Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
*Named the "Lawyer of the Year" in this practice area in the 2026 edition in Chicago.
Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr.
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2012 View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/riley-safer-holmes-&-cancila-llp/ View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RileySaferHolmesandCancila/ View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/RSHC_LAW_FIRM/ View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on X at https://twitter.com/rshc_llp
View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/riley-safer-holmes-&-cancila-llp/ View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RileySaferHolmesandCancila/ View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/RSHC_LAW_FIRM/ View Joseph A. "Joe" Cancila, Jr. on X at https://twitter.com/rshc_llp
Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Known both as a gifted leader and a consummate team player, Joe Cancila is a highly regarded, experienced, and tenacious litigator who has dedicated his career to defending clients in complex commercial class actions. He is a creative strategist, thorough investigator, and effective communicator—all qualities that make him a worthy adversary in and out of the courtroom. And as the leader of many practice teams, he has mastered the art of working collaboratively with co-counsel to best advance client interests and analyze and successfully resolve challenging and complicated legal problems
Joe has received national and state recognition for his defense practice, having brought several dozen class-action cases to successful resolution in jurisdictions widely dispersed throughout the country. He has successfully defended breach of contract, consumer fraud, complex commercial, antitrust, insurance bad faith, RICO, fair housing, trade secret, and environmental litigation, among others.
Overview
- Gender: Male
- University of Chicago, J.D., with honors, graduated 1986
- Syracuse University, M.P.A., graduated 1976
- University of Dayton, B.A., with high honors, graduated 1974
- Illinois, Illinois State Bar
- Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Bar
- American Bar Association - Member
- Chicago Bar Association - Member
- Illinois State Bar Association - Member
- International Association of Defense Counsel - Member
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Illinois, Illinois State Bar
- Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Bar
- American Bar Association - Member
- Chicago Bar Association - Member
- Illinois State Bar Association - Member
- International Association of Defense Counsel - Member
- University of Chicago, J.D., with honors, graduated 1986
- Syracuse University, M.P.A., graduated 1976
- University of Dayton, B.A., with high honors, graduated 1974
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Gender: Male
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Product Liability Litigation - Defendants, Chicago (2026)
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Chicago (2024)
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants, Chicago (2021)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
- Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Appellate Practice
- Arbitration
- Commercial Litigation
- Insurance Law
- Litigation - Environmental
- Mediation
- Product Liability Litigation
Awards:
Client Service All-Star (MVP)
BTI Consulting Group (2020, 2022-2024)Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
Lawdragon Inc. (2023-2025)Illinois Super Lawyers
Thomson Reuters (2008-2025)
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Experience
- Joe’s current or recently concluded docket includes defending active or threatened class litigation in Illinois, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.
- Joe has successfully defeated class certification after both evidentiary hearings and arguments in state and federal courts throughout the country.
- Joe has obtained dismissals or summary judgments in many putative class actions asserting breach of contract, consumer fraud, and bad faith against major insurance companies.
- Joe successfully resolved environmental class litigation and related personal injury and wrongful death actions asserted against a manufacturing client under very favorable terms through a mediated class settlement.
- Joe represented a major consumer products company in a class action asserting that the company had made false claims about a children’s product, resulting in a nationwide class action settlement under terms favorable to the client.
- Joe has successfully defended and tried cases involving claims of price discrimination, antitrust, fair housing, and other asserted statutory violations.
- Joe accomplished dismissal of fair housing class litigation asserted against a major insurance company.
- Joe has represented clients in connection with administrative investigations of fair housing and other discrimination complaints.
- Employers have turned to Joe to represent them in claims involving trade secrets, non-compete provisions, and wage act claims.
- Joe has successfully argued appeals before the Illinois Appellate Courts and the United States Courts of Appeal for the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Circuits.
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