Firm News

Continuing the Tradition: Thanksgiving Football For Charity

November 26, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

This Thanksgiving, our Chicago Bears will head to Detroit to take on the Lions. Since Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, I figured, why not thank a local charity that has been doing great things for people in need here in Chicago. So, my close friend, attorney Steve Gursten of Michigan Auto Law, and I again decided to make a little wager as the Bears and Lions go head to head. If the Lions pull off a win, I will make a donation to Forgotten Harvest, an organization that tackles hunger in Detroit. And, if Da Bears soar to victory, Steve will be donating to Kids In Danger, a wonderful child safety organization we profiled in October.

Last year in the Bears v. Lions matchup, the Lions managed a win and I had to donate to Steve’s charity of choice. But, given last week’s games, either team could be the Thanksgiving Day champ. Still, no matter what the score, I know that some great local organizations are going to benefit.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Giving Back: Levinson and Stefani at the St. Jude Give Thanks. Walk

November 24, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Levinson and Stefani participates in the St Jude Give Thanks Walk at Soldier Field — The Levinson and Stefani Team

Despite the clouds, it was a great weekend in Chicago.

On Saturday, the Levinson and Stefani team hit the pavement for the St. Jude Give. Thanks. 5K at Soldier Field, supporting cancer care and research at St. Jude Children’s Hospital; and on Sunday, the Bears squeaked out a 21-13 win at home over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, adding a double dose of awesome to our already stellar weekend.

Thank you for participating in today’s St. Jude #GivethanksWalk to help support the life-saving mission of St. Jude! pic.twitter.com/nmunLgYRAE

— St. Jude (@StJude) November 22, 2014

Despite a gloomy morning, nearly 2,000 people strapped up their laces for the 7th annual fundraiser. We’re proud to say that our team completed the 5K just shy two hours, going the distance for what we hope to make an annual tradition. We hear the organizers are looking to move next year’s walk to September, which hopefully means warmer weather and a great fall backdrop to make the day even more memorable.

We want to extend a big thank you to all those who donated to our team goal of $1,500, which we proudly exceeded. It’s great to know that our small, but important, contribution will benefit those in need. If you’ve been following the blog lately, you know that St. Jude’s is committed to helping families both financially and medically. Events like the St. Jude Give. Thanks. Walk ensure that patients of St. Jude never receive a medical bill for treatment or care, lifting a tremendous financial burden off their shoulders. Donations also go toward the St. Jude cancer research center, one of the leading research institutions in the country.

You can learn more about St. Jude Children’s Hospital by clicking here. We hope you’ll take some time to learn more about this great organization and all it’s doing in the fight against cancer.

Thanks again, friends, and we’ll see you at the next run!

Teaching Lawyers to Help Children with Playground Injuries

November 20, 2014 by Ken Levinson Leave a Comment

Ken Levinson - Playground Injuries and Children — Ken Levinson speaks to the New Jersey Association for Justice about children and playground injuries

As a child injury lawyer, I often am called to help parents whose children have been injured on playgrounds. Last week I was fortunate to be invited to speak to the New Jersey Association for Justice so I could teach other trial lawyers about handling playground injury cases. Thank you to my friends at the NJAJ for having me.

Playgrounds aren’t just swing sets and teeter-totters set atop sand and gravel, or at least they shouldn’t be. Did you know that practically each part of a playground (even where each play piece is located) is based on standards and guidelines set by an international organization and promoted by the U.S. Government?

Child injury cases can be very different from adult injury cases. The injuries, treatment, and impact are not the same. For example, a child’s injury might take many years to heal, or require specialized medical care that an adult wouldn’t need. What might seem a minor problem for an injured child at first glance could actually be a major problem later in life. In addition, communicating with injured children is sometimes more complicated than when speaking with an adult, who because of his or her age can provide more detailed information about what happened and the injuries.

My presentation provided strategic information to other attorneys fighting to secure justice for injured children and their families. I shared tips on how to protect the scene of an injury, who to contact when investigating a playground injury, and where to look for rules and regulations governing playgrounds.

Those rules and regulations are very detailed and specific as to each element of a playground – from surfacing material, to height, length, and angle measurements of various pieces of play equipment, to distances between pieces of equipment. And, all of this still depends on what age group the playground caters to.

Ultimately, it is imperative that a judge or jury understand the importance of these rules and regulations, and their basis in keeping our children safe. That’s why I travel to groups of lawyers and provide tactical tips on how to best serve child injury victims in court.

We’re Gearing Up for the St. Jude Give. Thanks. 5K, Nov. 22

November 13, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The Bears may be down but the atmosphere at Soldier Field is about to get a lot better.

On November 22, Chicagoans will gather in the shadow of the great lakefront stadium for the St. Jude Give. Thanks. walk and run, an annual family-friendly event in support of the life-saving mission of St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Since it began, the nation-wide fundraiser has raised upwards of $17 million for the hospital. Along with Chicago, an additional 65 communities from across the country are set to join in.

For more than 50 years St. Jude has relied on the generosity of every day folks to help children fighting cancer and other diseases. Through donations, patients never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food, with a portion of the funds going toward the St. Jude research center, a pioneer in the field of cancer research. On average, St. Jude has more than 67,000 patient visits each year, maximizing on a daily operating budget of $2 million. The operating budget is primarily covered by individual contributions.

Levinson and Stefani is proud to be one of the many supporters of St. Jude and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be taking part in our first walk. Our wonderful team is prepared to brave the elements with a little help from our friends. In the coming days, the Levinson and Stefani team will be setting up personal pages associated with St. Jude, which will give friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances an opportunity to make a small donation toward our team goal. We’re looking to raise $1,500 in nine days, though we wouldn’t say no to more. Rest assured that every dime and penny we receive will benefit St. Jude Hospital.

It’s worth noting that St. Jude is offering incentives to top individual fundraisers, like 25,000 AAdvantage miles from American Airlines. We say this not because we’re out to win, but in the hopes that a little enticement will encourage our friends to register and raise money as well. Registration is free, and should you choose, you can donate from the comfort of your own home and still participate as a virtual walker. We hear that Soldier Field will be decked to the rafters with a number of pre and post-event activities for adults and kids, including a surprise cameo from Santa and live music.

Check out our team page and then click on any team member’s name to donate. Don’t forget to check back on our progress! We hope you’ll join us, and thousands of others, to help improve the lives of those in need.

Ken Levinson Helps With Law Firm Marketing

November 5, 2014 by Ken Levinson Leave a Comment

At a Chicago Bar Association meeting yesterday, I helped other lawyers during a roundtable discussion on law firm marketing techniques.

Members shared experiences, ideas, and questions about building business relationships and engaging with clients and potential clients. The other lawyers involved in the discussion ran the gamut from new practitioners to senior partners, and were from a variety of practice areas serving all types of clients.

It was exciting to share my perspective with other attorneys looking for marketing help, and of course, I’m glad I picked up a tip or two!

Ken Levinson Helps Ohio Attorneys with Truck Crash Cases

October 14, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The Ohio Association for Justice (OAJ) invited partner Ken Levinson to speak about trucking cases to attorneys who represent people injured in in truck crashes. The OAJ asked Ken to give a half-day presentation on how to better handle truck crash lawsuits on behalf of injury victims. Making this event unique was the fact that attendees were able and encouraged to ask questions and be involved in the discussion. The audience clearly enjoyed the energy and interactive nature of the presentation. One commenter stated it was “more more enjoyable and educational than just listening to someone talk.”

“I had a great time working with the members of OAJ,” Levinson said, adding, “I am honored the organization asked me to come speak at its event.”