Trial Lawyer Excellence Award 2017

On October 26th, 2017, the Jury Verdict Reporter and Law Bulletin Media
hosted their annual JVR Awards Ceremony & Reception in the Grand
Ballroom of the Peninsula Chicago Hotel, during which attorneys for both
plaintiff and defense were recognized for outstanding achievements in civil
litigation. This by-invitation-only event was attended by nearly 300 trial
attorneys and judges.

We presented 17 Trial Lawyer Excellence awards that recognized 32
individual trial lawyers for their outstanding work on behalf of their clients.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of Lifetime Achievement
awards to Hon. Dorothy French Mallen and Hon. Lorna E. Propes.

Award Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE TRIAL ATTORNEYS FOR OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATION OF THEIR CLIENTS

Lifetime Achievement Award
Hon. Dorothy French Mallen, Circuit Court 18th Judicial Circuit
Hon. Lorna E. Propes, Circuit Court of Cook County

Defense Achievement Award
Alton C. Haynes, Haynes Studnicka Kahan & Poulakidas LLC
Bill Porter, Chilton Yambert Porter LLP
Mary Kay Scott, Brenner Monroe Scott & Anderson Ltd

Plaintiff Achievement Award
Todd A. Smith, Power Rogers & Smith LLP
Clifford W. Horwitz, Horwitz Horwitz & Associates

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Civil Rights Case
Patrick H. O’Connor, Hartigan & O’Connor, P.C.
Michael R. Hartigan, Hartigan & O’Connor, P.C.

Highest Reported Stephenson County Award for Wrongful Death
Tara R. Devine, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.
John A. Mennie, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.
Elizabeth R. Olszewski, Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Street Hazard Case
Erika G. Baldonado, Schain Banks Kenny & Schwartz, Ltd.
Michael E. Kujawa, Schain Banks Kenny & Schwartz, Ltd.

Highest Reported Illinois Verdict for Defamation
Joanne Hannaway Sweeney, Sweeney and Scharkey LLC
Robert D. Sweeney, Sweeney and Scharkey LLC

Outstanding Defense Verdict in an Auto Case
Melanie K. Nelson , City of Chicago, Department of Law, Torts Division
James F. Ormond, City of Chicago, Department of Law, Torts Division

Highest Reported Illinois Verdict for a Knee Injury
James P. Costello, Costello McMahon Burke & Murphy, Ltd.
Thomas O. Plouff, Costello McMahon Burke & Murphy, Ltd.

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Tracked Vehicle Case
Elizabeth A. Graham, Union Pacific Railroad Company
Thomas E. Jones, Thompson Coburn LLP

Highest Reported Jackson County Verdict or Settlement
Mark D. Prince, Prince Law Firm
William T. Gibbs, Corboy & Demetrio

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Pedestrian Case
Kimberly A. Davis, SpyratosDavis LLC
Dimitrios E. Spyratos, SpyratosDavis LLC

Highest Reported Illinois Award for Legionnaires’ Disease
Melanie K. Fairman, Seidman Margulis & Fairman LLP
Matthew B. Heinlen, Capron & Avgerinos P.C.
Steven J. Seidman, Seidman Margulis & Fairman LLP

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Product Liability Case
John M. Kelly, Adler Murphy & McQuillen LLP
Michael G. McQuillen, Adler Murphy & McQuillen LLP

Highest Reported Illinois Verdict or Settlement Since the 2016 TLE Event
Michael J. Dowd, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

Top Firm in Chicago Lawyer Annual Settlement Report
Power Rogers & Smith LLP

Award Winners

The Jury Verdict Reporter presented Lifetime Achievement awards to three icons of the Illinois legal community: (from left to right) Dorothy French Mallen and Lorna E. Propes)
Nearly 300 of the finest trial attorneys and judges are set for the 2017 Trial Lawyer Excellence Awards.
Terrific view of the outside terrace at the Peninsula Hotel on October 26th, 2017.
The pre-gathering party at the Trial Lawyer Excellence Awards is always a great opportunity to catch up with old colleagues.
Howard Schaffner (Hofeld and Schaffner) shares a laugh as attendees gather for the award ceremony.
The old crew is back together! (From left to right: Michael J. Kane, Patricia C. Bobb, Lorna E. Propes and James M. Obbish).
Another outstanding view of the outside terrace of the Peninsula Hotel.
Attendees gather in the Grand Ballroom as the award ceremony begins.
An enthusiastic crowd packed the room for the award ceremony.
Emcee Peter Mierzwa and JVR Editor John Kirkton present the 8th Annual Trial Lawyer Excellence Awards.
Hon. Lorna E. Propes and Hon. William E. Gomolinski
An up-close look at a prestigious TLE award.