Principal of this 6 attorney law firm that concentrates its practice in all aspects of Civil Trial Practice and Appeals in all State and Federal Courts in the Northeastern Illinois and Southeastern Florida geographical area with a focus on catastrophic bodily injury and death claims concentrating in the representation of clients in their nursing home neglect, motor vehicle negligence and premises liability claims. The firm also represents clients in their Workers Compensation Act claims and their commercial and residential real estate transactions and associated litigation.
Areas of Practice
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing Home Abuse
Trucking and Transportation Injuries
Premises Liability Injuries
Workers Compensation
Transactions
Bar Admissions
Illinois, 1982
Florida 2021
U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1985
U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 2018
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois 2019
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida 2023
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1984
Education
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
J.D. - 1982
University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
Bachelor of Science - 1979
Honors: High Honors
Major: Finance
Published Works
Statute of Limitations on Injured Minors' Medical Expense Claims, the Solution, 28 Illinois State Bar Association Tort Trends 3, July, 1992
Written Exculpatory Clauses as a Defense to Tort Claims: A Survey of Illinois Case Law and Pointers to the Practitioner, 28 Illinois State Bar Association Tort Trends 4, March, 1993
Legal Malpractice Issues Facing the Tort Law Practitioner, 29 Illinois State Bar Association Tort Trends 4, April, 1994
House Bill 20 Turns the Petrillo Doctrine Upside Down, 30 Illinois State Bar Association Tort Trends 8, June, 1995
30 ISBA Tort Trends 8, June, 1995
Section 143a of the Insurance Code: A proposed Amendment, 32 ISBA Tort Trends 1, August, 1996
Changes on the Horizon for Trial Lawyers, The Seventh Circuit's Jury Trial Project 42 ISBA Tort Trends No. 3, September, 2006
Co-editor of Tort Trends, Publication of the Tort Law, June 1999-June 2003
Representative Cases
Silverberg v. Haji, IL App (1st) 141321, 2015
Donald W. Fohrman & Associates, Ltd. v. Marc D. Alberts, P.C., IL App (1st) 123351 , 2014
Wilson v. Teloptic Cable Construction Co., 314 Ill.App.3d 107, 731 N.E.2d 899, 247 Ill.Dec. 126 (1st Dist., 5th Div.), 2000
Illinois Founders Insurance Company v. Guidish, 248 Ill. App.3d 116, 187 Ill. Dec. 845, 618 N.E.2d 436 (1st Dist., 4th Div.), 1993
Walters v. Walters, 238 Ill.App.3d 1086, 178 Ill.Dec. 176, 605 N.E.2d 432 (2d Dist.), 1992
Argued the appeal of Szymakowski v. Szymakowski, 185 Ill. App. 3d 746, 134 Ill. Dec. 193, 542 N.E. 2d 372 (1st Dist., 4th Div.), 1989
Classes/Seminars
Co-Chair of the 2013 ISBA Civil Practice & Procedure Section Council's Allerton House Conference at Starved Rock State Lodge. (April 11-13, 2013) The topic was Adaptations of New Technologies to Civil Case Processes.
Speaker at the April 15, 2011 Seminar Don't Lien on Me: A Comprehensive Overview of Liens speaking on Successfully resolving Medicare Liens against Tort claims
Speaker at the November 5, 2010 Seminar Trial Practice from Voir-Dire Through Post Trial sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association lecturing on Closing Arguments
Speaker at the November 13, 2009 Seminar Insurance Law Update sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association lecturing on Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance Claims
Speaker at the June 23, 2007 Seminar Uninsured/Underinsured: The Necessary Basics- sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association lecturing on Uninsured Motorist Claims
Speaker at the May 10, 2004 Seminar The Anatomy of an Automobile Case- sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association lecturing on issues involving the Bankruptcy of a Party, The Death of a Party and Non-English Speaking Parties
Co-coordinator of the June 20, 2003 Seminar Potpourri of Civil Practice, Tort and Insurance Law Seminar sponsored by the ISBA Civil Practice and Procedure, Tort and Insurance Law Section Councils
Speaker at the April 5, 2001 Insurance Coverage: An Update Seminar lecturing on The Emerging Tort of Bad Faith
Speaker at the May 18, 2000 Seminar An Update for Tort and Insurance Litigators lecturing on Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Arbitrations
Speaker at the June 20, 1997 Tort Law Update Seminar at the ISBA Annual Meeting lecturing on Recent cases involving Legal Malpractice
Speaker at the November 30, 1995 ISBA Professional Liability Litigation Seminar
Speaker at the December 8, 1994 ISBA Third Party Practice Seminar
Speaker at the April 30, 1993 ISBA Recreational Law Update Seminar
Guest panelist on the ISBA Cable Television Program that dealt with the topic area of automobile accident claims. This was filmed on August 21, 1997.
Honors and Awards
AV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Super Lawyer, 2009 to present
Rated 10 out of 10, AVVO, since 2012
The American Society of Legal Advocates
Elite American Lawyers
Illinois Bar Foundation, Platinum Fellow
American Bar Foundation, Lifetime Fellow
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
The Decalogue Society of Lawyers
Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association – Top 25
National Trial Lawyers- Top 100
Professional Associations and Memberships
Illinois State Bar Association, Board of Governors, 2012-2013, 2014 – 2017 and 2019 to present
Illinois State Bar Association Assembly, 2010 to 2014
Illinois State Bar Association, Civil Practice & Procedure Section Council, Member, 2007-2013, 2017 to Present
Illinois State Bar Association, Civil Practice & Procedure Section Council, Chair, 2011 to 2012
Illinois State Bar Association, Civil Practice & Procedure Section Council, Board of Governors Liaison, 2016 to 2017
Illinois State Bar Association, Insurance Law Section Council, Member, 1995 to 2004
Illinois State Bar Association, Insurance Law Section Council, Chair, 2002 to 2003
Illinois State Bar Association, Tort Law Section Council, Member, 1989 to 2015
Illinois State Bar Association, Tort Law Section Council, Board of Governors Liason, 2015 to 2017
Illinois State Bar Association, Elder Law Section Council, Board of Governors Liason, 2015 to 2017
Illinois State Bar Association, Standing Committee on Professional Conduct, Board of Governors Liaison, 2014 to 2017
Illinois State Bar Association, Standing Committee on Military Affairs, Board of Governors Liaison, 2014 to 2015
Illinois State Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section Council, Board of Governors Liaison, 2014 to 2015
Illinois State Bar Association, Standing Committee on Judicial Evaluations, Member, 1998 to 2000
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
American Bar Association
American Association For Justice
The National Trial Lawyers
Miami-Dade Trial Lawyers Association
The Florida Bar
Chicago Bar Association, Civil Practice Committee, Member, 1992 to 1999
Chicago Bar Association, Civil Practice Committee, Chairperson of Division IV and Division I, 1997 to 1998
Chicago Bar Association, Civil Practice Committee, Chairperson, 1995 to 1996
Chicago Bar Association, Civil Practice Committee, Member, 1993 to 1999
Pro Bono Activities
Illinois Bar Foundation, Board of Directors, 2014 to 2021
Illinois Bar Foundation, Treasurer, 2017 to 2021
Illinois Bar Foundation, Co-chair of the 2015 GALA Fundraiser
Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation Board of Directors, 2019 to Present
