Firm News

January 2024 Newsletter Collins Law Firm Year in Review

Happy New Year and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2024! We secured many millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for our clients in 2023 and hope to provide the same outstanding representation to all our clients in 2024. As a result of our work, our firm was selected as a "Best Law Firm" by Best Lawyers for 2024. Here are some other highlights from 2023:

Environmental Division

The Collins Law Firm's environmental division had a stellar year in 2023. Partner Shawn Collins served as the court-appointed co-lead of the Plaintiffs Executive Committee (PEC) in In re Willowbrook Ethylene Oxide Litigation, involving more than 870 plaintiffs who had contracted cancer after breathing carcinogenic "ethylene oxide" emitted from a local factory. After years of battling the defendants, Shawn and the PEC secured a $408 million settlement in that toxic tort litigation. Shawn and Margaret Galka also successfully settled a toxic tort/civil rights case against a large multi-national corporation on behalf of a woman who developed cancer after being exposed for years to the company's toxic chemical. Due to their success on environmental cases, the firm was rewarded in the following ways:

  • Shawn Collins and Margaret Galka received the 2023 Trial Lawyer Excellence Award for obtaining the "Highest Reported Illinois Verdict or Settlement ($363 million verdict) for an Individual Plaintiff" from the Jury Verdict Reporter and Law Bulletin Media.
  • Shawn Collins was chosen as a national Environmental MVP for 2023 by Law 360 due to his work on the In re Willowbrook Ethylene Oxide litigation.
  • The firm was chosen as a national finalist for ALM/Law.com's Elite Trial Lawyer Awards in the mass torts category.
Personal Injury Division:

Our personal injury attorneys Edward Manzke, John Risvold, and Joseph Catalano were also quite successful, recovering more than $7.3 million for the firm's injured clients. These included several successful settlements on the Courthouse steps, while trial was ongoing or while preparing for jury selection. Our personal injury attorneys had several six and seven figure recoveries in cases involving major trucking accidents, nursing home abuse and neglect, and medical malpractice in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. In 2024, the firm is preparing for several jury trials involving serious injuries and wrongful death, caused by commercial vehicle crashes, medical negligence, and dangerous and defective products. These cases include a rear end semi-crash that caused our client a traumatic brain injury, a car crash that resulted in our client undergoing major spine surgery, a catastrophic injury from defective commercial fireworks, and the failure of a doctor and hospital to perform a cesarean section surgery in a timely manner. Our personal injury attorneys continue to work extremely hard to get justice for our clients, inside and outside of courtrooms throughout the state. Other lawyers and law firms regularly refer their clients to us, or co-counsel with us, knowing that our personal injury attorneys are willing to take the fight to those who would do harm to our clients.

Commercial Law Division:

Commercial lawyers Robert Dawidiuk, Len Hudson, and Katharin Ebbesen ended the year with an impressive list of successes, including:

  • The Firm obtained a very favorable outcome in a high-stakes business dispute, defending several officers and directors accused of breaching their fiduciary duties and defrauding a company of millions.
  • Trial win in Grundy County: complete defense verdict on $2.2 Million construction lien issue.
  • Trial win in Will County on breach of contract involving purchase/sale of luxury vehicles.
  • Trial win in DuPage County on behalf of commercial real estate owner on real estate matter.
  • Favorable settlement on behalf of developer in complex real estate case involving a multi-million-dollar development.
  • Complete win in EEOC Hearing & appeal on behalf of National Bank client.
  • Two appellate victories on real estate and business litigation matters.
  • Represented national clients in numerous successful actions including obtaining a high-six figure settlement for our client (the plaintiff) against a west coast convention center.
  • Won on summary judgment in high stakes matter for international organization wrongfully sued by a Romanian entity.
  • Successfully represented United States Bankruptcy Trustee in obtaining substantial settlement for bankruptcy estate in contested multijurisdictional matter.
  • Won judgment for community bank client against national bank.
  • Obtained dismissal with prejudice for international client wrongfully sued in Cook County action.
  • Closed $165 Million in commercial loans.
  • Closed $85 Million in commercial transactions.
Lawyer Recognition:
  • Shawn Collins, Edward Manzke, and John Risvold were designated as "Best Lawyers" for 2023.
  • Shawn Collins, Edward Manzke, John Risvold, Margaret Galka, Norm Berger, and John Sopuch have been selected as "2024 Super Lawyers" in Illinois.
  • Shawn Collins and Robert Dawidiuk were honored as "Leading Lawyers" in 2023 for their work.
  • Shawn Collins was chosen as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Association again in 2023.

October 2023 Newsletter Attorney Shawn Collins Selected as a Law 360 Environmental MVP for 2023

Shawn Collins has been chosen as a 2023 Environmental MVP by Law 360 due to his work on the Sterigenics litigation in Cook County. IL. Shawn served as a co-lead of the Plaintiffs Executive Committee in the In re Willowbrook Ethylene Oxide Litigation, which reached a $408 million settlement for more than 800 plaintiffs who had contracted cancer after breathing carcinogenic ethylene oxide from a Sterigenics facility in their community. Shawn also served as co-counsel for the plaintiff in the first case that went to trial, Kamuda v. Sterigenics, et al, helping to secure Illinois' largest-ever single plaintiff verdict, $363 million for the client----$325 million of which was for punitive damages due to the polluters' reprehensible conduct.

Law 360's MVP of the Year awards are given to five attorneys throughout the U.S. in 37 separate practice areas. The attorneys selected as Law 360 MVPs for 2023 had extraordinary victories and contributed most to their practice area in the past year. A team of Law360 editors selected the 2023 MVP winners after reviewing more than 900 submissions.

"I do this because I want to make the legal system work for people and communities who have feel they have no voice or power. It is meaningful and important work, and I am grateful to Law 360 for recognizing that," said Shawn.


September 2023 Newsletter Collins Law Verdict Named #1 Verdict in Illinois by Top Verdict

We are proud to announce that our $363 million verdict in Kamuda v. Sterigenics U.S. LLC, et al., has been named the number one jury verdict among all practice areas in Illinois in 2022 by Top Verdict. Congratulations to Collins Law partners Shawn Collins and Edward Manzke and associate Margaret Galka for their work on the trial team that secured justice in this important environmental toxic tort case.

Amount of Verdict: $363,000,000

Attorneys: Patrick A. Salvi II, Lance D. Northcutt, Jennifer M. Cascio of Salvi Schostok & Pritchard PC; Shawn M. Collins, Margaret Galka of The Collins Law Firm, PC; Scott A. Entin, Roisin Duffy‐Gideon, Deanna N. Pihos of Miner Barnhill & Galland PC

Case: Kamuda v. Sterigenics U.S. LLC, et al.

Type of case: Personal Injury, Toxic Exposure, Negligent Tort, Public Nuisance, Bodily Injury

https://topverdict.com/lists/2022/illinois/top-10-verdicts
Three Collins Law Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers

The Collins Law Firm is proud to have two lawyers recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 edition and one lawyer recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2024 edition.

Shawn Collins has been designated a Best Lawyer in two categories:

  • Litigation - Environmental
  • Personal injury litigation - plaintiff

Ed Manzke has been selected as a Best Lawyer in:

  • Personal injury litigation - plaintiff

John Risvold has been recognized in the Ones to Watch category for lawyers under 40 in:

  • Personal injury litigation - plaintiff
  • Medical malpractice - plaintiff

The Collins Law Firm Named a 2024 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers®

The Collins Law Firm is proud to announce that we have been recognized both nationally and regionally as a 2024 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers®. Only 2,202 firms law firms in the U.S. earned national recognition from Best Lawyers® this year; only 16,324 firms received regional recognition. The Collins Law Firm has been ranked nationally in Environmental Litigation and Mass Torts/Class Actions and regionally in Personal Injury Litigation, Environmental Litigation, Commercial Litigation and Mass Tort / Class Actions by Best Lawyers®.

"We would like to thank Best Lawyers for recognizing our accomplishments this past year and feel fortunate to be included with the very best law firms in Chicago and around the country" said partner Shawn Collins. Firms that are included as Best Law Firms have earned the highest level of respect from clients and other leading lawyers in the community.

Lawyer Monthly magazine
September 2023 The Collins Law Firm Recognized on TopVerdict.com

We are proud to announce that our $363 million verdict in Kamuda v. Sterigenics U.S. LLC, et al., has been named the number one jury verdict among all practice areas in Illinois in 2022 by Top Verdict.... (continue reading)


August 2023 Newsletter

Partner Shawn Collins is featured in an interview in Lawyer Monthly magazine this month. Below is an excerpt from the article and the link to the full article.

Lawyer Monthly magazine Leading the Charge Against America's Biggest Polluters

Instances of harmful pollution and ecological disasters have grown unsettlingly commonplace in the US - despite environmental regulations that appear strict on paper. Why is this, and how can polluting corporations be held responsible for the damages they cause? Enter Shawn Collins, the 'environmental lawyer for the people'. In this exclusive interview, Shawn shares a look at the work he does and the clients who come to him, as well as a glimpse into the ongoing battle to hold polluters accountable in the US.

My Work and My Clients

I have fought polluters for more than 23 years. My clients are individuals, families, and communities whose air and water have been contaminated by the reckless discharge of dangerous chemicals - usually carcinogens - from factories, industrial parks, and landfills.

In my cases, chemicals with names like TCE, PCE, DCE, vinyl chloride, ethylene oxide, arsenic, toluene, and glyphosate were poured, spilled, dumped or spewed into the air - often for years - by companies who did not care to spend the money to dispose of the chemicals responsibly or protect those they knew would be exposed. Left to migrate throughout the environment and find their way into homes, schools, churches, and parks, these toxins were then inhaled and consumed by residents who had no idea the chemicals were even there, let alone how badly their health was being threatened. No one bothered to tell them. Not the polluter. Not even their government.

Read the full article here.


June 2023 Newsletter Personal Injury Results

The Firm settled a case for an elderly client who tripped and fell on a crack in the pavement of her patio at her townhome. The crack had been present for several months when she tripped and fell, fracturing a vertebrae in her spine requiring surgery. The case settled for $350,000.

The Firm settled a case for a client whose car was hit by a young driver who ran a stop sign. The client sustained a subdural hematoma and was hospitalized for several days. The matter was settled outside of litigation for $400,000.00.

The Firm settled a case for a client outside of litigation for an undisclosed amount for a premise liability case. The client sustained significant injuries as a result of an unnatural accumulation of ice in a parking lot.

Business Litigation Results

The Firm won a Summary Judgment Motion filed on behalf of our client, a prominent public official, on claims for defamation and intentional inflection of emotional distress. The case involved important First Amendment and free speech privileges.

The Firm resolved and closed a complex seven-figure litigation matter involving numerous domestic and foreign parties, and involving businesses and real estate in Illinois.

The Firm documented an $18 Million loan modification transaction involving real estate spread over several mid-west and east coast states.


April 2023 Newsletter Personal Injury Results

The Firm settled a medical malpractice case against a plastic surgeon for a confidential settlement on behalf of the family of a woman who suffered lidocaine toxicity and cardiac arrest, causing her death following a liposuction procedure.

The Firm's Personal Injury team resolved a $250,000 policy limits case pre-suit on behalf of a client who was t-boned by a driver who ran a red light. The client sustained a fractured pelvis and lacerated liver. She fortunately made a full recovery.

Business Litigation Results

The Firm won a complete defense verdict for publicly traded bank client and its President falsely accused by former employee of unlawful conduct.

The Firm negotiated and documented a $40 Million international supply contract for one of its clients.

The Firm won a complete dismissal with prejudice on a complex real estate litigation matter.

The Firm was successful in opposing the rehearing of a favorable Appellate decision in a seven-figure real estate litigation appeal.

Shawn Collins Selected to the 2023 List as a Member of the Nation's Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel

Shawn Collins has been selected to the 2023 list as a member of the Nation's Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel. NADC is an organization dedicated to promoting the highest standards of legal excellence. Its mission is to objectively recognize the attorneys who elevate the standards of the Bar and provide a benchmark for other lawyers to emulate. Due to the incredible selectivity of the appointment process, only the top one percent of attorneys in the United States are awarded membership in NADC. This elite class of advocates consists of the finest leaders of the legal profession from across the nation.


March 2023 Newsletter Personal Injury Results

The Firm's Personal Injury team resolved over $500,000 in settlements during the month of March. The cases ranged from auto accidents to premise liability cases and were all resolved pre-suit.

Business Litigation Results

The firm won an appeal in the Third District Appellate Court affirming its seven-figure judgment in highly contested real estate litigation matter.

The firm closed several multi-million dollar real estate development deals in Illinois and Texas.

Shawn Collins Selected to Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America

Partner Shawn Collins has been selected to become a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. LCA is a trial lawyer honorary society whose membership is limited to less than one-half of one percent of North American lawyers, judges, and scholars. Fellowship is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are chosen based on excellence and accomplishment in litigation and superior ethical reputation. The LCA represents the best in law among its membership.

Margaret Galka Speaks with Law Students at University of Illinois

Attorney Margaret ("Maggie") Galka recently traveled to Champaign, Illinois to speak with law students at the University of Illinois College of Law. Maggie spoke with student-members of the Energy and Environmental Law Society about careers in environmental law and shared advice for succeeding in law school. It was an honor to spend some time with passionate students and future environmental lawyers!


February 2023 Newsletter Five Collins Law Firm Attorneys Designated as Super Lawyers for 2023

The Collins Law Firm is proud to announce that five attorneys at the firm have been named to the Illinois Super Lawyers list this year. Partners Shawn Collins and Edward Manzke, and Of Counsel attorneys Norman Berger and John Sopuch have been selected as 2023 Super Lawyers. Partner John Risvold and Associate Margaret Galka have both been named as 2023 Rising Stars.

"We are honored that five attorneys at our firm have been recognized for excellence in the field of law. Our mission at The Collins Law Firm is to give each client the best representation possible, and it is gratifying to have this acknowledged," said Shawn Collins.

Congratulations to the following attorneys for their recognition by Super Lawyers for 2023.

Shawn Collins is the managing partner and founder of The Collins Law Firm and has three and a half decades of experience as a trial lawyer. He has been named to the Illinois Super Lawyers list 14 times since the program was introduced in 2005. He has secured verdicts or settlements of more than $460 million for his clients in this area, including a record-setting $363 million verdict for a woman who contracted breast cancer after decades of exposure to ethylene oxide.

Edward Manzke has three decades of experience as a litigator in both personal injury and environmental cases. A senior partner at the firm, Mr. Manzke has been named to the Illinois Super Lawyers list 17 times since 2006. Over the years, Ed has won verdicts and settlements totaling over $160 million for his personal injury and environmental clients, including an $8 million settlement for an automobile accident victim.

John Risvold, a partner at the firm, has been named to the Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list every year since joining The Collins Law Firm in 2017. John has tried several cases before juries for personal injury victims in courtrooms throughout Illinois. Since joining the Collins Law Firm he has recovered nearly $15 million in settlements and verdicts for victims of accidents, nursing home neglect, and medical negligence.

Margaret Galka has been an associate at the firm since 2018. Margaret focuses her practice on environmental mass tort, civil rights, and other complex litigation. Recently, Margaret helped secure a record-breaking, $363 million, verdict at trial for a client who contracted breast cancer after decades of living near a sterilization facility that emitted a potent carcinogen (ethylene oxide) into their air.

Norman Berger serves as Of Counsel with The Collins Law firm on environmental matters. Norman has been practicing environmental law since the early days of environmental regulation when he was an Assistant Attorney General of Illinois representing the Illinois EPA in enforcement matters. Since then, Norman has recovered more than $100 million for clients exposed to toxic chemicals. He has been an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since the inception of the program.

John Sopuch serves as Of Counsel at The Collins Law Firm and represents clients in business litigation and commercial dispute resolution. He has been involved in several multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts with the firm. He has been a Super Lawyer since 2018.

Super Lawyers recognizes the top 5% of attorneys in each state. Rising Stars is reserved for only 2.5% of younger attorneys who have been practicing for 10 years or less.

Collins Law Firm Joins Fight Against Monsanto

The Collins Law Firm has joined with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Legal Aid Justice Center, Public Citizen Litigation Group, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C., and Dugan Schlozman LLC. to file a lawsuit against Monsanto for violating federal civil rights law. The Lawyers' Committee is representing Elvira Reyes-Hernandez, a non-U.S.-citizen plaintiff who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2019 after exposure to the Monsanto product Roundup while working on tree farms in Virginia.

Elvira was one of over 100,000 people who sued Monsanto claiming Roundup was responsible for their cancer. She agreed to a settlement but was excluded by Monsanto because she is not a U.S. citizen. The civil rights lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, asks the court to compel Monsanto to award Elvira a fair settlement amount and prevent them from discriminating against other non-U.S. citizens.

"Elvira got cancer working in American fields, after years of exposure to a chemical made and sold in America, by an American company, Monsanto," said Collins Law attorney Shawn Collins. "So, Elvira is protected by American laws--giving her the same right to hold Monsanto accountable in an American court of law, and to settle with Monsanto, that was exercised by thousands of others who also filed cancer suits against the company. This right cannot be taken from her because she is not a citizen. The laws protecting Elvira have been in place for more than 150 years, first enacted as a response to the scourge of slavery, to forbid discrimination against all human beings in this country, not just those who happen to be citizens."

For the complete story click here.


January 2023 Newsletter

2022 was a very productive year for every practice area at The Collins Law Firm.

Environmental Litigation

The environmental litigation team has been very busy with Sterigenics toxic tort lawsuits. After years of taking depositions, working with environmental experts, and trial preparation, the first Sterigenics contamination case went to trial in Cook County, IL earlier this year. Partners Shawn Collins and Ed Manzke, and associate Maggie Galka worked alongside lawyers from Salvi, Schostock, & Pritchard, P.C. and Miner, Barnhill & Galland to argue the case of plaintiff Susan Kamuda, who developed an aggressive form of breast cancer after being exposed to ethylene oxide emissions from a nearby Sterigenics plant for decades. After a multi-week trial, the jury returned with a record-setting verdict of $363 million dollars for Susan, $38 million in compensatory damages, and $325 million more as punitive damages. Our environmental team is currently negotiating a settlement for our 93 other Sterigenics cases.

Personal Injury

Personal injury partners Ed Manzke and John Risvold and their team recovered over $7.5 million in verdicts and settlements for injured clients this year. Notable cases included:

  • $1,000,000 - product liability - wrongful death settlement.
  • $900,000 - trucking accident settlement - Our client was rear-ended and recommended for spinal surgery.
  • $550,000 - policy limits settlement - The client suffered a traumatic brain injury after being rear-ended at high speed. Before filing suit, the insurance company's best offer was $23,000. We settled before trial for the full policy.
  • $450,000 - settlement against a home healthcare agency for neglect of a senior citizen.
  • $325,000 verdict - Our client was hit head-on by an uninsured motorist. We took his case to arbitration and won $225,000. State Farm rejected the arbitration award and demanded a trial. We beat them at trial and secured a verdict of $100,000 more than the arbitration award.
  • $250,000 - Pedestrian accident. Our client, a pedestrian, was walking in a crosswalk when she was struck by a car. She fractured her pelvis and required hospitalization. The case settled for the total insurance policy.
  • $250,000 - Nursing home fall, death. Our client suffered an unwitnessed fall, which lead to her death several days later. The nursing home settled the case shortly before trial, for the remainder of their available insurance as well as out-of-pocket cash from the facility.
  • $225,000 - Nursing home fall, broken hip. Our client fell twice in a matter of days while at an assisted living facility, resulting in the need for hip surgery.
  • $200,000 - Nursing home fall, broken hip. Our client was admitted to a nursing home for rehabilitation following hip surgery. She was only in the facility 24 hours before she fell twice, breaking her opposite hip, resulting in a second hip surgery in a week.
Commercial Law

Partner Rob Dawidiuk, associates Len Hudson and Katie Ebbesen, and the commercial team were very productive in their department as well:

Commercial transactions totals:

  • Documented over $185 Mil in new commercial loans.
  • Closed $45 Mil in Mergers and Acquisitions deals.
  • Closed $85 Mil in Commercial Real Estate deals.
  • Commercial Litigation Defense:
  • Exceeded $14 Mil in defense wins by summary judgment, trial verdict, or appellate court reversals.
  • Commercial Litigation Wins:
  • $1,700,000 in recovery on commercial cases where we won judgments as the plaintiff.
  • Notable cases included:
  • A complete reversal on all claims on a $5.5 Mil trial verdict (2d District Appellate Court) for a national real estate developer (where another law firm lost the case after extensive trial with multiple experts).
  • Win in N.D. IL and then the appellate court (Seventh Circuit) in shareholder litigation against a publicly traded company upholding an award for my client of $200,000.
  • Complete trial win in Will County on over $150,000 defense verdict.
  • $50 Mil in commercial real estate sales completed in July alone.
  • Sold three franchises in Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina for over $20 Million.
  • Sold a $24 Mil Shopping center in a complex deal involving defeasance lending.
  • Represented a Canadian entity against one of the largest U.S. Banks with a very successful result on a $27 million loan with Texas collateral in federal court litigation.
  • Secured a very favorable defense result for our client, a publicly traded company, in Iowa Federal Courts in a suit alleging millions of dollars in damages in real estate litigation.
  • Secured a dismissal with prejudice based upon "laches" in DuPage County for a $5 Mil claim.
Client Reviews
★★★★★
Shawn Collins is a very talented lawyer, as are all the attorneys on his team. I've known and worked with Shawn for more that 30 years. Not only is he a top notch technical litigator but his communication skills are second to none. If anyone I know is ever in need of an attorney, Shawn is my very first recommendation. He gives very solid advice that goes beyond the law. He is someone you can trust to tell you the truth so you are not lead astray in the complex legal world. You really can't find a better advocate. E.M.
★★★★★
We were incredibly satisfied with our experience with The Collins Law Firm. We worked closely with Ed Manzke and found that he had a personal touch and truly got to know us in addition to being knowledgeable and effective in his field. The caring and individual attitude helped us tremendously throughout the entire process and we always felt like our case was in safe hands. We would highly recommend The Collins Law Firm for both its stellar work and dedicated employees. M.A.
★★★★★
My father recommended The Collins Law Firm to me after watching Shawn Collins and Ed Manzke at trial representing Lisle residents against Lockformer. For years, he told us courtroom tales about Shawn and Ed, citing their incredible skill as trial lawyers and how they put the huge Lockformer legal team to shame. So when my son was the victim of a wrongful death, they were my first and only choice. I can't say enough to truly express how grateful I am to The Collin's Law Firm for all that they did for me and my family. This amazing team advocated for me in my darkest moments, surpassing my expectations in every way. I will be forever grateful to Shawn and Ed. K.D.
★★★★★
I have worked with Rob, Shawn and The Collins Law Firm team in connection with both complex business transactions and litigation over the past several years. Shawn is far and away the best business litigation attorney I have worked with. Rob has been our lead attorney on M&A and corporate restructures, and he has delivered each time, and on time. I would highly recommend Rob to get the deal done! W.D.
★★★★★
Rob has been our out-side General Counsel for ten years. As a business with a global presence, it is important that we have the very best legal representation. Rob and the team have guided us through litigation battles, negotiating and drafting our important business contracts, and advising us in our business strategies. He has a great team of lawyers working with him. M.F.