Barry E. Fields is a recently-retired trial lawyer and senior partner in Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Chicago office). He joined Kirkland in 1992 as an associate, became a partner in 1997, and retired in early 2023. For 30 years, he represented large companies and professional services firms in complicated, high profile cases across the United States. He successfully resolved environmental, products liability, mass tort, and commercial disputes inside and outside the courtroom.

Barry received his BA degree in chemistry (summa cum laude) from Bellarmine University and his J.D. degree from the University of Chicago. After graduating from the Law School, he served as a judicial clerk to Judge Boyce F. Martin, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Before his most recent appointment to teach pretrial litigation, Barry previously served as a Lecturer in Law at the Law School, teaching a trial advocacy course during eight academic years.