Jeffrey N. Smith

Chicago trial attorney Brian LaCien is a founding partner of Smith LaCien LLP. He has a broad range of experience in the areas of medical malpractice, professional negligence, wrongful death, class actions, trucking litigation, product liability, aviation negligence, civil rights violations and premises liability. LaCien and Todd A. Smith, also a founding partner, have a long track record of achieving exceptional results for clients, with more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements and o...

Thomas J. Pontikis is a partner with Lipe Lyons Murphy Nahrstadt & Pontikis Ltd. in Chicago, Illinois. His practice focuses on insurance defense, commercial litigation, mass and toxic tort litigation, product liability, construction litigation, professional malpractice, construction defect matters, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. He is peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell with an AV Preeminent designation, reflecting high peer recognition for ethical standards and le...

Veteran attorney Michael Elam brings more than three decades of experience in environmental, energy, infrastructure and natural resource law in both the private and public sectors. He structures creative agreements and helps secure approvals and financing for complex national and international agreements involving the development, remediation and financing of environmentally challenged or controversial projects surrounding energy and sensitive water bodies or sources. Michael represents busin...

Heather’s experience includes the representation of healthcare providers, including hospitals, health systems, specialty hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, multi- and single-specialty medical practices, and a wide variety of healthcare entrepreneurs. During the past several years, Heather has devoted the majority of her time and effort to matters related to hospitals, health systems and group medical practices. With experience that is both broad and deep, Heather represents healthca...

Matthew Steinmetz focuses primarily on leveraged buyouts of public and private companies, as well as recaps and joint ventures. His experience spans a wide variety of sectors, including technology, media, healthcare, industrials and retail. His principal clients include both large cap and middle cap leveraged buyout funds, located in the U.S. and abroad. In addition to his considerable transactional work, he is a trusted advisor to a number of senior PE fund managers.

David J. Gold is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. David J., who practices law in Chicago, Illinois, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Joe Madonia is leader of the firm’s Environmental Litigation team. For more than 25 years, Joe has defended and counseled clients on a wide array of toxic tort and environmental matters at the local, regional and national levels. Joe delivers strong skills as a litigator, multifaceted trial experience, and the regulatory know-how and scientific depth needed to problem-solve at virtually any level of sophistication or difficulty. His experience includes serving as national trial counsel ...

Raymond Lyons is a partner with Lipe Lyons Murphy Nahrstadt & Pontikis Ltd. in Chicago, Illinois. He is a member of the firm’s product liability, construction, transportation, and tort defense practice groups. His practice focuses on the defense of product liability, construction, transportation, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and insurance-related litigation in state and federal courts nationwide. His recognized practice areas include Litigation – Insurance. Mr. Lyons s...

Mr. Leavitt is a Founding Partner with Grund & Leavitt. He has litigated a number of high profile trials and appeals in both federal and state courts.Before becoming a partner in the firm, he served as a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois and as a justice on the Illinois Appellate Court. This followed 20 years in a successful private practice. The Chicago Bar Association remarked when evaluating him that "he enjoys impeccable credentials" and the Chicago Council of Lawyer...

Kevin Conway is a trial lawyer involved in mass torts and catastrophic injury cases. He is known throughout the United States. He is a named partner at Cooney and Conway based in Chicago, Illinois. He is a Past President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association . He is the recipient of the Leonard Ring Award for his significant contributions to victim's rights at trial and for advocating for the public's Right to Trial by Jury. He has been recognized by numerous local and national organizati...