About Ian M
Ian M Barney built his legal foundation at Loyola University Chicago. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2007 after beginning undergraduate study in 2003. He returned to Loyola for law school and earned his J.D. in 2011, having begun that course of study in 2008. Those years framed his early exposure to trial advocacy and appellate work.
He is admitted to practice in Illinois and holds federal admissions that let him appear before several higher courts. His federal credentials include the U.S. Supreme Court, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern Districts of Illinois and Indiana. Those admissions have shaped the contours of his courtroom practice and his approach to procedural strategy.
Barney joined Barney & Hourihane, LLP and became a partner in 2016. That promotion followed several years of practice in which he handled matters that required coordination between state trial courts and federal forums. He has experience preparing filings for trial and appeal, organizing discovery in complex matters and arguing in federal district and appellate courts. Colleagues describe him as methodical in court preparation and clear in oral argument.
His professional life extends beyond casework. He maintains active memberships in professional organizations and attends continuing legal education to keep current on federal procedure and evolving precedent. He splits time between a North Shore office and a Chicago office, which allows him to meet clients and counsel in different parts of the region while managing litigation that spans multiple forums.
People who work with him find his courtroom style straightforward. He drafts pleadings carefully and places emphasis on preserving issues for appeal. When cases require multi-district coordination or federal removal, he has handled the initial filings and related briefing. He also prepares clients for depositions and trial testimony, aiming to reduce surprises and keep the record clear for any subsequent appellate review.
Outside the courtroom, his legal training and years of federal practice inform how he evaluates case strategy. He weighs procedural options alongside substantive law. That orientation shows in how he approaches briefing and oral advocacy. Today, he is a partner at Barney & Hourihane, LLP and practices in Illinois and in the federal courts to which he is admitted.
