EDUCATION
IIT
Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
Juris Doctorate, 1987
John
Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio
Bachelor of Arts, 1984
ADMITTED
TO PRACTICE
Illinois
State Bar, 1987
United
States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
General
Bar, 1987
Trial Bar, 1989
Seventh
Circuit Court of Appeals, 1991
PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS
Leading
American Attorneys, 1999 to present
Who's Who in American Law, 1999 to present
Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago, 1999 to present
The Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Foundation (TLPJ),
1998 to present
The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 1997 to present
Chicago Bar Association (CBA)
Member of Judicial Evaluation Committee
- 1996 to 1999
Tort Litigation Committee, 1999 to present
Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
Elected Assembly Member - 1999 to 2001
Civil Practice & Procedure Section
Council Member - 2001 to present
Assembly Rules and Bylaws Committee
- 2001 to present
Illinois State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
Counsel Member - 1993 to 1995
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA)
Board of Managers - 2001 to present
Board of Advocates Member - 1996 to
2001
Legislative Committee Member
Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)
LECTURER
"Proper
Parties to Lawsuit" - Illinois State Bar Association;
Chicago, Illinois, January 9, 2004
"Damages Evidence" - Lorman Education Services;
Oak Brook, Illinois, December 17, 2003
"Railroad
Evidence" - Illinois Trial Lawyers Association;
Chicago, Illinois, October 13, 2003
"Presenting
the Expert for Deposition" - Chicago Bar Association;
Chicago, Illinois, October 3, 2002
"Opening
and Closing Statements" - Chicago Bar Association;
Chicago, Illinois, May 8, 2001
"Evidence
Seminar" - Moderator, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association;
Chicago, Illinois, May 5, 2001
"The
Art of Maximizing Damages" - Illinois Institute for
Continuing Legal
Education (IICLE); Chicago, Illinois, December 13, 2000
"Litigating
a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois State Bar
Association;
Chicago, Illinois, December 9, 1999
"The
Plaintiffs' Attorney's View of Current Medical Malpractice
Issues" -
Hospital Insurance Risk Managers (CHRMS)
Chicago, Illinois, May 5, 1999
"Illinois
Issues in Review" - Television program panelist;
Chicago, Illinois, February 19, 1999
"Trial
Techniques" - Moderator - Illinois Trial Lawyers
Association;
Chicago, Illinois, January 9, 1999
"Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois
State Bar Association;
Chicago, Illinois, December 10, 1998
"Aggravation
of a Pre-Existing Condition - Plaintiff's View" -
Illinois Trial
Lawyers Association, Chicago, Illinois, May 9, 1998
"Arbitration" - Chicago Bar Association;
Chicago, Illinois, January 22, 1998
"Litigating
a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois State Bar
Association;
Chicago, Illinois, December 11, 1997
"Trial
Objections and Effectively Responding to Objections"
- Chicago Bar
Association, Chicago, Illinois, December 4, 1997
"Uninsured/Underinsured
Motorist Claims" - Illinois Trial Lawyers Association;
Chicago, Illinois, September 6, 1997
"Jury
Deliberations and After the Verdict" - Illinois Trial
Lawyers Association;
Chicago, Illinois, May 3, 1997
"Litigating
a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois State Bar
Association;
Chicago, Illinois, December 12, 1996
"Trial
Techniques" - Program Planning Chair - Illinois Trial
Lawyers
Association; Chicago, Illinois, October 14, 1996
"Litigating
a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois State Bar
Association;
Chicago, Illinois, May 31, 1996
Civil
Pre-Trial Practice Seminar "Slimming Down" -
Illinois Trial
Lawyer Association; Springfield, Illinois, February 3,
1996
"Litigating
a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois State Bar
Association;
Chicago, Illinois, November 30, 1995
"Life
Before and After House Bill 20 - Premises Liability Reforms"
- Illinois
Trial Lawyers Association; Chicago, Illinois, May 6, 1995
"A
Plaintiff's Counsel's Perspective on Joint & Several
Liability and Section
2-1117" - Chicago Bar Association; Chicago, Illinois,
January 25, 1995
"Litigating a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois
State Bar Association;
Chicago, Illinois, December 2, 1994
"Litigating
a Civil Case in Cook County" - Illinois State Bar
Association;
Chicago, Illinois, November 11, 1993
"Public
Service" - Illinois State Bar Association;
Chicago, Illinois, November 5, 1992
AUTHOR
"Section
2-1117: Modified Joint and Several Liability in Illinois"
Illinois State Bar Association – Trial Briefs, 1995
"Supreme
Court Hands Victory to Railroad Industry in Crossing Case"
Illinois State Bar Association - Tort Trends, 2000
MEDIA
APPEARANCES
1990
to Present
NBC's
Today Show
The O'Reilly Factor-Fox Network
The Abrams Report---MSNBC
Cable Program "Illinois Issues in Review"
CBS Channel 2 News
CLTV News
NBC Channel 5 News
ABC Channel 7 News
Channel 66 News
WGN News
Fox Local News
HONORS
AND AWARDS
John
Carroll University - "Community Service Award;"
December 12, 1999
Law
Bulletin Publishing Company - "40 Illinois Attorneys
Under the Age of 40 to Watch;" 2001
John
Carroll University - :Making a Difference Award;"
2001
REPRESENTATIVE
PERSONAL VERDICTS/AWARDS
Santillana
v. City of Chicago and Jesus Gomez
Verdict: $2,005,798
Offer: None
On
December 12, 2003, Cook County Circuit Court Jury awarded
Elizabeth Santillana $2 million in a hotly disputed wrongful
death case. The case arose out of a "police pursuit"
on July 18, 2000 that resulted in Dalia Santillana's death
when her vehicle was struck by a car driven by a man fleeing
a Chicago Police Department squad car engaged in a "police
pursuit." Evidence was presented that the police
officers "rammed" the Gomez vehicle causing
it to lose control and cross the center line. City of
Chicago rules on "police pursuits" outlined
in General Order 97-3 specifically prohibit "ramming"
by squad cars. A Cook County jury rejected the City of
Chicago's position that it was not engaged in the pursuit
at the time of the fatal collision. Because the City was
found 25% at fault, it is responsible for the entire verdict
amount. The City declined to make a settlement offer prior
to trial. News
Article Available
Velarde
v. Illinois Central Railroad Co., et. al.
Verdict: $21,310,406
Offer: $ 3,000,000
On
February 8, 2002, Cook County Circuit Court Jury awarded
Fidel and Francisca Velarde a total of $21,310,406.65
for injuries suffered in a January 9, 2001 car train collision.
Fidel, age 73, and Francisca, age 73, were passengers
of an SUV struck by an 8 million pound train at 50 miles
per hour. The crossing gates and lights were not working
and the dispatcher erroneously told the train crew that
the crossing was protected. The plaintiffs suffered traumatic
brain injuries in the collision. The total award to the
Velardes and their daughter, who was the driver of the
car, totaled over $54 million--a state record in Illinois
for a railroad crossing collision case. News
Article Available
Roy
v. Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency
Award: $5,758,495
Offer: $2,000,000
A
twenty-eight year old female Mundelein police officer
was pinned between a limousine and her squad car when
a limousine driver rear-ended plaintiff's squad car. Plaintiff
suffered a near traumatic amputation of her right leg
above the knee, multiple fractures of her left leg and
the loss of her unborn fetus weeks later. The award is
the highest reported uninsured motorist award in Illinois
history. News
Article Available
Wohn
v. Roman
Judgment: $20,000,000
Judge
Maureen Durkin Roy entered $20,000,000 judgment against
man who fatally shot ex-wife in front of their four children.
Webb
v. Dikcis Cab Company
Verdict: $586,000
Offer: None
The
case arose from a two vehicle collision in which an uninsured
drunk driver ran a red light and struck a cab in which
the plaintiff was a passenger. Webb suffered a spinal
cord injury resulting in his death. Webb, who had AIDS,
had only months to live. The jury found the cab company
twenty-five percent responsible for its driver's decision
to pull into the intersection without observing the approaching
speeding car. The jury verdict resulted in joint and several
liability against the cab company
Coglianese
v. Cardiovascular Renal Consultants
Verdict: $600,000
Offer: None
Medical
Malpractice - Adult female patient died at Blue Island
Hospital from sepsis after doctors failed to detect a
perforated colon despite a history of a recent colonoscopy
and x-ray films that demonstrated free air. Case settled
pre-trial for $2,000,000.00 against the radiologist.
Catala
v. City of Chicago
Verdict: $310,000
Offer: None
Premises
Liability - Adult female fell due to a sinkhole in the
crosswalk at the intersection of Belmont and Western Avenues,
sustaining a spiral fracture of her femur requiring several
surgeries. The City of Chicago which owned and maintained
the crosswalk and street denied that it had any notice
of the sinkhole.
Tidwell
v. Oh
Verdict: $241,718
Offer: $100,000
A
seventeen year-old girl was a passenger in a vehicle involved
in a one-car crash in Colorado. The plaintiff sustained
a de-gloving injury to her arm requiring surgery. The
verdict was the highest reported verdict in the history
of Morgan County, Colorado.
Gost
v.Finney
Verdict: $208,800
Offer: $10,000
A
sixteen year-old girl was a passenger in a vehicle involved
in a two-car crash. The plaintiff sustained a back injury
requiring medical treatment which cost eighteen hundred
dollars.
REPRESENTATIVE
SETTLEMENTS
Taylor
v. Salvation Army $4,500,000
In
October, 2003, Mr. Cavanagh obtained a $4.5 Million wrongful
death settlement for the family of a woman killed in a collision
between a van and a semi tractor-trailer. The case settled
immediately prior to jury selection after lengthy discovery.
Ajmeri
v. Illinois Central Railroad Company $9,100,000
Passenger
of car injured when train and car collided on March 9,
1998. Case settled on third day of trial for state record
amount according to the Cook County Jury Verdict Reporter.
News Articles
Available
Cottrell
v. State Farm Automobile Insurance Company $1,200,000
Seventeen
year old high school honor student killed in one-vehicle
crash in McHenry County, Illinois. The case settled for
the full amount of the insurance policies available on
the vehicle after State Farm Automobile Insurance Company
was sued for spoliation of evidence.
McGill
v. G.G. Connections, Inc. $1,000,000
Mother
and son were killed in a two-vehicle collision when a
truck driver ran a red light. The case settled for the
full limits of the trucking companies' insurance policy.
