As a former Assistant State’s Attorney, Brian Perkins brings a unique perspective to his work at Foote, Meyers, Mielke, & Flowers, but his approach to victims remains unchanged.
“When I was in the courtroom prosecuting a criminal, I was in a greater sense representing the victim,” he says. “I was the victim’s advocate then, and I am their advocate now. All that has changed is now I can give them my full and undivided attention.”
What really sparked his decision to leave the prosecutor’s office was his desire to do more for the victim. “There was only so much I could do [as a prosecutor],” he says. “They had so many more issues to deal with than just the criminal case, but I legally couldn’t give them all the help they needed. I knew I wanted to be able to do more, so I came here.”
Brian’s love of the courtroom came early in his law school career, when he was, as he puts it, “bitten by the trial bug.”
“I love being able to argue for my client,” he says. “The only difference is instead of prosecuting a crime, it’s a claim.” And another reason he loves the courtroom is “It’s not often you can get the undivided attention of twelve people.”
Arguing a case and being in front of a jury is familiar ground for Brian; as a prosecutor he was involved in over 500 hearings and tried more than 200 cases, 35 of those in front of a jury. With real trial experience rare in the world of civil law, Brian's hands-on experence gives him a powerful edge in the courtroom.
Brian is a native of the Fox Valley, and graduated from the University of Illinois (U-C) in 2001 and Chicago-Kent School of Law in 2004. He joined the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office upon receiving his law license in November of 2004, and came to Foote, Meyers, Mielke & Flowers in January, 2010. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, American Association of Justice, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, DuPage County Bar Association, and Kane County Bar Association.
