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Lawyer Profile

Image of Sarah F. King

Sarah F. King

Clifford Law Offices
  • Recognized Since:
    2021
  • Recognized in:
    Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Law School:
    DePaul University
  • Website:
    http://www.cliffordlaw.com
  • Location:
    120 North LaSalle Street, 36th Floor
    Chicago, IL 60602

Sarah F. King is one of Chicago’s rising medical malpractice lawyers at the firm and one of the most hard-working, intelligent attorneys one can find. She works tirelessly to investigate and prepare complex medical malpractice cases to achieve justice for those who have been harmed by medical negligence. She works with dedication and tenacity to get to the bottom of what actually happened and what proper practices should have been used to prevent injuries related to medical care. It is this passion that makes her one of today’s top Chicago medical malpractice lawyers.

Sarah has had substantial trial experience as an attorney of record in many of the firm’s trials. In less than a decade, Sarah F. King has received verdicts and settlements totaling nearly $300 million. For example, Sarah second-chaired a trial with partner Bradley Cosgrove in a two-week trial involving the negligent prescription of Yasmin that gained international attention. A 37-year-old woman took the medication for less than two weeks and suffered a debilitating stroke. The jury awarded her $13.55 million in March 2014. Sarah also tried a case alongside partner Keith Hebeisen, leader of the medical malpractice team at Clifford Law Offices, in November 2013 that involved the wrongful death of a 33-year-old mother who sustained a massive hemorrhage during a c-section. Following a three-week trial, the jury returned a verdict of $15.55 million for the family. In January 2013, Sarah tried another case with Hebeisen and obtained a $2.225 million verdict for the wrongful death of a 31-week fetus.

In 2019, Sarah obtained a record $101 million verdict on behalf of a baby boy who was brain damaged at birth when his external fetal monitoring strips were ignored for six hours. Experts on behalf of the plaintiff testified that he would have been born a normal baby if hospital nurses and other medical personnel would have alerted doctors to the abnormalities and performed an emergency C-section.

While she was a full-time law student, Sarah served as a law clerk to Keith Hebeisen and Susan Capra. Having been mentored by two of the most respected and recognized medical malpractice lawyers in the state, Sarah understands what it takes to bring such complicated cases to trial, works up cases through analyzing the medical records, preparation of meticulous court pleadings, working with medical experts, and preparing her clients for every step of the litigation process. She has developed the highest level of skills as a Chicago medical malpractice attorney.

Sarah graduated from DePaul University College of Law summa cum laude as a member of the top 5% of her class and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. She was a published member of the DePaul Law Review on post-death maintenance obligations and life insurance. She has published several articles, some of which have been published in national publications such as the highly regarded American Bar Association Litigation Journal. Sarah has also been recognized for her writing skills in law school, having received the CALI Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy II, Legal Writing III, and Commercial Paper. Sarah completed her undergraduate studies at Loyola University of Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Women’s Studies.

Sarah has been involved in Women Everywhere: Partners in Service Project, which is a collaborative effort, coordinating volunteer activities to help women and children through Chicago, www.weChicago.org. She has been active in the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI) and Illinois Trial Lawyer’s Association. She also devotes time to teach a course on Medical Malpractice as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, DePaul University College of Law.

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  • Lawyer Bio
  • Client Comments
  • Lawyer Practice Areas
  • Firm Details
  • News & Media
  • Case History

Lawyer Bio

Sarah F. King is one of Chicago’s rising medical malpractice lawyers at the firm and one of the most hard-working, intelligent attorneys one can find. She works tirelessly to investigate and prepare complex medical malpractice cases to achieve justice for those who have been harmed by medical negligence. She works with dedication and tenacity to get to the bottom of what actually happened and what proper practices should have been used to prevent injuries related to medical care. It is this passion that makes her one of today’s top Chicago medical malpractice lawyers.

Sarah has had substantial trial experience as an attorney of record in many of the firm’s trials. In less than a decade, Sarah F. King has received verdicts and settlements totaling nearly $300 million. For example, Sarah second-chaired a trial with partner Bradley Cosgrove in a two-week trial involving the negligent prescription of Yasmin that gained international attention. A 37-year-old woman took the medication for less than two weeks and suffered a debilitating stroke. The jury awarded her $13.55 million in March 2014. Sarah also tried a case alongside partner Keith Hebeisen, leader of the medical malpractice team at Clifford Law Offices, in November 2013 that involved the wrongful death of a 33-year-old mother who sustained a massive hemorrhage during a c-section. Following a three-week trial, the jury returned a verdict of $15.55 million for the family. In January 2013, Sarah tried another case with Hebeisen and obtained a $2.225 million verdict for the wrongful death of a 31-week fetus.

In 2019, Sarah obtained a record $101 million verdict on behalf of a baby boy who was brain damaged at birth when his external fetal monitoring strips were ignored for six hours. Experts on behalf of the plaintiff testified that he would have been born a normal baby if hospital nurses and other medical personnel would have alerted doctors to the abnormalities and performed an emergency C-section.

While she was a full-time law student, Sarah served as a law clerk to Keith Hebeisen and Susan Capra. Having been mentored by two of the most respected and recognized medical malpractice lawyers in the state, Sarah understands what it takes to bring such complicated cases to trial, works up cases through analyzing the medical records, preparation of meticulous court pleadings, working with medical experts, and preparing her clients for every step of the litigation process. She has developed the highest level of skills as a Chicago medical malpractice attorney.

Sarah graduated from DePaul University College of Law summa cum laude as a member of the top 5% of her class and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. She was a published member of the DePaul Law Review on post-death maintenance obligations and life insurance. She has published several articles, some of which have been published in national publications such as the highly regarded American Bar Association Litigation Journal. Sarah has also been recognized for her writing skills in law school, having received the CALI Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy II, Legal Writing III, and Commercial Paper. Sarah completed her undergraduate studies at Loyola University of Chicago where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Women’s Studies.

Sarah has been involved in Women Everywhere: Partners in Service Project, which is a collaborative effort, coordinating volunteer activities to help women and children through Chicago, www.weChicago.org. She has been active in the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI) and Illinois Trial Lawyer’s Association. She also devotes time to teach a course on Medical Malpractice as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, DePaul University College of Law.

Read more on firm website
  • Education
  • Bar Admissions
  • Affiliations
  • Award List
  • Additional Information

Education:

  • DePaul University , graduated 2011
  • Loyola University Chicago, graduated 2008

Bar Admissions:

  • Illinois, 2011

Affiliations:

  • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) - Member, 2020
  • Women’s Bar Association (WBAI) - Board of Directors, 2018
  • Women’s Bar Association (WBAI), Top Women Lawyers in Leadership Awards - Co-Chair, 2018
  • Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) - Assembly Member, May 2016-Present
  • Women’s Bar Association (WBAI) - Newsletter, Legal Developments Section Editor, June 2012-2014, June 2016-Present
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) - Board of Managers, 2015- Present
  • Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI) - Judicial Reception Planning Committee, 2014-2015
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA), Women Everywhere - Planning Committee Delegate, 2013-Present
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) - Young Lawyer’s Division, 2012-Present
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) - Member
  • Women’s Bar Association (WBAI) - Member
  • American Association for Justice (AAJ) - Member
  • Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) - Member
  • Chicago Bar Association (CBA) - Member
  • American Bar Association (ABA) - Member
  • ITLA Women’s Caucus - Co-Chair, 2017-Present
  • Young Lawyer’s Division - 2012-Present
  • Asst. Editor Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook - 2014-Present
  • Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, Annual Dinner Committee, - Newsletter, Legal Developments Section

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

  • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
 

Awards:

    • Best Lawyers® in America, 2021
    • Chicago Daily Law Bulletin & Chicago Lawyer Women in Law Honoree, 2020
    • Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2016 – 2020
    • Emerging Lawyer, Law Bulletin Media, 2017 – 2020
    • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) Amicus Volunteer Award, 2019
    • Most Influential Women Lawyers in Chicago, Crain’s Custom Media, 2017
    • Chicago Law Bulletin’s Forty Under 40, 2015
    • Law Bulletin 40 Under 40, 2015

Additional Information:

Classes/Seminars
  • Adjunct Professor, DePaul University School of Law, “Medical Malpractice Survey” Fall 2014
Pro Bono Activities
  • Women’s Bar Association (WBAI), Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentorship, 2016-Present
  • Woman Everywhere: Partners in Service Project (“WE”), Planning Committee Co-Chair, 2014 – Present
  • Woman Everywhere: Partners in Service Project (“WE”), Fundraising Chair, 2013-2014
  • Woman Everywhere: Partners in Service Project (“WE”), ITLA Delegate, 2012 – Present
  • Women Everywhere Partners in Service Project, Board Member (2016-present), Planning Committee Chair, 2014-present
 

Lawyer Client Comments

Lawyer Practice Areas

Key: Awarded in Best Lawyers Not Currently Awarded for this Area in Best Lawyers

Firm Details

Image for Clifford Law Offices View Firm Profile
Clifford Law Offices
http://www.cliffordlaw.com
 
Headquarters
120 North LaSalle Street, 36th Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 899.9090

News & Media

Related Articles

Implicit Injury

Browse all articles

Lawyer Case History

Representative Cases

  • Fitzgerald v. Ingalls Memorial Hospital (October 2016) $2,500,000 Settlement
  • Vandelinder v. Northwestern Memorial Hospital (August 2016) $3,300,000 Verdict
  • Harper v. Ingalls Memorial Hospital (March 2016) $3,949,999 Settlement
  • Buhs v. Gibson Community Hospital (December 2015) $950,000 Verdict (Ford County Record)
  • Clemente v. Elmhurst Memorial Hospital (August 2015) $5,000,000 Settlement
  • Cohen v. Rush Medical Center (March 2015) $1,820,000 Settle
  • Zapalski v. Aniol, M.D (March 2014) $13,550,000 Verdict
  • Lopez v. University of Chicago (November 2013) $15,550,000 Verdict
  • Novak v. Hinsdale Hospital (January 2013) $2,225,000 Verdict
 
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