SCHWARTZ JAMBOIS - Key Persons
Adam Snyder is an accomplished trial lawyer with an unparalleled commitment to litigating birth trauma, catastrophic injury, and women's health matters. He is driven to change in the way perinatal care is provided and to help those who need help most.
Adam has devoted his career to improving outcomes in women's healthcare and perinatal medicine. He frequently lectures on obstetrics and pediatrics litigation, serves as co-chair of a leading perinatal care conference, and is invited to be presenting faculty at clinical and legal seminars throughout the country. Adam also serves as a leader on the boards of multiple hospital and charitable organizations whose mission is to support women's healthcare and women's health research. He is recognized by his peers as a SuperLawyers Rising Star and the Leading Lawyers Network for his dedication.
Practice Areas
Birth Injuries
Al began as an associate in the firm of William D. Maddux & Associates from 1984. William D. Maddux became a Circuit Court Judge in Cook County in 1990, and Al became an owner of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, the successor firm to William D. Maddux & Associates at that time.
Amanda is one of the firm's most experienced trial attorneys. From medical malpractice to construction accident negligence, Amanda has obtained a number of multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts.
Amanda has worked on dozens of complicated medical malpractice cases involving birth injuries, cerebral palsy, surgical mishaps, delayed diagnosis of cancer, and missed diagnosis of conditions such as heart attack, stroke, infection, sepsis, hemorrhage, meningitis, abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm (AAA and TAA), and shock. From depositions through trial, Amanda works tirelessly to uncover what proper medical practices were not followed and what steps could have been taken to prevent injuries and deaths related to medical care. In each of her medical malpractice cases, Amanda works with dedication and tenacity to achieve justice for those who have been harmed by the medical providers in which they placed their trust.
In addition to her experience with medical malpractice cases, Amanda has worked on a number of complex personal injury actions involving construction site negligence, trench collapse, elevator/lift collapse, trucking accidents, auto accidents, childhood sex abuse, police misconduct and police shootings. Amanda works tirelessly to investigate and litigate her personal injury cases.
Amanda understands what it takes to bring complicated cases to trial. While she was taking night classes at Loyola University School of Law, Amanda worked full-time as a paralegal/law clerk at Schwartz Jambois. As a paralegal/law clerk, Amanda assisted in all aspects of preparing medical malpractice and complex personal injury cases for trial. Even prior to beginning her career as an attorney, Amanda worked on more than a dozen medical malpractice trials and a handful of complex personal injury trials, including a fatal shooting by a Chicago Police Officer which resulted in a $12.5 million dollar verdict.
As an attorney at Schwartz Jambois, Amanda has worked on hundreds of cases and has obtained tens of millions of dollars for her clients. Amanda is widely respected for her success in securing just compensation for her clients.
Amanda is active in local and national bar associations and has authored an annual chapter in the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook for six years.
In both 2015 and 2016, Amanda was named as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers. This distinction is reserved for attorneys who have shown outstanding aptitude for the practice of law at an early stage of their career. This honor is bestowed on less than 2% of all attorneys licensed in Illinois. In addition, Amanda was designated a Rising Star by SuperLawyers, another honor reserved for less than 2.5% of attorneys.
Bryan S. Jambois initially joined Schwartz Jambois in 2017 as a law clerk while attending the DePaul College of Law. Following his graduation from DePaul and admission to the Illinois Bar in 2019, he became an associate attorney at the firm. Bryan's litigation and dispute resolution practice focuses on nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, product liability, motor vehicle accidents, and personal injury.
While attending law school, Mr. Jambois worked in the mediation clinic, where he represented and advocated for indigent individuals. He received certification as a mediator from DePaul. Bryan also served as a law clerk at the Dowd and Dowd law firm, where he assisted in the representation of the transportation industry, as well as disputes involving insurance companies and their policyholders. In addition, he served as a law extern with the Honorable Judge Budzinski.
Mr. Jambois grew up in Evanston, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Business Studies. As an attorney at Schwartz Jambois, Bryan fights vigorously for the rights of clients and has been fundamental in procuring numerous personal injury and wrongful death settlements.
Caitlin K. Finnegan joined Schwartz Jambois in November 2013 shortly after being admitted to the Illinois Bar.
Caitlin concentrates her practice in the areas of medical malpractice, wrongful death, nursing home negligence, and personal injury. As an attorney with Schwartz Jambois, Caitlin has obtained numerous settlements on behalf of her clients, including, $775,000 for the family of a woman whose surgical site became infected due to improper wound care at the nursing home; $690,000 for the family of an 85-year old who fell in a nursing home and suffered a traumatic brain injury; and $550,000 for the family of a woman who was improperly administered insulin and became unresponsive. In her time at Schwartz Jambois, Caitlin has obtained over $25,000,000 in settlements for her clients. As a result of Caitlin's success, she has been named an Emerging Lawyer by the Law Bulletin's Leading Lawyers Division, a distinction earned by fewer than 2% of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Illinois.
Caitlin attended Chicago-Kent College of law and graduated in 2013 with a certificate in litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
Caitlin grew up in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago's south side and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2008.
Christine E. Grady first started at Schwartz Jambois as a law clerk in 2019 and was hired as an Associate Attorney after being admitted to the Illinois State Bar in 2021. Christine represents victims of Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death, Nursing Home Negligence and Personal Injury.
Christine earned her Juris Doctor from University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law where she was a recipient of the Barristers Scholarship. While at the UIC, Christine dedicated her time to the Pro Bono Litigation Clinic where she represented clients for various state and civil matters.
Christine grew up in Naperville, Illinois and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018 where she majored in Spanish and minored in Communications.
Colin T. Henry has worked at Schwartz Jambois since 2016, first as a law clerk, and currently as an associate attorney. Colin represents victims for injuries arising from medical malpractice, premises liability, motor vehicle negligence, products liability, and other personal injury claims.
Colin attended the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, where he received his Juris Doctor in 2016. While at John Marshall, he was a Dean's List student and a staff editor for the John Marshall Law Review. Mr. Henry also graduated in the top 25% of his class.
While in law school, Mr. Henry served as a judicial extern in the Motions Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County for the Honorable John P. Callahan, Jr. He joined Schwartz Jambois as a law clerk in 2016, and he has been an integral part of the KJS team ever since.
Colin grew up in Barrington, Illinois and graduated from Indiana University in 2013, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a minor in business.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Board of Managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
Since joining Schwartz Jambois in 1997, Craig has consistently obtained significant jury verdicts and settlements for his clients in lawsuits involving medical malpractice, automobile negligence, pharmaceutical mass torts, and other catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. His record of success includes over $50 million in jury verdicts to date. He has obtained large jury verdicts for his clients in counties throughout northern Illinois. Additionally, Craig has obtained a number of sizable settlements throughout his career. Just recently, Craig was one of a small group of lawyers leading the consolidated Cook County, Illinois pharmaceutical litigation involving the diabetes drug Actos® which resolved for $2.37 billion, one of the largest pharmaceutical settlements ever.
In recognition of his long-standing record of success, Craig has earned a number of honors from various local and national peer-organizations. In 2016, Craig was accepted as a Fellow into the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Membership in the Academy is limited to 500 U.S. trial lawyers. The standards for admission are high, and they include outstanding skills and extensive experience as a trial lawyer as well as unimpeachable personal and professional character. In 2014, Craig was selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor bestowed upon only those who have shown dedication to the welfare of the community and the highest principles of the legal profession. In 2010, Craig was elected to membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Membership in ABOTA is by invitation only. Prospective members must have substantial civil trial experience and must demonstrate the virtues of civility, integrity, and professionalism. There are currently only 110 ABOTA members in the state of Illinois.
Additionally, since 2012, Craig has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer, and he has been listed as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of Illinois by the National Trial Lawyers Association every year since 2009. In 2008, Craig was named one of the Top 40 Illinois Lawyers Under 40 by Law Bulletin Publishing, Inc., the publisher of Chicago Lawyer and Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. View Craig's 40 Under 40 profile.
In 2013, Craig was one of only five trial lawyers featured in an article in Crain's Chicago Business discussing Rising Stars in Chicago's Personal Injury Bar. View Craig's featured article from Crain's Chicago Business.
For the past several years, Craig has been an elected member of the Board of Managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.
David A. Brody joined Schwartz Jambois as an associate attorney in 2015. He represents victims for injuries arising from medical malpractice, premises liability, motor vehicle negligence, products liability and other personal injury claims.
David graduated with his Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law in June 2015. In law school, David served as the President of the Environmental Law Society, where he led a group of students in organizing fundraisers and educational opportunities to enhance the school's Environmental Law curriculum and promote sustainability within the student body.
Additionally, he served as a member of the Chicago-Kent's Tax Law Clinic, Employment and Discrimination Law Clinic, and Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic. He received a certification as a mediator from Chicago's Center for Conflict Resolution and has experience mediating at the Richard J. Daley Center.
David has prior experiencee as a law clerk at multiple private firms where he assisted with personal injury, wrongful death cases and workers' compensation. As an attorney at Schwartz Jambois, David fights vigorously for the rights of his clients and has been fundamental in procuring numerous personal injury and wrongful death settlements.
Erin Doyle is an experienced trial attorney who joined Schwartz Jambois in 2012. She is dedicated to representing individuals who have suffered serious, life-altering personal injuries caused by the negligence of others, and seeking justice for the families of those victims who have lost their lives due to negligence. She has successfully resolved personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits in a host of complex cases, including cases of medical malpractice, wrongful death, personal injury, motor vehicle negligence and premises liability. Throughout her career, her commitment to fighting for and protecting the rights of her clients has resulted in numerous multi-million dollar results.
Since the joining the firm she has been recognized as an Illinois Rising Star and an Emerging Lawyer based on excellence and peer recognition from other attorneys in Illinois.
She graduated from Southern Illinois University Law School where she was a member of the Southern Illinois Law Journal. Prior to law school she earned her undergraduate degree from Saint Louis University.
Eva E. Golabek joined Schwartz Jambois as an associate in 2011 to handle matters involving medical and nursing home negligence and personal injury across the state. She has dedicated her practice to serving those who have suffered significant injuries and the families who have lost a loved one due to negligent care and treatment by medical providers. Her commitments to her clients, diligence, and drive have led to notable results on their behalf.
Between 2012 and 2015, Eva has successfully negotiated over nine million dollars in settlements on behalf of victims in cases involving nursing home and hospital acquired pressure ulcers, falls resulting in injury, malnutrition, dehydration, infection, and choking. Additionally, Eva has worked on and settled a variety of personal injury matters, including slip and falls and automobile accidents.
Her compassion extends beyond her place of employment, and she has served underprivileged communities by volunteering her time and providing pro bono legal services for Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and the Legal Aid Bureau.
Eva obtained her law degree from The John Marshall Law School in 2009, where she was a Moot Court Council member and a Herzog Moot Court Competition Semi-Finalist in 2008. Additionally, she participated in numerous trial competitions including the ABA Labor and Employment Law Competition in 2008 and the American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competitions in 2008 and 2009.
She earned a bachelor's degree from Loyola University, Chicago, in 2004, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and was a member of the Student Honors Association and a National Honors Collegiate Scholar.
On June 6, 2005, two workers, Herman Calloway, Sr. and Herman Calloway, Jr. (father and son), were working at the bottom of a 12-14 foot deep trench, installing storm pipes on a construction project managed by Bovis Lend Lease. Because this trench was greater than 5 feet deep, OSHA requires that the trench be protected from cave-in by some form of support. Typically this would involve the use of a trench box, a large steel frame that can prevent the side walls from collapse. On this day, however, two problems precluded use of the trench box: (1) a manhole structure that did not afford enough room to fit the box in the trench, and (2) a buried ComEd line that could cause electrocution if it touched the metal trench box. Contrary to OSHA guidelines and Bovis' own site-specific safety plan, no substitute protection system was used. Two Bovis superintendents had been standing beside the unprotected trench observing the Calloways working in the trench without sufficient shoring prior to the collapse. Neither stopped the work or told the men to place proper shoring. The east wall of the trench caved in, burying the Calloways alive. More than an hour after the collapse, fellow workers and fire and rescue personnel were able to extricate Herman, Jr. from the trench. His pelvis was crushed and he was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. After the extrication of Herman, Jr., the search and rescue mission shifted to recovery mode for Herman, Sr., who died in the trench. After multiple surgeries and prolonged hospitalization, Herman, Jr. is able to walk short distances with the assistance of a cane, but remains permanently disabled from any type of work. Bovis was sued for construction negligence, failing to ensure workplace safety. The case proceeded to trial in January 2011. The jury awarded Herman, Jr. in excess of $8 million dollars.
Jacqueline Brody Kanter was hired as an associate attorney at Schwartz Jambois in 2010. Since joining the firm, Jacqueline has worked on a variety of personal injury and medical malpractice lawsuits. Currently, she has been concentrating her practice on nursing home abuse and neglect lawsuits.
Jacqueline has dedicated her career to advocating for clients and their loved ones who have suffered serious injuries and hardships as a result of the negligence of the health care providers on which they depend.
Jacqueline graduated with her Juris Doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law in May 2010. Jacqueline previously law clerked at a private firm throughout law school, where she worked on medical malpractice, personal injury, and wrongful death cases. After obtaining her 7-11 license, Jacqueline interned at the Lake County State's Attorney's Office.
Jacqueline grew up in Wilmette, Illinois and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jacqueline earned a Bachelor of Science in Advertising from University of Illinois in 2007 and was an Illinois State Scholar and National Society of Collegiate Scholar.
Jacqueline's commitment and persistence has resulted in millions of dollars recovered on behalf of her clients.
Jeffrey Schwartz has worked at Schwartz Jambois since 2006, first as a law clerk and currently as an associate attorney. Jeff's practice is dedicated to representing victims in medical malpractice, automobile negligence, and premises liability litigation. He has obtained outstanding results in counties throughout the state of Illinois, resulting in millions of dollars recovered on behalf of his clients. His trial experience includes cases involving medical malpractice, automobile collisions and declaratory judgment regarding applicability of insurance coverage. Additionally, Jeff has successfully briefed and argued a case before the Illinois Appellate Court. As a result of his achievements, Jeff has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star, a recognition given to the top 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois under the age of 40.
Jeffrey grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and received his B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University and his J.D. from John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
Jeffrey Li joined Schwartz Jambois in 2017 as a law clerk and in 2018, following his admission to the Illinois Bar, became an associate attorney at the firm. Mr. Li focuses his practice in nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, personal injury, and probate matters. Mr. Li is also involved in opioid litigation, a mass tort case involving a pharmaceutical manufacturer's deceptive marketing practices related to a highly addictive prescription medication.
Mr. Li received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School (now known as UIC John Marshall Law School) in 2018. While attending law school, Mr. Li was part of the International Human Rights Clinic, where he dedicated his time advocating for human trafficking victims from Puerto Rico.
Mr. Li grew up in Bayamón, Puerto Rico and speaks fluent Spanish. He graduated cum laude from the New York City College of Technology in 2013 with a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Systems. Mr. Li also passed the New York Bar, where he is seeking admission.
John S. Fotopoulos, former Cook County judge serving at the Daley Center in Chicago, established his law firm on two simple firm principles: to have competitive rates allowing everyone to afford the advice they need and to have legal counsel that is always available for clients.
John takes immense pride in his work, fulfilling a great deal of credits in continuing education seminars to ensure compliance and competency. In addition, his countless hours of legal research ensures that he stays ahead of the competition and is fully educated to take care of clients' legal needs. As a retired judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, he understands what it takes to succeed in a court case. John's practice ensures that you are provided counsel that maintains a fresh perspective on all matters related to criminal defense and personal injury. Stagnancy creates an environment not conducive to growth.
John S. Fotopoulos strives to provide each and every client the most comprehensive legal protection and guidance when they are faced with a legal battle of any sort. Litigation defense can be a very stressful task to handle, but with John and the firm in your corner, you can get back to living a normal life while we successfully tackle the case at hand.
Joseph Rourke is an experienced trial attorney with a wealth of experience handling catastrophic injury cases, particularly in the area of medical malpractice. Joe joins Schwartz Jambois with unique experience, as he has represented plaintiffs and defendant healthcare providers in all types of medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death matters. He has been recognized as an Illinois Rising Star and an Emerging Lawyer based on excellence and peer recognition from other attorneys in Illinois.
Joe graduated from The John Marshall Law School. Prior to law school, he earned his undergraduate degree from Heidelberg University, where he played for the baseball team. Coming from a family of police officers, Joe has been raised with a respect of the law. He is dedicated to his clients and to helping others.
Kelly M. Barrett first joined Schwartz Jambois in 2015 as a Law Clerk and was hired as an Associate Attorney after being admitted to the Illinois State Bar. Kelly concentrates her practice in the areas of Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death, Nursing Home Negligence, and Personal Injury.
Kelly received her Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law, where she was a Dean's List student. Kelly is a graduate of DePaul Law's two year JD for International Lawyers. While at DePaul, Kelly was a member of the Civil Rights Clinic, where she advocated for victims of police brutality and prison misconduct in Chicago.
Kelly grew up in Adare, Co. Limerick, Ireland. She is a graduate of Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ and received her Bachelors in Civil Law (BCL) from the National University of Ireland, Galway, School of Law.
Kristin Barnette McCarthy is a trial attorney at Schwartz Jambois and focuses her practice in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, as well as other catastrophic injuries. She has tried in excess of 100 jury trials to verdict, has successfully argued and achieved reversal before the 7th Circuit United States Court of Appeals, as well as in the First District Appellate Court, and obtained hundreds of settlements for both individual and corporate clients.
Kristin is a leader in the Chicago legal community. In 2020, she was named to the highly-selective Illinois Super Lawyers list, and voted as #1 of the "Top 10 Emerging Lawyers" and also voted as #1 of the "Top 10 Emerging Women Lawyers" by her peers in a survey conducted by Leading Lawyers. Kristin was named by Crain's as one of the "Most Influential Women Lawyers in Chicago" in 2017, as an "Emerging Lawyer," in 2016, and one of the "40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch" in 2014 by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.
Kristin recently also served as President of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois (2017-2018), after rising through the Board of Directors. Kristin is also currently on the Advisory Board for the Women's Bar Foundation, and the Board of Women Everywhere: Partners in Service Project. She previously served on the Women's Bar Foundation Board of Directors from 2012-2017. In 2014, Kristin was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to sit on the Committee for Character & Fitness. Each year Kristin serves as a mentor in the Lawyer-to-Lawyer mentoring program for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, participates in the Judicial Evaluation Committee for the Bar Alliance, and volunteers as a Presiding Judge for the YMCA's National Judicial Competitions in Chicago. She has taught CLE courses and spoken on various topics including jury selection, jury instructions, closing arguments, defense tactics, as well as ethics.
Kristin received her juris doctor from DePaul College of Law in 2004, where she served as the research assistant to Torts and Social Policy Professor, Stephen Landsman, and was selected to be Editor-in-Chief of the DePaul Journal of Healthcare Law - overseeing a staff of over 30 individuals.
In addition to her practice and volunteer activities, Kristin is devoted to her son Kiernan Connor McCarthy, and her husband Garry McCarthy, the President of GFM-Strategies, and former Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
Kristina K. Green joined the team of trial attorneys at Schwartz Jambois upon admission to the Illinois State Bar in 2011. Since that time, Ms. Green has devoted her career to helping victims of negligence. Ms. Green has successfully resolved numerous personal injury and wrongful death actions in a number of complex fields, including medical malpractice; vaccine injuries; products liability; premises liability; dog bite cases; and accidents involving taxis, automobiles and semi-tractor trailers.
Ms. Green has received several awards and recognitions for her contributions to the legal profession from a number of legal organizations and publications, as well as her clients and peers. Ms. Green is also a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Women's Bar Association.
The level of skill, care and attention Ms. Green devotes to her clients' cases is what truly sets her apart in this industry and is demonstrated by her clients' satisfaction with the results she obtains on their behalf.
Laurie A. Niego joined Schwartz Jambois as a law clerk in May of 2003. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Niego attended Francis Marion University, where she received a Bachelor's Degree of Business Administration in Business Economics in 2003.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- General Counsel for a Public Health
Micah T. Reeves joined Schwartz Injury Law in 2019. Mr. Reeves concentrates his practice in the areas of medical negligence, catastrophic birth injury, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, and auto injuries. Mr. Reeves also manages the firm's Medicare lien reporting and appeals. Mr. Reeves obtained his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University College of Law in 2017. While studying at DePaul, Mr. Reeves was the recipient of five (5) CALI awards for achieving the highest grade in a given class in Medical Malpractice Survey, Trial Advocacy I, Legal Analysis Research and Communication III (LARC III), Mediation: Family Law, and Adoption Law. Mr. Reeves also graduated in the top 25% of his class. After passing the Illinois Bar Exam, Mr. Reeves served as the first Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Clare Elizabeth McWilliams, a Law Division, Jury Section Judge and Supervising Judge of the Asbestos Litigation Docket for the Circuit Court of Cook County, currently one of the largest all-encompassing court systems in the country.
Mr. Reeves serves as General Counsel for a Public Health and Wellness Acquisition Company, Veltex Corporation where he manages corporate compliance. Mr. Reeves has also worked to manage Veltex's wholly owned subsidiary, Veltex Medical, Inc. d/b/a Veltex Recovery Group, a Licensed Residential Treatment Facility for substance use disorder in the State of West Virginia. Mr. Reeves has assisted the facility with its partner relationships, Omnicare a CVS Health Company, Mako Medical Laboratories, and KIPU Health EMR. Mr. Reeves has also worked to appropriately credential the facility with Traditional West Virginia Medicaid and the managed care organizations of West Virginia. The Facility is currently operating with a capacity of twenty-eight (28) residential treatment beds and is near completion for approval of an expansion to sixty (60) residential treatment beds.
Michael Sullivan has worked at Schwartz Jambois since 2011, first as a law clerk and currently as an attorney. Michael's practice is dedicated to representing victims in medical malpractice, wrongful death, automobile negligence, and premises liability litigation. He has obtained outstanding results in counties throughout the State of Illinois, resulting in excess of 50 million dollars recovered on behalf of his clients. His trial experience includes cases involving medical malpractice, automobile collisions and premises liability. Additionally, Michael has successfully argued cases before the Illinois Appellate Court. As a result of his achievements, Michael has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star, a recognition given to the top 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois under the age of 40. He has also been recognized by Leading Laywers Magazine as an Emerging Lawyer for 2022.
Michael grew up on the South Side of Chicago and received his B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
Michael Shinsky's serious approach coupled with his extensive trial experience has provided him with the necessary tools to represent his clients with excellent results. After obtaining his law degree with honors in 2001, Michael served as a prosecutor with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, where he rapidly ascended the ranks, prosecuting cases on behalf of children who were abused and neglected.
In 2004, Michael joined the law firm of Schwartz Jambois, where he utilizes those trial skills in pursuit of justice for injured individuals and their families in the civil arena.
Currently, Michael focuses his practice on representing and protecting the legal rights of those who have suffered serious, life-altering personal injuries caused by the negligence of others and seeking justice for the families of those victims who have lost their lives due to negligence. Michael's practice focuses on automobile accidents, premises liability, sexual assaults, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and nursing home litigation.
Michael has successfully tried several civil jury trials to verdict and has argued in the First District Appellate Courts of Illinois. Michael has been publicly recognized on numerous occasions for the quality of his work and professional successes. In 2001, Michael was the recipient of the Justice Warren Wolfson Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. Michael was also recognized as one of Illinois' "40 Under 40 Lawyers to Watch", an honor achieved by less than 1% of all Illinois lawyers.
Olivia N. Schwartz has worked at Schwartz Jambois since 2015, first as a law clerk, and currently as an associate attorney. She represents victims for injuries arising from medical malpractice, premises liability, motor vehicle negligence, products liability and other personal injury claims.
Olivia received her J. D., cum laude, from Chicago-Kent College of Law. During law school, Olivia interned at the Cook County Public Defender's Office and for the Honorable Justice T. Lavin at the Illinois Appellate Court, First District. She also competed on Chicago-Kent's nationally ranked Trial Team. Olivia was honored as a three-time CALI award recipient for achieving the highest grade in a given class in Pretrial Litigation, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure.
Olivia grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she majored in History and Communication.
Paul D. Richter is an experienced trial attorney who has spent nearly 20 years in the practice of personal injury and wrongful death litigation. His career has been dedicated to representing individuals who have suffered serious, life-altering personal injuries caused by the negligence of others, and seeking justice for the families of those victims who have lost their lives due to negligence. Paul has successfully resolved multiple personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits in a host of complex cases, including cases of nursing home abuse and neglect; medical malpractice; commercial and private aviation crashes; accidents involving semi tractor-trailer trucks, watercraft, and other motor vehicles; construction accidents, and negligently manufactured and/or designed products. Throughout his career, Paul's commitment to fighting for and protecting the rights of his clients has resulted in numerous multi-million dollar results.
Currently, Paul has focused his practice on representing and protecting the legal rights of victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. Schwartz Jambois is an industry leader in protecting the rights of individuals who reside in nursing homes across state of Illinois. Furthering the firm's commitment to advocating for this vulnerable and growing population of Illinois residents, Paul is committed to seeking justice for those individuals and their families who have been injured, abused or neglected while in the care of negligent nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Since focusing his efforts in this area, Paul has obtained in excess of $15 million for his clients.
The level of knowledge, skills, and experience that Paul has attained through his years of practicing in the field of personal injury and wrongful death litigation is demonstrated by the multiple outstanding results he has achieved on behalf of his clients.
In his almost two decades of experience as a trial attorney, Paul has been a principal member of many notable, record-setting trial teams. Most recently, Paul was a primary member of the trial team that obtained a $7.1 million jury verdict in a case involving the crash of a commercial passenger jet in Lexington, Kentucky. Paul was also a leading member of the trial team that recovered $6.9 million in a case involving a fatal semi-truck crash in Madison, Wisconsin. Additionally, Paul second-chaired a jury trial in Cook County, Illinois that resulted in a $9.8 million verdict on behalf of a medical student seriously injured due to the negligence of another medical student.
Paul has been publicly recognized on numerous occasions for the quality of his work and his professional success. For consecutive years, he has been named as an Illinois "Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers Magazine, a distinction that is awarded each year to no more than 5 percent Illinois attorneys who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Paul was also recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a of "Rising Star" among Illinois lawyers, an honor given to no more than 2.5 percent of Illinois attorneys under the age of forty.
Steven K. Jambois graduated from Chicago Kent College of Law in 1982. He was admitted to practice law in Illinois and US District Court for the Northern District that same year. He is a member of the Society of Trial Lawyers, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, American Trial Lawyer Association, and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Jambois began his career as an associate with William D. Maddux & Associates. When William D. Maddux became a Cook County Circuit Court Judge in 1990, Mr. Jambois became a founding partner in the firm of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, the successor firm to William D. Maddux & Associates. Mr. Jambois concentrates in personal injury, wrongful death, and medical malpractice litigation, and has done so throughout his entire career.
Mr. Jambois' 35 years of practice and extensive trial experience, has resulted in more than $200 million dollars in verdicts and settlements. Mr. Jambois has been an advocate for injured people and their families in over 20 counties throughout the state of Illinois.
Mr. Jambois' extensive knowledge and experience handling complex medical malpractice and personal injury cases throughout the state has made him a sought-after speaker, and he has been an invited guest lecturer.
Mr. Ashe joined Schwartz Jambois in late 2010. Since that time, he has been successful in obtaining verdicts and settlements in excess of $45 million on behalf of his clients.
Most recently, in early February of 2015, Mr. Ashe served as lead counsel in a case where a jury awarded over $2.6 million to an Algonquin widow in a wrongful death medical malpractice action stemming from the failure of doctors to timely insert an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator into her husband.
Over the last two years, Mr. Ashe was also successful in receiving two record breaking and nationally reported settlements on behalf of his clients. The first case involved a $20 MILLION SETTLEMENT in a medical malpractice case against a local hospital for negligence in connection with the failure to monitor and intervene on behalf of a 2 year old child following a routine surgical procedure which resulted in his severe brain damage and the need for round the clock nursing care. That case was believed to be the highest settlement ever against the hospital up to that time. The second matter involved an $11 MILLION SETTLEMENT awarded to a widow of an Illinois State Trooper who died following a fiery collision with a truck whose driver fell asleep behind the wheel of his semi-tractor trailer. The second case was reported by the National Jury Verdict Review and Analysis as the #1 highest settlement in the state and #5 in the country for cases of that kind during the year of the settlement. Mr. Ashe is particularly proud of the fact that the 2 settlements reported above were achieved LESS THAN ONE YEAR from the time of the negligent acts and at very low expense to his clients.
During his career, Mr. Ashe has obtained numerous and substantial settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of his clients, including the following recent cases: a $3.3 million verdict on behalf of a roofer who filed suit against a hospital for severe back injuries caused by the negligence of an occupational therapist; a $2.5 million verdict for a family in connection with the death of a 68 year old man who was not monitored properly by a home health care nurse following his discharge from a local hospital; a $1.5 million settlement against a production company and others on behalf of a stage hand who suffered brain injuries after falling off a stage that was not properly fitted with railing and other safety equipment; and a $1.1 million settlement in an underinsured motorist claim for injuries suffered by a Wisconsin man in an automobile collision.
Mr. Ashe has been practicing law for over 36 years in state and federal court at the trial and appellate levels.
While working at the firm of Cassiday, Schade and Gloor (now known as Cassiday Schade LLP), Mr. Ashe formerly represented physicians and hospitals in complex medical malpractice cases. He also represented insurance companies and their clients in large and complicated general negligence matters, construction accidents, civil rights cases, motor vehicle accidents, product liability and premises liability cases. At Cassiday, Schade and Gloor, Mr. Ashe served on the firm's executive Committee and also was the chairman of the appellate department, where he successfully argued numerous cases in front of the various appellate courts of this state. As a defense attorney, he also successfully defended and obtained favorable results in several multi-million dollar trials over his long and distinguished career.
Having the benefit of both prosecuting and defending cases of all types for both the injured parties and defendants, Mr. Ashe brings special insight and a unique understanding to the handling of matters from all stages of litigation, enabling him to maximize favorable result for his clients.
Over the years, Mr. Ashe has lectured extensively on a wide range of topics to attorneys, doctors, insurance companies, corporations, bar associations and trade groups. He has also served as a judge at local law schools for moot court and advanced trial advocacy competitions. Mr. Ashe recently served as a moderator for a seminar on nursing home negligence sponsored by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education and presented a speech on closing arguments at a seminar organized by the Illinois State Bar Association.
In addition, Mr. Ashe has authored and co-authored the "Jurisdiction of the Subject Matter" chapter of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Handbook of Civil Procedure. He likewise authored a brief analyzing legal issues raised from an International Terrorism case presented abroad at an event sponsored by the World Peace Through Law organization.
He is currently a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers' Association, the Women's Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association. In the past, he has been of member of the American Bar Association, Illinois Defense Counsel, and Illinois Association of Health Care Attorneys. Mr. Ashe was also a past member of the Judicial Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. where he served as Chief of Investigations.
Immediately following law school, Mr. Ashe served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Francis S. Lorenz of the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, First Division.