Protecting Your Rights Since 1956

Richard I. Levin

Richard I. Levin

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Biography

Rick Levin is a powerhouse in the Chicago legal community. He is well known for his exceptional command and keen sense of the courtroom. Throughout his career he has successfully recovered over 30 multi-million verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients in the areas of medical malpractice, priest abuse, construction, negligence, wrongful death, Med Mal alone is $27 million.

His achievements for his clients are no accident. Rick is passionate about his clients. He has a deep empathy for what they are going through. He has the ability to translate their emotions and relay their experience in a way that resonates in the courtroom.

Rick believes the best kind of professional is one with a good ear who will listen to you when things are at their worst. Rick's clients know they have an attorney who is personally connected to and cares about them. Rick makes himself available to his clients, day or night. Medical conditions don't just come up between nine and five. When an issue comes up, Rick's clients trust that he will be there.

His clients never have to wonder where their cases are at. Rick believes in strong communication. He stays in constant communication with his clients, keeping them informed throughout the process.

Rick is an adjunct professor of law in trial advocacy at Northwestern University. He is proud to serve as the Chair in Trial Advocacy. Coaching students from a positive standpoint and building on their strengths, he has coached the mock trial team to two national championships and 20 tournament wins. In the role of coach, Rick selects 8 of Northwestern University law school's finest law students and coaches and mentors them to become seasoned litigators. Some of these students have gone on to legal positions as law clerks in the federal court of appeals, the U.S. Attorneys' Office, and the Hague.

He takes pride in helping to develop the lawyers of tomorrow. He is held in high regard by his students. He has been voted "Most Outstanding Adjunct Professor" for six years. A Northwestern graduate who Rick taught noted, "I just want you to know what a pleasure it was for me to take your course. I want you to know what a pleasure it will be for me in 30 years to tell people that Rick Levin trained me. Thanks for your guidance and your support." 

Mr. Levin is also an instructor for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. In that role, Rick teaches trial skills and depositions skills to attorneys. He has taught NITA courses at Northwestern University School of Law, Loyola University School of Law, Indiana University School of Law, Rutgers Law School and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Rick was the Co-Chairman of the Trial Techniques Division of the Chicago Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section from 1995 to 1998. In this position, Rick moderated and spoke at many seminars to lawyers on the topics of Motion Practice, Tort Reform, Deposition Strategy, Evidence Trial Techniques and Strategy and Expert Witnesses.

Rick has lectured to physicians and other attorneys on the subject of brain injuries in litigation. He has lectured to physicians at the American Board of Quality Assurance and Peer Review of Physicians on the topic of Medical Malpractice litigation. He has lectured extensively at the Chicago Bar Association on the topic of tort litigation. He has lectured at Illinois State University on the topic of Police Pursuits and Civil liability.

Individual successes

Rick fights for what is right. He has taken and recovered compensation for clients on a number of cases that were turned down by other top firms in Chicago. He wants every client to know that they got great legal representation and every client should feel as though they had the best shot of winning their case.  His individual successes include:

$8.3 medical malpractice against U.S. Gov for failure to diagnose osteomyelitis

$5.5. million verdict negligent security wrongful death of 26 year-old woman (highest verdict in Illinois at the time for conscious pain and suffering)

$4.3 million verdict for a woman passenger involved in a trucking accident. Subdural hematoma, fractured cervical spine

$4.3 million settlement for pedestrian hit by corporate executive who was potentially intoxicated at the time resulting in brain damage

$3.5 settlement med mal causing cervical injuries and paralysis

$3.5 million settlement medical malpractice for causing a stroke in a 35-year old post-partum woman

$3 million settlement for improper police pursuit resulting in a brain injury

$2.6 million settlement for sexual abuse from a priest

$2.1 million settlement for a brain injury. Normal MRI and normal CT, post-traumatic Parkinsons 

$2 million wrongful death of a woman from a cardiac procedure at a hospital

$2 million policy limit for complex regional pain syndrome (largest settlement at the time for CRPS)

$1.5 million settlement for wrongful death of a woman who was 50 (improper placement of a cardiac catheter causing her to bleed to death)

$1.5 million wrongful death med mal settlement for failure to diagnose chicken pox

$1.5 million settlement for failure to diagnose chicken pox in an adult

$1 million settlement against the V.A. for malpractice (failure to diagnose osteomyelitis)

$3.5 million policy limit settlement against trucking company for wrongful death of twin boy, twin sister sustained serious injuries.

$2.5 million med mal wrongful death settlement of a 20 year old. Ablation. Kid had COPD. Burned his throat and killed him during cauterization.

$2.15 million settlement med mal for wrongful death for failure to institute advanced cardiac life support

$1.75 million judgment for trucking accident wrongful death of 63 year-old pedestrian

$990,000 settlement for improper police pursuit resulting in wrongful death

$990,000 settlement for podiatry malpractice resulting in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) 

$975,000 settlement for knee surgery resulting in penetration of artery behind the knee resulting in emergency vascular surgery and vascular complications

$950,000 verdict against a plastic surgeon for causing neurology in hand resulting in amputation of finger

$940,000 wrongful death settlement for improperly performing a Brazilian butt lift procedure

$940,000 policy limit (wasting policy) settlement for podiatry malpractice resulting in death in adult male

$675,000 policy limit (wasting policy) settlement for death of adult for man for failure to diagnose and treat uterine cancer

Education

  • Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
    • J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - 1986
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
    • B.B.A., Bachelor of Business Administration - 1983

Teaching Experience

  • Northwestern University School of Law, Courses taught: Introduction to Trial Advocacy, Advanced Trial Advocacy and Pre-Trial Litigation
  • DePaul University College of Law, Courses taught: Evidence, Trial Advocacy, Advanced Trial Advocacy
  • National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), 1998 to present NITA Programs at Northwestern University School of Law, Loyola University Law School (Chicago), University of Colorado at Boulder Law School, Indiana University Law School, Rutgers Law School
  • Federal Trial Bar, Direct Examination and Cross Examination Techniques, 1996 to 1999

Honors

  • Most outstanding adjunct professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005
  • Illinois Super Lawyer 2006 - 2023
  • Illinois leading lawyer network-top 5% of lawyers in Illinois 2006 - 2023
  • “40 Attorneys Under the Age of 40 To Watch” -Chicago Law Bulleting/Leading Lawyers Network

Professional Associations

  • Chicago Bar Association (Co-Chair, Trial Techniques Division, 1995-1997)
  • Illinois State Bar Association The Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • Illinois Trial Lawyers Association

Practice Areas

  • Medical Malpractice
  • Construction Accidents
  • Personal Injury
  • Sexual Abuse Plantiff

Current Employment Position

  • Partner

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois, 1986
  • U.S. Federal Courts, 1987