Professional Recognition

Carmen D. Caruso has received widespread professional recognition for many years, including:

• Named in 2010 by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to its Franchise Advisory Board, which advises the Illinois Attorney General in its implementation and enforcement of the Illinois Franchise Disclosure Act
• Named an Illinois Leading Lawyer by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin publication in each year from 2006-2011 based on the recognition of his peers, and selected to serve on the Advisory Board of the Illinois Leading Lawyers Network in each of these years
• Named an Illinois Super Lawyer by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine and Law & Politics for franchise and dealership and business litigation each year from 2005-2011.
• Consistently named a Legal Eagle by Franchise Times, a Crain’s publication focused on the franchise industry beginning in 2001 and 2005-2011
• Receiving an AV rating by Martindale-Hubble, the highest rating available for both legal ability and ethics, for more than twenty years, and being a member of the prestigious Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers.
• Recognized in “Who’s Who Legal Illinois,” published by the International Bar Association
• Serving (since 2008) as editor of the Illinois chapter of the Franchise Desk Book of state and federal franchise laws published by the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising.

Caruso is frequently invited to speak on franchise law and trial practice subjects by the ABA Forum on Franchising, the American Association for Justice (formally known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America), the International Franchise Association, and organizations dedicated to protecting franchisee rights such as the American Franchisee Association, the American Association of Franchisees & Dealers (where he served on the Board of Directors), the Dairy Queen Operators Association, Dunkin’ Donuts Independent Franchise Owners’ Association, Coalition of Franchisees and Dealers and the Asian American Hotel Owners’ Association.

The media, including the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, the Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business and Franchise Times, frequently call upon Caruso to comment on newsworthy aspects of his own cases and other controversies involving franchising, dealership and related matters.

See the following Wall Street Journal article on a case where Caruso represents dealers in a lawsuit against BP Products North America, Inc.: