About Richard G.
Richard G. Fonfrias practices law in Illinois and in the federal courts serving the Northern District of Illinois. He built a career that blends courtroom experience and firm leadership. Colleagues know him for steady courtroom presence and for running a practice that handles consumer financial matters and bankruptcy work.
He began his academic path in the sciences, studying biology at the College of Mount St. Vincent in 1986. He shifted to the humanities and earned a B.A. in philosophy from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1990. He completed his legal education at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, receiving his J.D. in 1995.
Fonfrias moved into private practice after law school and has taken on roles of increasing responsibility. He served as managing lawyer at the Law Offices of Legal RemediesLaw beginning in 2003. Five years later he became managing partner of Fonfrias Law Group, LLC., a firm he leads. He is admitted to practice in Illinois, before the Illinois Supreme Court and in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Much of his professional activity centers on bankruptcy and consumer financial issues. He holds memberships in organizations that reflect that emphasis. He joined the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Lawyers in 2005 and the American Bankruptcy Institute in 2013. He has also been part of the Chicago Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Panel since 2011. These memberships have kept him connected to developments in bankruptcy practice and to other practitioners who handle similar matters.
Outside of strictly legal groups he has been involved in community and business organizations. His memberships include the Chicago Lawyers Network and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, both since 2009. He also lists participation in a Federal Reserve money-management program called Money Smart beginning in 2010. These ties extend his professional network and bring a practical perspective to advising clients on financial issues.
In his practice he combines litigation experience and client counseling. He has led cases in state and federal courts and handled the business side of running a small law firm. He divides his time between client work and managing the firm’s daily operations. He currently handles consumer bankruptcy and related matters at Fonfrias Law Group, LLC.
