Frank A. Sommario

Frank A. Sommario had just completed law school and was about to start his career as a lawyer when he suffered a crushed ankle in an accident. After a brief delay and months of rehabilitation, Frank began his new job as a workers’ compensation lawyer. Today, you’d never know he had an accident that could have left him with a permanent disability. He fully recovered and was compensated for his injuries thanks to Antonio Romanucci, who successfully represented him in a lawsuit.

Frank served as counsel to Antonio’s law firm in workers’ compensation matters before joining the firm full-time in 2007. As a petitioner’s workers’ compensation lawyer, he vigorously fights for the rights of his clients and has obtained several large settlements and favorable trial awards for injured clients. He considers it a privilege to help injured workers get the benefits they deserve.

For his successes representing injury victims, Frank has proudly been named one of The Best Lawyers in America© since 2017. Super Lawyers has recognized Frank as an Illinois Top 100 Super Lawyer for 2019 and since 2022, one of Illinois’ Super Lawyers since 2016, and one of Illinois’ Rising Stars for 2010-2015. Additionally, he was named a Leading Lawyer by Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s Leading Lawyers Division since 2016. In 2015, he was named an Emerging Lawyer by Law Bulletin Publishing Company. The Justinian Society of Lawyers presented Sommario with the prestigious Award of Excellence in 2021. He was also named to Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s 40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch for 2012.

Frank’s commitment to the practice of law and professional associations includes his Presidency for the National Italian Bar Association, in addition to serving on the Board of Managers for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Board of Governors for the Illinois State Bar Association and formerly as the President of the Justinian Society of Lawyers and Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Association.

Before joining Romanucci & Blandin, Frank worked as a law clerk for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and was an accountant-consultant for the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County in law school. He is a certified public accountant as well as a registered investment advisor.

Experience

• J.D., DePaul University College of Law, 2000
• B.S., Commerce, Accounting, DePaul University, 1997
• Registered Investment Advisor, 2003
• Illinois Certified Public Accountant, 1998

• Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers, Plaintiff Employment, 2024
• Named one of The Best Lawyers in America®, 2017-Present
• Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers® list, 2016-Present
• Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers® ‘Top 100’ list, 2019, 2022-Present
• Named a Leading Lawyer by Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s Leading Lawyers Division, 2016-Present
• Named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer as certified by the National Trial Lawyers, 2016-Present
• Justinian Society of Lawyers Award of Excellence Recipient in 2021
• Selected to the Illinois Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers®, 2010–2015
• Named an Emerging Lawyer by Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s Leading Lawyers Division, 2015
• Named to the 40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch by Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2012
• AVVO Top Rating 10/10

• National Italian American Bar Association (NIABA)
  • President, 2023-Present
  • Executive Vice President, 2021-2023
  • Secretary, 2019-2020
  • Board of Directors, 2017-2019
• Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA)
  • Legal Counsel, 2021-Present 
  • Delegate, 2015-Present
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), Board of Managers, 2016-Present
• Illinois Bar Foundation (IBF), Silver Fellow, 2008-Present
• Justinian Society of Lawyers
  • Endowment Fund, Chairman, 2018-Present
  • Comptroller, 2017-Present
  • President, 2016-2017
  • 1^st Vice President, 2015-2016
  • 2^nd Vice President, 2014-2015
  • 3^rd Vice President, 2013-2014
  • Treasurer, 2012-2013
  • Endowment Fund, Treasurer, 2012-2017
  • Secretary, 2011-2012
  • Executive Committee, 2009-2020
• Fenwick High School Bar Association, Board of Directors, 2011-2016
• Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) Rules Committee, Member, 2015
• Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association (WCLA)
  • Comptroller, 2015–Present
  • President, 2013
  • Vice President, 2012
  • Treasurer, 2010-2011
  • Board of Directors, 2008-2014
• Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
  • Board Liaison, Standing Committee on Law Office Management & Economics, 2013-2014
  • Board Liaison, Standing Committee on Continuing Legal Education, 2012-2013
  • Board Liaison, Intellectual Property Section Council, 2011-2012
  • Board Liaison, Standing Committee on Mentoring, 2010-2011
  • Board Liaison, Workers’ Compensation Law Section Council, 2009-2014
  • Board of Governors, 2008-2014
  • Board Liaison, Federal Taxation Section Council, 2008-2014
  • Board Liaison, Environmental Law Section Council, 2008-2010
  • Co-Board Liaison, Young Lawyers Division Council, 2008-2009
  • Workers’ Compensation Law Section Council, 2007-2009
  • General Assembly, 2006-2008
• Synapse House
  • Board of Directors, 2016-2019
• American Association for Justice (AAJ), Member
• American Association of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants (AAA-CPA), Member
• American Bar Association (ABA), Member
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Member
• Chicago Bar Association (CBA), Member
• Chicago Council of Lawyers (CCL), Member
• DePaul University Alumnus, Member
• DePaul University College of Law Alumnus, Member
• Fenwick High School Alumnus, Member
• Illinois CPA Society & Foundation (ILCPA), Member
• National Italian-American Foundation (NIAF), Member
• Public Justice, Member
• Sicilian American Cultural Association (SACA), Member
• Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI), Member
• Women’s Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), Member

• Hallin v. Jim’s Arco Service, July 2020, Workers’ Compensation, $2,888,331.14 settlement
• Tapia v. The Delong Company, August 2018, Workers’ Compensation, $2,175,566.70 settlement
• Williams v. Jesse White Tumbling Team, May 2015, Workers’ Compensation, $2,053,000.00 settlement

• Illinois, 2000
• Northern District of Illinois, 2000
• Minnesota, 2001
• District of Columbia, 2001

Blog Posts

• Moderator, Dual Citizenship, NIABA CLE Italy Conference, Bologna, Italy, September 2024
• Moderator, Immigration, NIABA CLE Italy Conference, Bologna, Italy, September 2024
• Presenter, COVID Panel: Cases Tried, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association's Workers' Compensation Seminar, Chicago, IL, November 2023
• Presenter, “Workers’ Compensation: How the New Act Affects Physicians,” 14th Annual Chicago Trauma Symposium, Chicago, IL, August 2012

• “Odd-Lot” permanent total disability award affirmed, Vol. 45, No. 1, September 2007, Illinois State Bar Association, Workers’ Compensation Law Newsletter
• Statute of Limitations, 2008-2021, ITLA Worker's Compensation Lawyer's Notebook