Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2021 
Tara R. Devine joined Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. in March 2004 and became the firm's first female Partner in 2011. She is now the Managing Partner of the firm's Lake County office. Ms. Devine focuses her practice on personal injury, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and product liability cases.
She has recovered more than $325 million in verdicts and settlements on behalf of her clients.
Ms. Devine has helped achieve numerous multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for individuals and families affected by catastrophic injuries, medical negligence and wrongful death. Her notable results include:
$148 million jury verdict for a young woman who was paralyzed when a pedestrian shelter collapsed on her at O'Hare International Airport. The verdict was the largest compensatory verdict awarded to an individual plaintiff in Illinois history. The case later settled for a record-breaking $115 million following an appeal.
$18.5 million settlement for a child who suffered a serious brain injury because of a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of meningitis
$1.6 million verdict in a wrongful death case, the highest recorded verdict in Stephenson County
Ms. Devine was part of the trial team that obtained the record-setting $148 million verdict in August 2017 on behalf of a dancer who was paralyzed by a collapsed pedestrian shelter at O'Hare International Airport. The verdict remains one of the most significant personal injury verdicts in Illinois history. Her results have earned recognition throughout the state, but Ms. Devine understands that behind every case is a family facing uncertainty. She works closely with her clients to ensure they feel informed, supported, and confident throughout every stage of the legal process.
Ms. Devine's accomplishments have earned her consistent recognition from the legal community. She has been named to Best Lawyers in America every year since 2020 and was honored as the 2024 Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs. She has also been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer and by Law Bulletin Media as a Leading Lawyer and “Women in Law” honoree. In 2019, she was named to Crain's Custom Media's Chicago Gen X Leaders in Law list and the 2018 Notable Women Lawyers in Chicago list. In 2018, she received a Trial Lawyer Excellence Award from Law Bulletin Media, and in 2016, she received the Lake County Journal's “Women of Distinction” award.
Ms. Devine has also been named to Law Bulletin Media's Leading Lawyers list, an honor recognizing attorneys who meet the organization's selection criteria. In 2014, she was named one of Law Bulletin Media's 40 Illinois Attorneys to Watch Under Forty.
Ms. Devine is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Wisconsin. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois and her law degree from Marquette University. She remains active as a Marquette alumna and previously served as a Committee member for the Annual Chicago Marquette Lawyer Reception.
Ms. Devine currently serves as a Past President of the Lake County Bar Association, having served as President from 2022-2023. In 2023, she was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the Committee on Jury Instructions in Civil Cases, helping shape jury instructions used in courtrooms throughout Illinois. She has also served in numerous leadership roles with the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, including as a member of its Board of Managers, and regularly speaks at legal seminars on trial advocacy and civil litigation. Additional professional memberships include the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and Wisconsin State Bar Association. Ms. Devine is also involved with the American Association for Justice.
