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Jay Stefani

Partner Jay Stefani talks with the Chicago Reader

October 3, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

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Partner Jay Stefani

Recent crash deaths have shaken the city’s cycling community to the core, and it may be time for lawmakers to start prioritizing ways to protect them, according to experts like our own Jay Stefani.

As reported by the Chicago Reader, four cyclists have recently been killed in incidents related to “right-hook” crashes that involve large trucks.

“The truck blocks your path, you’re stuck, and you fall under the massive vehicle. The rear wheels roll over your body, causing severe, likely fatal, injuries,” writes reporter John Greenfield, also editor at Streetsblog Chicago.

That sums up a nightmare scenario that has become increasingly problematic in big cities like Chicago, whose residents rely on bikes as a primary mode of transportation. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as Jay pointed out to Greenfield, specifically with regard to protective side guards—features installed on the sides of trucks that could potentially prevent these kinds of fatalities from happening at all.

From the article: “What makes the truck right-turn incidents all the more tragic is the refusal of lawmakers to require side guards,” [Stefani] said. “Sadly, to make them mandatory here, there needs to be a tipping point where enough people are fed up with the deaths.”

The U.S. continues to lag far behind European countries like the U.K., which have adopted stricter safety regulations and implemented the side guards that Jay mentions. Will Chicago’s City Council soon do the same? It seems obvious that they should.

Read the Reader’s complete coverage here.

Partner Jay Stefani appointed to AAJ’s Sole Practitioner & Small Firm Section

September 1, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

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Levinson and Stefani is pleased to announce that Jay has been elected Parliamentarian for the American Association for Justice’s Sole Practitioner & Small Firm Section, serving a one-year term for 2016-2017.

The Solo Practitioner & Small Firm Section is comprised of attorneys that focus on improving the stability of solo and small firms around the country, including how to market their practice and gain visibility by taking advantage of resources like blogging and social media.

Members pay particular attention to the use of technology as a way to increase productivity and navigate the financial obstacles of running a business. The group also addresses staffing issues, employee benefits, and law firm management.

This is one of four AAJ committees Jay serves on. He also sits on the Trucking Litigation Group, the Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway and Premises Liability Section and the Nursing Home Litigation Group. He also serves as a member of the Trucking’s Litigation Group’s Side Underride Guard Task Force, advocating for improved trucking safety across the country, most notably here in Chicago.

Levinson and Stefani attorneys recognized by Super Lawyers

January 13, 2016 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

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Levinson and Stefani is thrilled to announce that all three of its attorneys have been recognized by the rating service Super Lawyers in 2016. Ken has been selected to the 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers Top 100 list, his second appearance on the list, while Jay and Brett have been recognized as 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars. More information can be found in the release below. Congratulations, gentlemen!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2016

CHICAGO — Founding partner Ken Levinson has been selected to the 2016 Illinois Super Lawyers Top 100, part of Super Lawyers’ annual listing. This marks Levinson’s second appearance on the Top 100 list; he has been listed an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since 2010. No more than five percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by Super Lawyers to receive this honor.

Levinson was recognized for his work on behalf of injury survivors and child abuse victims, including a record $43 million jury verdict for a child abuse victim. He has successfully handled hundreds of personal injury and wrongful death cases. Levinson is also the co-author of the newly released 2015-2016 edition of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, an ongoing series that helps plaintiff’s attorneys build strong cases for their clients. The two-volume set is published by AAJ Press/Thomson Reuters.

Additionally, Partner Jay Stefani and Associate Attorney Brett Manchel were honored as Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars. Stefani was previously named to the list in 2012, 2014 and 2015. This year marks Manchel’s first appearance on the Rising Stars list. Fewer than 2.5 percent of Illinois lawyers under the age of 40 are selected Rising Stars.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Super Lawyers Magazine features the list and profiles of selected attorneys and is distributed to attorneys in the state or region and the ABA-accredited law school libraries. Super Lawyers is also published as a special section in leading city and regional magazines across the country.

In the United States, Super Lawyers Magazine is published in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., reaching more than 13 million readers.

Founded in 2014, Levinson and Stefani is a Chicago-based law firm offering client-first legal representation. Founded by Ken Levinson and Jay Stefani, the firm focuses on truck, auto and bus-related accidents, as well as child injury cases.

Download a PDF version by clicking here

When (jury) duty calls

September 2, 2015 by Jay Stefani Leave a Comment

Reflecting on our civic responsibilities

I had the day off on Monday. It didn’t mean I spent the day with my wife or kids, though. And it didn’t mean I was able to get caught up with my “to do” list at home. Instead I spent the better part of the day being a good citizen; I was called for jury duty.

As a lawyer, I know how important juries are. The right to a trial by jury (the 6th and 7th Amendments for those taking notes) is a good part of what makes our country so unique and so great. A small group of citizens can determine the fate of the lowliest member of our community up to the most powerful corporation. Nevertheless, most of us have the same initial reaction to a Summons for Jury Duty: a heavy sigh.

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It was certainly interesting being on the juror side. The beginning of the experience was simple—I got a letter in the mail, filled out an online questionnaire, and received the Summons a few weeks later. Monday morning, I headed to the courthouse. I’ve been there numerous times for work, so I was spared the logistics: Where is the courthouse? How long does it take to get there? Is there parking? The parking lot is where the familiarity ended.

I’m usually able to bypass some or all of the courthouse security with other attorneys and courthouse employees. On Monday, though, I wasn’t there as a lawyer, so I emptied my pockets, took off my belt, put everything in a plastic bin, and walked through the metal detector. I then headed up to the Jury Assembly Room on the third floor, where a clerk checked my name, took my Summons, handed me an informational brochure and a juror nametag, and had me take a seat. Once all 116 of us had checked in, the clerk spoke to us about the importance of the right to trial by jury, our role in the justice system, and—of great importance—where the coffee, snacks, and restrooms were located. Next, a Court Security Officer used some great stories to discuss the importance of following courthouse rules. Lastly, one of the judges came in and thanked us for being there, and then let everyone in on a “secret” I already knew.

The reality is most cases settle. Criminal defendants accept a plea. Opponents in civil cases—people or businesses—reach a compromise. Sometimes, cases settle fairly early in the process, often when the facts or law are strongly in one side’s favor. But we’ve all heard the phrase, “they settled on the courthouse steps.” That happens because when the parties and attorneys walk into court on the day they’re scheduled for trial, they know a jury is waiting—the opportunity to work things out, to have control over the outcome, is just about over.

My day didn’t end in a courtroom. Only 20 or 30 people were called in for a trial, while the rest of us were thanked for our time and dismissed that afternoon. Ultimately, I was able to catch up on some email, chat with others in the room, get some reading done, and get home in time to pick my daughter up from her bus stop. But my day was not a waste. Far from it.

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