Over 300 trial attorneys and Illinois judges were in attendance on the evening of October 24th as the Jury Verdict Reporter, a division of Chicago-based Law Bulletin Media, hosted its annual reception and awards for Trial Lawyer Excellence in the elegant Hyatt Regency Chicago. Fifty-four professionals from both sides of the trial bar received individual Trial Lawyer Excellence awards in one of seventeen 2019 categories.

Martin J. Healy, Jr. of Healy Scanlon, and C. Barry Montgomery of Williams Montgomery & John were recognized with Lifetime Achievement awards for their body of trial work, leadership, mentoring and contributions to the legal community.

Award Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE TRIAL ATTORNEYS FOR OUTSTANDING REPRESENTATION OF THEIR CLIENTS

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Legal Malpractice Case
Victor Pioli, Ramses Jalalpour, Johnson & Bell
David Sorensen, Law Offices of Edward Kozel

Highest Reported Kankakee County Verdict or Settlement
Larry Rogers Jr., Jonathan Thomas, Power Rogers & Smith, LLP

Outstanding Defense Verdict in an FELA Case
Raymond Groble III, Matthew Hammer, Daley Mohan Groble
Christy Mennen, Nilan Johnson Lewis PA

Highest Reported Illinois Verdict Against a Nursing Home
Susan Novosad, Margaret Battersby Black, Daniel Goldfaden, Levin & Perconti

Defense Attorney Achievement Awards
Thomas Cameli, Cameli & Hoag
Ruth Enright, Baker & Enright
Douglas Pomatto, Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen

TLE – First Chair in First Case Reported in Jury Verdict Reporter
John Damisch, Damisch & Damisch

TLE – Most Reported Trials in Last 30 Years
Anthony Elman, Elman Law
Jack Batten, Bruce Farrel Dorn & Associates
Hon. Robert Gordon, 1st District IL Appellate Court

Outstanding Defense Verdict in an Automobile Case
Randall Mead, Drake Narup & Mead

Highest Reported DuPage County Verdict or Settlement in a Motorcycle Case
Bradley Pollock, Taxman Pollock Murray & Bekkerman

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Medical Malpractice Case
Jenny Blake, Gretchen Powell, Smith Blake Hill
Joseph Switzer, Sarah Ferrill, Swanson Martin & Bell

Highest Reported Will County Verdict for Female Wrongful Death
Steven Jambois, Kralovec Jambois & Schwartz

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Product Liability Case
Mark Boyle, Edward Fu, Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smith
Steven Ward, McAfee & Taft

Highest Reported Illinois Verdict or Settlement for Hazing or Bullying
Peter Coladarci, Peter R. Coladarci Ltd.
Michael Rathsack, Law Office of Michael W. Rathsack

Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Medical Malpractice Case
Anjali Dayal, Sean Mascarenhas, McBreen Kopko & Dayal
Max Frazier, Johnson & Bell

Highest Reported Illinois Verdict or Settlement Since the 2018 TLE Award Event
Robert Clifford, Kristofer Riddle, Clifford Law Offices
George Bellas, Bellas & Wachowski
Steven Blonder, Jonathan Loew, Much Shelist
Thomas Thrash, Marcus Bozeman, Thrash Law Firm
Elizabeth Cabraser, Robert Nelson, Kevin Budner, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
John “Don” Barrett, Barrett Law Offices
Brent Landau, Jeannine Kenney, Megan Jones Hausfeld LLP
Patrick Pendley, Pendley Baudin & Coffin
Erwin Chemerinsky, University of California Berkeley School of Law
Richard Barrett, Richard R. Barrett PLLC
Gordon Ball, Gordon Ball PLLC
Stephen Saltzburg, George Washington University School of Law

TOP FIRM IN 2019 JVR SETTLEMENT REPORT PUBLISHED IN CHICAGO LAWYER MAGAZINE
Power Rogers & Smith, LLP