About Us

George Bellas started what is now Bellas & Wachowski Attorneys at Law after leaving his position as a prosecuting attorney in 1977. The firm consists of six attorneys and six support team members working in areas such as business law, business litigation and personal injury claims

The history of our firm is, in large part, the history of our firm partners, George Bellas and Peter Wachowski.

George has been an avid user of technology in the practice since the early 1980’s and has employed technology to the benefit of his clients. George was an early proponent of e-discovery and has now moved into the field of Artificial Intelligence.

George S. Bellas

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George recently chaired the first Illinois State Bar Association Artificial Intelligence Committee in 2023 and served on the Illinois Supreme Court Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.

In its annual survey of attorneys who have obtained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, Law & Politics has selected George Bellas as an Illinois Super Lawyer for 15 years in the practice area of business litigation. A "Super Lawyer" is selected for this award by other attorneys who were asked to nominate the best attorneys they have personally observed in action.

George has achieved many successes in litigation:

• While working with Clifford Law Offices in 2001 George obtained $22.5 million in a settlement of a case involving the rollover of a 1992 Ford Explorer which left two teenagers dead and another a quadriplegic. George has since been involved with numerous Explorer rollover cases throughout the U.S.
• George was a recipient of the prestigious Steven Sharp Public Service Award in 2001 by the American Association of Justice for his work in helping educate the public on the risk of SUV rollovers and of the Firestone tire and Ford Explorer recall.
• George has also been named as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Illinois and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
• George Bellas, in association with Clifford Law Offices, filed a series of class actions against several not-for-profit hospitals alleging that these not-for-profits violate their tax exempt status by overcharging uninsured and indigent patients and then employing strong-arm tactics to collect from the indigent and uninsured, driving many people into bankruptcy. These lawsuits were featured in Time magazine and on ABC's Primetime. One of those cases against a large Cook County hospital system settled in an unprecedented settlement.
• The firm of Bellas & Wachowski Attorneys at Law filed one of the first cases involving contaminated dog food and which consolidated into a nationwide class action. A nationwide settlement was agreed to and approved by the court.
• In the area of complex business litigation, George Bellas has few peers. For example, successfully prosecuted claims against a multi-national corporation in the United States District Court in Chicago on behalf of a Brazilian business owner. The claims involved breaches of a joint venture and distributorship agreement. The cases settled with the terms subject to a confidentiality agreement.
• George was part of a team in a lawsuit against several oil refineries for exposing a contractor to asbestos dust resulting in a mesothelioma death. After a 6-week trial, the Cook County jury returned a verdict of $5.6 million in favor of the Estate on December 14, 2021. Read More

George has published numerous articles on technical issues including most recently "Deepfakes in the Courtroom: Problems and Solutions" which was published in the Trial newsletter of the Illinois State Bar Association.

George served as a panelist at the prestigious Sedona Conference focusing on Litigation of Mass Torts.

George was an original member of the 7th Circuit e-Discovery Council.

George was a panelist in 2023 at the Rand Institute Symposium on “Balancing the Needs of Requesting and Producing Parties: Getting E-Discovery Right.”

George has been rated "Excellent" and "Recommended" by Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory.

Peter Wachowski was recognized as one of "40 Lawyers under 40 to Watch in Chicago" by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. This is a very unique honor and recognizes the accomplishments of Peter in serving the needs of his clients and the community.

Peter has served as President of the Advocates Society, which is the bar association for Polish-American attorneys. Peter is completely literate in Polish.

Peter has been admitted to practice since 1990, and is a member of the American, Illinois and Chicago Bar Associations. He also managed his family's construction business, giving him valuable experience in the needs of general contractors.

Peter and George were recently awarded lifetime memberships in the National Registry of Who's Who in America. Peter has been rated "Excellent" and "Recommended" by Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory.

Peter successfully argued a case before the Illinois Supreme Court in which a murder conviction was reversed.

Please contact Bellas & Wachowski Attorneys at Law about any questions about our firm, or to set up a consultation about your legal issues.