Highlights From the Life and Career of Trial Wizard, Jonathan Bunge

Jonathan Bunge is a distinguished lawyer and managing partner of the Chicago office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP. With a specialization in trial work and litigation, Bunge has successfully tried over 50 jury and bench trials in various areas, including commercial disputes, non-compete and trade secret disputes, products cases, environmental matters, white-collar criminal matters, and securities and financial disputes. He is also the Co-Chair of the National Trial Practice Group and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Bunge’s outstanding work has been repeatedly recognized by the American Lawyer and other publications, who acknowledge him as one of Chicago’s top trial lawyers.

Bunge graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1984 and then went on to complete his J.D. with honors in 1988 at the University of Chicago Law School. After passing the Illinois bar exam, Bunge was admitted to legal practice in 1990.

After completing his law degree, Bunge held prestigious judicial clerkships,  serving the Hon. James Buckley at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and, later, Justice Byron White of the U.S. Supreme Court. During his judicial clerkships, Bunge gained invaluable experience in public service, which later became his passion, as well as insight into the judicial system.

In pursuit of his love for public service, Bunge joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago as a federal prosecutor in 1990. During his successful career at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he handled several high-profile cases with far-reaching legal consequences, including several high-profile corruption cases.

Some of his notable accomplishments during this time include the prosecution of the Ford Heights, Illinois Chief of Police and six other police officers on corruption and racketeering charges, various cases arising from the “Silver Shovel” investigation into political corruption in Chicago government, a terrorism case involving the efforts of a Puerto Rican independence group to bomb a military recruiting center, the prosecution of a large Chicago street-gang that attempted to purchase military weapons to attack a Chicago police station, and a series of fraud prosecutions involving securities and other types of businesses.

Bunge received several accolades for his noteworthy performance as a federal prosecutor, including the U.S. Department of Justice’s Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and four Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards.

After almost a decade at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bunge joined Kirkland & Ellis LLP as a partner and, in 2015, moved to Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, later becoming Managing Partner of the Chicago Office. At Quinn Emanuel, Bunge litigates complex business disputes, including class actions, securities cases, product liability cases, white-collar matters, and appellate litigation. He also frequently defends clients in government investigations and regulatory matters.

Bunge has worked with some of the largest private companies globally, including McDonald’s, IBM, PWC, Ernst & Young, and several venture capital firms. He has a track record of successfully representing clients in government regulatory and criminal investigations. He also has experience handling cases involving both private organizations and government entities, including litigation related to the False Claims Act.