40 Under Forty 2024

LARA LICKHALTER

AGE 39

FIRM Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LAW SCHOOL Loyola University Chicago School of Law

AREA(S) OF PRACTICE Transportation law

2024 ILLINOIS ATTORNEYS TO WATCH

L ara Lickhalter has never been afraid of the fight that comes with litigating a case. If litigation is the right move for her clients? Lickhalter is always prepared to represent her clients zealously in front of a jury. At only 39, Lickhal- ter already has 13 years of experience defending the trans- portation industry. And because she routinely earns winning settlements and verdicts, she has already developed a steady stream of satisfied clients. "Lara has been a uniquely passionate advocate for her cli- ents," said attorney John Travis with Chicago's Hall Prangle & Schoonveld. "The moment she is assigned a file, she digs into the investigation and develops a strategy for the litigation. She prepares her case and witnesses with a long view toward how to resolve the case, whether by motion, settlement or trial." Robert Walsh of Clifford Law Offices recounted a complex trucking case they shared for several years, stating, “throughout the case, it became clear that Lara is one of the hardest working attorneys that I have come across. It has since become a run- ning joke that no matter the day or hour, Lara is on the clock and working to advocate for her clients.” Chicago attorney Robert Golden said that Lickhalter is one of the few attorneys he knows who truly enjoys "getting into the weeds" of cases, burying herself in mountains of documents in her quest to find that often-elusive but critical piece of evi- dence that can help turn a case. He points to a recent positive settlement that Lickhalter earned largely because of finding that

One of the hardest working attorneys that I have come across. ”

"single sheet of paper" located in tens of thousands of pages of medical records. "We saw that Lara had a fire, a thirst to learn her craft and an uncommon desire to excel among her peers," Golden said. " I have yet to find an associate in whom I could place my trust the way I did with her." Elaine Stoll with the Cincinnati office of law firm Porter Ren- nie Woodard Kendall, LLP first worked with Lickhalter when the pair represented co-defendants in litigation involving a multi- truck collision resulting catastrophic personal injury and an in- terlocutory appeal. Stoll said that Lickhalter's command of the applicable tort and regulatory law, attention to detail, commit- ted representation of her client and unwavering professionalism stood out throughout the case. Recent examples of Lickhalter's success include two defense verdicts in professional liability matters, a verdict in a transpor- tation matter of admitted liability and damages that resulted in half of plaintiff’s stated demand, and a verdict in another trans- portation matter assessing 42% comparative fault to a plaintiff who claimed no liability should be apportioned to him.

40 Under Forty 2024

47

CHICAGO LAWYER & CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN

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