2025 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH
ANDREW MASON
AGE 39
FIRM Smith LaCien LLP – Trial Lawyers
LAW SCHOOL Tulane Law School
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AREA(S) OF PRACTICE Personal injury, product liability, trucking and aviation accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability
He carries himself with the experience of a lawyer who is far more seasoned.
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A ndrew Mason, a plaintiff’s attorney, has earned the repu- tation of being a fierce, devoted and detail-oriented ad- vocate for his clients who has achieved plenty of outstanding results in his still-young career. He has helped secure a $30.5 million settlement in a con- struction matter, an $11.5 million settlement in a grain elevator explosion, a $9.2 million settlement in a medical malpractice and product liability case, a $10 million settlement in a spinal injury case and a $7.375 million medical malpractice settlement. Mason also represented multiple plaintiffs in the Sterigenics Ethylene Oxide litigation. Those who have followed Andrew’s career are not surprised by his results. Arnd Von Waldo, a partner at Reed Smith, said that, “Andrew knew the documents and technical aspects of the case inside out. He knew the facts of the case and the law so he knew exact- ly where to go and what questions to ask to establish liability. He did exactly what he had to do to find the evidence to prove his case, in the face of a vigorous defense.” Dominic LoVerde, founder of Chicago's LoVerde Law said, "I have observed his dogged work ethic and ability to navigate complex legal and factual issues with tact. He carries himself with the experience of a lawyer who is far more seasoned, and is cerebral and thoughtful on his cases."
As an example of Mason's deep digging and attention to de- tail, he worked on a lawsuit against the city of Chicago involving a bicycle accident case that settled for $9.5 million. The plaintiff suffered a traumatic brain injury after his bicycle tire became stuck in a streetcar rail from the 1893 World’s Columbian Expo- sition in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The city claimed that it did not own those tracks. But the plaintiff was able to defeat that claim after Mason went down to the University of Chicago Archives and discovered a picture from the 1950’s showing a City of Chicago streetcar on the tracks. Mason also played a major role in successfully barring the city’s only liability expert from testifying at trial. Sean Houlihan, partner with Chicago's Power Rogers, said that few lawyers are as well-prepared for cases as Mason. "I was able to see Andrew's skills at legal research and his ex- ceptional writing ability," Houlihan said. "Andrew was always able to point out the main issues in a case and thoroughly research those issues to create a salient argument. In the years that I've known Andrew, he has developed into a fantastic attorney with research and writing skills that are second to none." Outside the courtroom, Mason has been an adjunct pro- fessor at Chicago-Kent College of Law since 2017, and he is an active member of the American Association for Justice, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the Chicago Bar Association.
40 Under Forty 2025
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CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN
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