Atty. Maureen D. O'Brien
Maureen O'Brien is a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Maureen's practice includes a broad range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, and she has extensive experience with the M&A aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including strategic and private equity transactions.
Profile Summary
About Maureen D. O'Brien at a glance
Maureen D. O'Brien is a employment attorney based in Chicago, Illinois, practicing at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Educated at Chicago-Kent College of Law at IIT (J.D., 1998). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (2026). Serands clients in Chicago, IL and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Maureen O'Brien is a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Maureen's practice includes a broad range of employee benefits and executive compensation matters, and she has extensive experience with the M&A aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including strategic and private equity transactions
- Maureen advises clients on the design and implementation of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, welfare plans, Section 409A matters and equity and incentive compensation arrangements
- Maureen also advises clients regarding defined benefit plan, multiemployer pension plan and retiree welfare plan design and liabilities, including negotiating settlements with multiemployer pension funds and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service
- In addition to her transactional and employee benefit counseling practice, Maureen also represents debtors with respect to the employee benefits aspects of restructuring matters and has significant experience in the employee benefits and executive compensation aspects of financing agreements
- Maureen routinely advises clients on fiduciary matters and provides guidance on corporate governance matters affecting employee benefit plans and executive compensation
Practice Areas Explained
Maureen D. O'Brien's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Maureen D. O'Brien handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Maureen D. O'Brien is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in Illinois →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Illinois
Practicing law in Illinois. Legal matters in Illinois are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Chicago are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Illinois state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Illinois brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Illinois courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Illinois attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Chicago or all attorneys in Illinois.
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