levinson and stefani

Founding Partner Ken Levinson accepts AAJ leadership roles

August 11, 2015 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Levinson and Stefani Founding Partner Ken Levinson has been appointed Chair of the Education Committee of the American Association for Justice’s Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, announced at a recent board meeting. Levinson will serve a two-year term through 2017.

As part of his appointment, Levinson will plan, coordinate and participate in the TLG’s trucking education initiatives, which includes webinars and downloadable audio presentations for trial lawyers, available on its website. Levinson’s goals is to make sure that lawyers representing clients affected by dangerous truck companies have the tools and resources necessary to litigate their cases.

Up next for the litigation group is the Advanced Trial Advocacy College: Litigating Truck Collision Cases, October 7–10, in Dallas, TX. Levinson is thrilled to be part of the lecture and workshop format. Some of the topics discussed include Crafting the Rules and Themes, Truck Driver Depositions, Safety Director Depositions and Opening Statements and Summations.

In other news, Levinson was also elected Vice Chair of the Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway & Premises Liability Section, addressing federal issues and focusing on auto collision cases, truck safety, highway design, low speed impact and premises liability. Levinson will also chair the section’s Practice Resources Committee, which compiles documents such as pleadings, research, expert reports and other information that might be helpful to fellow trial lawyers.

Happy Birthday to Levinson and Stefani

June 2, 2015 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Levinson Stefani Law Firm — Levinson and Stefani celebrating our 1 year anniversary

Tuesday, June 2, 2015, marks our law firm’s one-year anniversary. The lawyers and staff of Levinson and Stefani enjoyed dinner in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood – a favorite spot of founding partner Ken Levinson (but to be honest, it really is a favorite of everyone’s)!

We are proud of our successes over the course of our first year, and are excited to work towards our goals for year two and beyond.

Here’s to many more anniversaries of client-first legal representation for injury victims and their families.

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!

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.

Non-Profit Spotlight: The TEARS Foundation

October 14, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The TEARS Foundation is our second Non-Profit Spotlight this month.

October is Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month. On October 15th, organizations and communities across the U.S. will come together to raise awareness for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death System, the leading cause of death among infants 1 month to 1 year old) and other life-threatening diseases, many of which continue to bring about unspeakable heartache for millions of parents around the country.

Given the importance of the month and the October 15th event, it’s only fitting that we salute the TEARS Foundation as our second Non-Profit Spotlight this month. The Seattle-based 501 (c)(3), with local ties in LaGrange, IL, has been providing emotional and financial support to bereaved parents and families since 2002. In 2012 TEARS commemorated its 10^th anniversary, noting that it had helped more than 1,000 families through its services.

TEARS aims to “compassionately lift a financial burden from families who have lost a baby by providing funds to assist with the cost of burial or cremation services,” according to its mission statement. TEARS also provides free support groups and specially trained “peer companions” (generally a bereaved parent or family member that has been through similar circumstances) that have completed a highly comprehensive TEARS training program. Peer Companions make themselves available to speak over the phone or in person.

“We believe that every baby’s life deserves to be honored and memorialized in accordance with the grieving parents’ wishes and are committed to helping bereaved parents with this experience,” continues the organization’s mission statement. “We also believe that every grieving parent deserves access to ongoing bereavement support.”

The non-profit has received recognition and awards both for the foundation and for its founder, Sarah Slack, including the award for Innovation in Service by the Non-Profit Excellence Awards and the Pay It Forward Award by Principal Global Financial; Slack was named a finalist for People Magazine’s Heroes Among Us Award in 2009, and was named one of the Top 5 Women of the Year by Seattle’s Evening Magazine.

Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks selected the TEARS Foundation to be a charity partner of the Super Bowl-winning cornerback’s Blanket Coverage Foundation, which held the second annual Richard Sherman Celebrity Softball Game earlier this year, bringing even more attention to the foundation and its mission of support.

Each day, 13 babies will be lost to SIDS and other sudden, unexpected infant deaths. More than 70 new mothers will suffer stillborn pregnancies, and countless lives will be lost to miscarriage and other complications with pregnancy. Locally, there are over 1,500 infant deaths in Illinois each year, a near incomprehensible reality that can be devastating in more ways than one. Thanks to the TEARS Foundation, parents and families that have suffered the loss of a child take comfort in the fact that they’re not alone.

“TEARS was there for us and lifted a financial burden when our daughter died,” reads one testimonial on the TEARS website. Just one of many you can find on the TEARS website. “It meant so much.”

Though the Illinois chapter remains relatively young, that hasn’t stopped them from planning ahead. On June 7, 2015, TEARS kicks off its now-annual Illinois Rock & Walk at the St. James Forest Preserve in Warrenville, a chance to raise money and support for grieving families. Registration opens on the TEARS website shortly.

“God bless The TEARS Foundation,” says another testimonial. “They were there for my daughter through all her pain, grief, agony, and financial strain. They helped her in her saddest moment in life.”

If you are interested in becoming involved with the Illinois Chapter of The TEARS Foundation, contact Raquel Gorman or Dianne Umphress at (815) 546-4133 or IllinoisWalk@TheTearsFoundation.org.

How Parents Endanger Their Kids In Cars

October 6, 2014 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Bending the rules. For parents that could mean any number of minor infractions: a candy bar before dinner, an hour of television before bed. In those cases, by all means bend away. Some rules, however, shouldn’t bend at all.

The latest report from Safe Kids Worldwide reveals that one in five parents of young kids admit to “bending the rules” while riding in cars with their children, according to the organizations recent study, as reported by NBC 5 Chicago. Safe Kids also notes that three times as many parents admit that they’ve seen other parents doing the same; and one in four parents admit to failing to secure a child with a seat belt during a car ride. The report was based on a survey of 1,000 parents of children ages 4 to 10. These eye-opening numbers show just often adults endanger the lives of their children by overlooking typical safety measures.

Parents, adults and caregivers cited “quick rides,” “traveling overnight,” and the fact that they’re “in a rush” as reasons for not securing a child properly. Nineteen percent of parents between the ages of 19 and 29 often “reward” their child by allowing them to sit in the front seat without a seat belt. A number of parents also believe that a child is safe as long as they’re able to monitor while driving.

Affluent parents and households with higher levels of education were more likely to say that it was okay for a child to ride in a car without a seatbelt, and men were more likely than women to admit that riding in a car with an unrestrained child was acceptable practice. As income level increased adults more frequently said it was okay for a child to ride in a car without a seatbelt.

The report also found that three out of ten parents don’t discuss car safety with other adults when it comes to carpooling, including the use of booster seats. Although 92 percent of parents and caregivers had heard of booster seats only 17 percent shared concerns about their child’s safety.

Based on the findings, Safe Kids recommends several strategies for parents to take advantage of moving forward:

It goes without saying: buckle up your kids and friends’ kids every ride, every time. Nearly one-third of children who die in car crashes are completely unrestrained. It’s a simple and necessary mantra for keeping your child safe and secure for every ride. Make it a habit for older children who can buckle themselves, and make sure to check they’ve done so properly before setting out on your ride.

Talk to other parents who are driving your kids about eh importance of buckling up. Half of parents who report not talking about child safety seats with other adults said that they trusted them and assumed they would take the necessary precautions for keeping kids safe. Take assumptions out of the equation. Have a discussion about how you expect your child to be restrained properly while riding in a car, even if it’s not your own.

Check that the right child safety seat is being used and that it’s installed properly. Roughly 30 percent of caregivers believe that they have installed or secured a booster seat correctly, when in fact they haven’t. Find a local car seat check-up station and or check-up event and make sure the seat is securely fastened and installed.

Always remember: Safety First!

Check out Buckle Up Illinois for more information: