Trial Lawyer Excellence Award Winners for 2018 Announced
(Chicago, IL) — More than 300 trial attorneys and Illinois judges were in attendance on the evening of October 11th 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. Forty-five professionals from both sides of the trial bar received individual Trial Lawyer Excellence awards in one of seventeen 2018 categories.
Additionally, Bill Johnson of Johnson & Bell and Barry Goldberg of Goldberg & Goldberg were recognized with Lifetime Achievement awards for their body of trial work, leadership, mentoring and contributions to the legal community.
“We’ve been publishing civil jury verdicts for nearly 60 years, and this is the 9th year that we have recognized the state’s top civil litigation attorneys,” said John Kirkton, Editor, Jury Verdict Reporter. “I congratulate this year’s Trial Lawyer Excellence award winners, as well as our two lifetime achievement awardees.”
The 2018 Trial Lawyer Excellence award winners are:
Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Defamation Case
Charles T. Little, Seth Mann Rosenberg, Chicago Board of Education Law Department
Highest Reported Champaign County Verdict in a Pedestrian Case
James J. Hagle, Jeffrey D. Frederick, Aaron D. Lauter, Frederick & Hagle
Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Legal Malpractice Case
Amy L. Anderson, Sheldon A. Brenner, Brenner Monroe Scott & Anderson Ltd
Highest Reported Verdict in an Aviation Case
Donald J. Nolan, Thomas P. Routh, Nolan Law Group
David I. Katzman, Bruce A. Lampert, Katzman Lampert & Stoll (Troy, MI)
Defense Attorney Achievement Awards
Patricia L. Argentati, Mulherin Rehfeldt & Varchetto
James F. Best, Best Vanderlaan & Harrington
Charles F. Redden, Cunningham Meyer & Vedrine
Plaintiff Attorney Achievement Award
Christopher T. Hurley, Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C.
Outstanding Defense Verdict in an Auto Case
Gerard W. Cook, Benjamin M. Jacobi, O’Halloran Kosoff Geitner & Cook LLC
Highest Reported Winnebago County Verdict
Benjamin A. Crane, Blake M. Vance, Stephen M. Blecha, Coplan & Crane
Darin R. Doak, Law Offices of Darin R. Doak
Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Medical Malpractice Case
Jesse A. Placher, Andrew T. Bell, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
Daniel P. Slayden, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Highest Reported Verdict for a Civil Rights Case Versus the City of Chicago
Antonio M. Romanucci, Stephan D. Blandin, Martin D. Gould, Bruno R. Marasso, Nicolette A. Ward, Debra L. Thomas, Bryce T. Hensley, Romanucci & Blandin, LLC
Carl S. Salvato, Salvato O’Toole & Froylan
Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Common Carrier Case
Jade G. Simmons-Ford, Kirsten A. Doyle, Chicago Transit Authority
Highest Reported Illinois Verdict for Personal Injury (Compensatory Damages)
Patrick A. Salvi, Jeffrey J. Kroll, Tara R. Devine, Patrick A. Salvi, II, Eirene N. Salvi, Salvi Schostok & Pritchard, PC
Outstanding Defense Verdict in a Medical Malpractice Case
Sheryl M. Arrigo, Timothy L. Hogan, Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC
Highest Reported Illinois Verdict or Settlement Since the 2017 Trial Lawyer Excellence Awards
Michael J. Freed, Freed Kanner London & Millen LLC
Daniel J. Mogin, Mogin Rubin LLP (San Diego, CA)
TOP FIRM IN 2018 JVR SETTLEMENT REPORT PUBLISHED IN CHICAGO LAWYER MAGAZINE
Power Rogers & Smith LLP
Lifetime Achievement Awards
Barry D. Goldberg, Goldberg & Goldberg
William V. Johnson, Johnson & Bell
The Jury Verdict Reporter editorial staff reviewed the hundreds of significant Illinois jury verdicts and negotiated settlements that they had investigated, summarized and published. Only those that resulted in record-setting awards for the plaintiffs or notable defense outcomes in cases with a high verdict potential were honored with a Trial Lawyer Excellence award.
The Jury Verdict Reporter conducts objective research on Illinois matters and provides in-depth case reports including a detailed fact analysis, type of case, jurisdiction, a list of attorneys, judges and experts involved, and itemized award breakdown. JVR’s extensive information has been included in Lawyerport as part of Law Bulletin Media’s mission to integrate and link all of our content.
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