Best Asbestos Attorneys in Mokena il
Ricky LeBlanc
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
I have been practicing law for nearly 30 years. I personally review each potential mesothelioma claim that comes through the firm to determine whether the victim may be eligible for compensation.
I am an accredited attorney through the Office of the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), granting me the authority to legally assist veterans with the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for VA benefits.
I earned my Bachelor of Science degree from Fitchburg State College and went on to study law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. After graduating, I began my career as an associate at one of the first asbestos law firms in Massachusetts. Following the tragic events of 9/11, I volunteered for Trial Lawyers Care, an organization founded to provide the victims of 9/11 with free legal services. Shortly thereafter, I founded and managed my own firm, specializing in personal injury and product liability.
The son of a pipefitter and a factory worker, I have built my entire career on leveling the playing field between the “little guy” and massive corporations with seemingly endless resources. My passion is helping American workers get access to the civil justice they are all too frequently denied.
Each year, I participate in a number of charitable and fundraising efforts designed to both educate folks about asbestos awareness and to help asbestos victims and their families fight for justice and compensation. I have hosted interactive online educational events, appeared at veterans’ events across the country, and participated in fundraising at the annual Miles For Meso Road Race held in Alton, IL.
In the course of my career, I have represented clients at all levels of the trial court system, including notable hearings before Massachusetts state and local agencies, and the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Jayne Conroy
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Jayne Conroy is a named shareholder at Simmons Hanly Conroy and oversees practice areas in the Complex Litigation Department. Under her leadership, the firm has become one of the country’s largest plaintiff law firms dedicated to helping those injured by corporate wrongdoing.
With a legal career spanning more than three decades, Jayne has earned a superb national reputation as an elite trial lawyer, skilled strategist and decisive negotiator. She has consistently helped secure billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for thousands of individuals, families and communities in numerous courtrooms nationwide.
“We are a threat to defendants because we are everywhere,” Jayne said while talking about the depth of experience in her department. “They know they have to deal with us, and we are prepared to try cases.”
Jayne focuses her practice on helping plaintiffs exclusively in mass torts, class actions, product liability, pharmaceutical and sexual abuse litigation. She serves or has served on dozens of court-appointed leadership committees in complex legal actions of national scope. These complex mass tort cases, called multidistrict litigations or MDLs, involve thousands of cases originating from state courts around the country and consolidated before a single federal judge.
Amy Garrett
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
My legal career has been focused on helping victims of asbestos-related cancers, including mesothelioma, receive the compensation and justice they deserve. I’ve especially enjoyed working with U.S. veterans and their families.
I have a genuine interest in every person’s story and feel like it’s my job to empower my clients to fight for themselves and their families. It’s rewarding to see the differences in the lives of the families I’ve represented.
I pride myself on the personal attention I give to each and every client’s case that crosses my desk.
It has always been important for me to give back to my community in and out of the courtroom and to support our veterans.
In 2008, I collaborated with the Veterans’ Legal Support Clinic (VLSC) at John Marshall Law School to facilitate training for volunteer attorneys who were willing to represent veterans in their Veterans’ Administration claims. VLSC is an invaluable resource for veterans and their families who are attempting to navigate an often complex and difficult legal administrative process. VLSC can make the difference between a veteran receiving or not receiving their earned benefits.
Following this success, I was instrumental working to form an Illinois pro bono program. I collaborated with Chief Judge Ann Callis of the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court and the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) to identify the communities in-need that could benefit from our services. I trained attorneys who offered free representation to minors and disabled adults in custody and guardianship disputes.
Lisa Rae Corwin
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Practice Areas
- Toxic Torts – Asbestos
- Toxic Torts – Silica
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1997
Professional Associations
- American Bar Association, 1997 to Present
- Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, 1997 to Present
- McLean County Bar Association, 1997 to Present
- Illinois State Bar Association
- American Association for Justice
Education
- University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign, Illinois
- J.D. – 1997
- Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- B.A. – 1994
Joel E. Brown
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Joel E. Brown is a skilled Peoria attorney and founder of Joel E. Brown, Attorney at Law. At the firm, he assists clients with complex personal injury and criminal defense cases, including wrongful death, motor vehicle and commercial vehicle accidents, product liability, workers’ compensation, white collar crimes, and more. Attorney Brown believes that consistent communication and realistic expectations are the keys to sound attorney-client relationships. He offers his clients a personal approach and dedicated, focused representation that takes into account their needs and goals. Most of all, he prides himself on his level of responsiveness and attentiveness in all matters. Attorney Brown is a tireless advocate of his clients’ rights and futures.
Education
- Saint Louis University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri: J.D., 1992
- Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri: A.B.; 1987; Major: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
- Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
Susan A. Capra
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Susan Capra is a partner at Clifford Law Offices, one of Chicago’s premier law firms, serving clients nationally and internationally for decades. Susan concentrates her practice in the area of medical and hospital negligence litigation where she has achieved numerous record settlements and verdicts in her 30-plus years as a highly respected attorney in Chicago, particularly in the health care arena.
Susan joined Clifford Law Offices as an associate in 1989, becoming partner after 10 years. She graduated from DePaul University with a nursing degree in 1982. Susan first was a nurse at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now called Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago). She worked largely with infants and children with serious neurological conditions and disabilities. During her last two years as a full-time nurse, she worked in the operating room. Her nursing background has been a tremendous asset in her work as a medical negligence attorney. Susan sums it up appropriately, “As a nurse, I was the patient’s advocate. As a medical malpractice attorney, I am still the patient’s advocate but in a different arena and profession.”
Susan graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 1990 with Honors. Since joining Clifford Law Offices, Susan handles all types of medical negligence cases but concentrates on cases involving obstetrical, gynecologic and pediatric negligence. Some of her career highlights include an $11 million settlement involving a hospital pharmacy that mixed an intravenous solution with excessive amounts of glucose, which was given to a premature newborn who then sustained severe and permanent brain damage as a result and a $10 million settlement on behalf of a mother whose infant suffered severe and permanent brain damage due to negligent obstetrical treatment rendered at a Chicago hospital. In the last decade alone, Susan has worked on more than two dozen complex obstetrical and gynecological cases, 15 of which have resulted in settlements and verdicts of more than one million dollars and 10 have resulted in settlements and verdicts of more than five million dollars.
Nicole Sommerfeld
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Nicole Sommerfeld is a dedicated personal injury attorney who focuses her practice on the representation of workers who have been injured on-the-job. Through her efforts as a workers’ compensation lawyer, Nicole has collected millions of dollars for her clients and continues to fight for those she represents on a daily basis.
Nicole was raised in the Chicago area and as a result, she has a thorough understanding of the city and those who call it home. To further her education, she chose to attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison and she graduated in 1991. At that time, Nicole knew that she wanted to pursue a career in the law where she could fight for the rights of others. This decision led Nicole to return to Chicago and begin law school. She went to The John Marshall Law School where she began to learn the legal skills that she would carry into practice and that would allow her to succeed. Nicole obtained her juris doctor degree in 1994 and became a member of the Illinois Bar shortly thereafter.
Molly Condon Wells
Asbestos Mesothelioma Attorneys
Molly Condon Wells is a partner at Wallace Miller. Molly has dedicated her career to advocating for the rights of people harmed by large corporations. She has worked across the country on complex litigation involving punitive damages against national corporations and religious organizations. While in law school, Molly externed for the Honorable Lorna Propes in the Circuit Court of Cook County – Law Division. Since 2018, Molly has been honored as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and has also been recognized by Best Lawyers as “One to Watch.” In 2023, Molly was court appointed as Liaison Counsel in the In Re: Tepezza Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL 3079).
She has extensive experience in multidistrict litigation and has pursued justice for thousands of clients in multiple mass tort litigations including the In re Essure Product Cases (permanent birth control implant), In Re Paragard IUD Products Cases (intrauterine device), Gilead Tenofovir Cases (HIV medications), and the In Re: Hair Relaxer Litigation (MDL 3060). In each of those respective litigations, Plaintiff’s Leadership appointed her to the Law and Briefing and Expert Committees where she was responsible for drafting substantive briefs regarding issues common to all plaintiffs and working with expert trial witnesses.
Asbestos attorneys in Mokena, IL, are legal professionals who specialize in representing individuals who have been harmed by asbestos exposure. Here are the roles and responsibilities of asbestos attorneys:
- Legal Advocacy: Asbestos attorneys advocate for the rights of individuals who have suffered asbestos-related illnesses, such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis. They work diligently to secure compensation and justice for their clients.
- Case Evaluation: These attorneys assess the circumstances surrounding asbestos exposure. They investigate when and where the exposure occurred, who is responsible, and whether there is a viable legal claim.
- Client Consultation: Asbestos attorneys meet with clients to gather information about their asbestos exposure history, medical conditions, and overall health. This information is crucial for building a strong case.
- Filing Lawsuits: If there is a valid legal claim, asbestos attorneys initiate legal action by filing lawsuits against the responsible parties, which could include asbestos manufacturers, employers, or property owners.
- Evidence Collection: Attorneys gather evidence to support their clients’ claims. This may involve obtaining medical records, workplace records, testimony from witnesses, and expert opinions on the connection between asbestos exposure and the client’s illness.
- Negotiation: Asbestos attorneys often engage in negotiations with defendants, their insurers, or other liable parties to reach a settlement. They work to secure fair compensation for their clients without the need for a trial.
- Litigation: In cases where a settlement cannot be reached, asbestos attorneys prepare for and represent their clients in court. They present evidence, argue the case, and advocate for their clients’ rights during the trial.
- Class Action Lawsuits: In some instances, asbestos attorneys may represent a group of individuals who have been affected by asbestos exposure in a class action lawsuit. This allows multiple plaintiffs to consolidate their claims for efficiency.
- Bankruptcy Claims: Some asbestos manufacturers have filed for bankruptcy due to the high number of asbestos-related lawsuits. Asbestos attorneys can help clients file claims with asbestos trust funds set up by these bankrupt companies to compensate victims.
- Appeals: If a case is decided unfavorably at the trial level, asbestos attorneys may pursue appeals to seek a reversal or modification of the judgment.
- Compassion and Support: Asbestos attorneys understand the emotional and physical toll that asbestos-related illnesses can take on their clients and their families. They offer support and guidance throughout the legal process.
- Legal Research: These attorneys stay updated on asbestos-related laws, regulations, and precedents to provide the most effective representation for their clients.
In summary, asbestos attorneys in Mokena, IL, play a vital role in helping individuals who have been harmed by asbestos exposure seek justice and compensation. They handle all aspects of asbestos-related legal cases, from initial consultations to filing lawsuits, negotiations, and representation in court, while also providing support and advocacy for their clients’ well-being.