Joseph A. Power, Jr. Headlines don’t matter. Clients do. By Dan Rafter Special to Law Bulletin Media
Joseph Power could have coasted after obtaining a record $100 million settlement in 1994 for the Willis family, a Chicago family that lost six children in a Wisconsin car crash caused by a truck driven by an unqualified driver. That case made headlines across the country and revealed widespread corruption in which the Illinois Secretary of State’s office exchanged commercial trucking licenses for bribes that went to support the election campaign of soon-to-be-governor George Ryan. The case resulted in 76 convictions, sending Ryan to prison. It also spurred the retesting of more than 2,000 commercial truck drivers. It was a big win, and for many attorneys, it would have served as the crowning achievement of a career. But Power didn’t rest. He continued fighting for his clients, recovering more than $1 billion for them during his career. He still hasn’t lost a medical malpractice case at trial and has earned notable verdicts that include awards of $43 million, $35 million, and $25 million. Each of his jury verdicts has re- sulted in payments between $43 million and $2 million. And earlier this year, Power made the news again, helping to secure a settlement of $91 million for a man who lost both of his legs after a car pinned him against the front of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Bensenville, Illinois. With a track record like this, it’s not surprising to hear so many refer to Power, founding attorney of Chicago’s Power Rogers, as one of the top personal injury and medical malpractice law- yers in Chicago. “Joe is the goat,” said Tom Keefe, a plaintiff’s attorney in Bel- leville, Illinois. “Joe is playing a game most of us are not famil- iar with. He was born with this talent. He’s the best lawyer I’ve
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Being honest and personable is very important, too. And you can’t try to mislead people. Jurors will pick up on someone who is being dishonest or disingenuous. Honesty is a very important trait when it comes to being successful.
54 JURY VERDICT REPORTER • 2022 ANNUAL TRIAL LAWYER EXCELLENCE AWARDS
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