Governor Pritzker appoints Dennis O’Brien ’75 to IWCC position

November 26, 2019



Dennis O’Brien ’75 has been appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as an arbitrator with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (IWCC). He currently serves as Vice President and Secretary of the Springfield law firm of Livingston, Mueller, O’Brien and Davlin.



Dennis' primary area of practice has been defending Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission cases. He brings a wealth of workers’ compensation experience to the IWCC position.



For the past 39 years, Dennis has been associated with Livingston, Mueller, O’Brien and Davlin. Previously, he worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney for the Felony Division of Lake County, Assistant State’s Attorney for Sangamon County, and a reporter for the Capitol Information Bureau.



Dennis earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from Dominican University in 1975. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1978. Dennis is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Counsel and has written and taught dozens of continuing legal education courses over the last twenty years.



Read More: IL Governor Pritzker Makes Six Appointments to Workers’ Compensation Commission

The View from the Other Side (printed in the Fall 2020 Dominican Magazine)

Dennis O’Brien ’75 was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as an arbitrator on the Workers’ Compensation Commission of the State of Illinois. In his new role, Dennis conducts hearings and makes decisions about work-related injury disputes between employees and employers.



Before joining the commission, Dennis practiced workers’ compensation law for more than 35 years, most recently as vice president and secretary of Springfield law firm Livingston, Mueller, O’Brien and Davlin. Serving on the commission seemed like a natural next step.



“Over the years I’ve tried over a thousand cases before the commission, so I knew how the trials went and how to do them,” Dennis said. “The question was, do I have the demeanor to sit on the other side of the table? And the answer is that I do. I like to be respectful of people, and that’s what you need to be as an arbitrator. You have to show patience, and you have to be firm. It’s fulfilling work, and I truly enjoy it.”