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David Inlander is Managing Partner of Fischel Kahn.

David is an accomplished family law attorney with a focus on high-end complex matrimonial mediation. He also has considerable experience in collaborative and cooperative resolution processes for sophisticated clients, as well as civil litigation, chancery, trust, probate and professional liability litigation.

As one of Chicago’s most sought-after mediators, David regularly guides challenging cases to equitable resolutions by drawing on his 45 years of experience as a leading litigator in both state and federal courts. He continuously refines and deepens his mediation skills, including completing an intensive course in divorce mediation skills at Northwestern University and being trained in the collaborative process at Loyola University.

When representing family law clients, David is known for offering creative solutions to meet their needs. Whether recommending advocacy through litigation or alternative dispute resolution, his stellar work has earned him countless professional honors over the course of his career.

David is also an active member of the Cooperative Divorce Attorneys of Chicago and has been engaged in the development alternative dispute resolution approaches for high-end matrimonial cases. These models strive to have the parties – not the attorneys and judges – drive the negotiations to an amicable agreement on all disputed issues.

Professional Honors

David is consistently recognized as a Best Lawyer for both Family Law and Collaborative Law and was named Chicago’s Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in 2019 and 2023.

He is regularly honored by Illinois Super Lawyers in the areas of Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), an accolade bestowed upon the top five percent of attorneys in the state.

In 2022, David was honored as an Advocate for Diversity by the Diversity Scholarship Foundation for his commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal industry.

David is also selected annually as a Leading Lawyer in Illinois in the areas of Family Law, General Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Leading Lawyers also named him a Top Neutral.

In addition to these accolades, David is AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest level of professional excellence in ethical standards and legal ability.

David is also the Past Chair of the prestigious ISBA Bench & Bar Section Council and regularly pens articles for the council’s newsletter.

David is the current Chair of the prestigious Illinois State Bar Association Bench & Bar Section Council and regularly pens articles for its newsletter.

Community Involvement

David has been active in the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for decades and is the Immediate Past Chair of the Interreligious Affairs Commission. This global role involved creating and shaping policy and included four audiences with Pope Francis, as well as meetings with the highest levels of religious leadership in the United States and around the world, from Mexico City and Morocco to Istanbul, Israel and India.

In 2019, his work with the AJC was chronicled in the Super Lawyers’ Illinois 2019 magazine in a piece called “Repairing the World.”

Member

  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
  • American Association for Justice
  • Decalogue Society of Lawyers

Author

  • “Chicken Dinner Warrants Recusal? Not So Fast!”. ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, Vol. 50 no. 6, March 2020; ISBA Trail Briefs Newsletter, Vol. 66 no. 5, March 2020; ISBA Commercial Banking, Collections and Bankruptcy Newsletter, Vol. 63 no. 3, April 2020 View here
  • “Bench and Bar Section Council year in review 2018-2019: Reflections from the chair”. ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, Vol. 29 no. 10, June 2019 View here
  • “Chair’s column: Crisis? National emergency? For Illinois lawyer’s, it’s time to address a serious issue”  ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, Vol. 49, no. 7, March 2019 View here
  • “Chair’s column: Bench & Bar addresses attacks on the rule of law”  ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, Vol. 49, no. 5, January 2019 View here
  • “Chair’s column: Truth and the law” ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, Vol. 49, no. 3, September 2018 View here
  • “Chair’s column: We could be heroes” ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, Vol. 49, no.1, July 2018 View here
  • “Upholding or striking consumer mandatory arbitration clauses- What is the current trend?”
    ISBA Bench & Bar Newsletter, Vol. 48, No. 8, February 2018  View here