Chief Administrative Judge in 1995. In 1997, he became the regional chief administrative law judge of Chicago where he served for 13 years. During this time, he supervised more than 160 administrative law judges and 1,000 attorneys, paralegals and support staff.
It was in 2010 that he assumed national responsibility and became the associate chief administrative law judge of the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Serving as a senior advisor on disability fraud at the Office of the Inspector General, he created a pilot proposal to establish a special investigations unit to investigate fraud and other crimes and to recommend criminal prosecution for offenses involving disability fraud.
He has also served as an assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice prior to his initial appointment as judge, and was a judicial law clerk for the Hon. Edward J. MacManus, U.S. District Judge for Iowa’s Northern District.