Defense Attorney Achievement Awards
Margaret “Peg” E. Schneider Peg has conducted over 190 jury trials in Cook County, serving as first chair in over two thirds of those cases. Her work includes defending trip and fall cases, auto collisions, and police pursuit and misconduct cases, with many of those involving catastrophic injuries or death. “I knew as a child that I wanted to be a lawyer and I wanted to do trial work,” says Peg. Born and raised in Bismarck, North Dakota, she used to watch her father, Dennis A. Schneider (deceased) preside over various cases in his position as a state District Judge, handling everything from divorces to criminal matters in a thirteen county range. She received her B.A. in Political Science and Philoso- phy followed by her J.D. from Creighton University and returned to Bismarck to serve as a law clerk for Justice Mary Muehlen Maring (ret.) on the North Dakota Supreme Court. Her desire to explore the big city led her to Chicago, where she worked for the Office of the State Appellate Defender and soon moved to trial work as a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney. Moving to the defense side, she worked as in-house counsel for State Farm and Allstate, and joined the City of Chicago Department of Law Torts Division in 2007, where she happily remains.
The Torts Division of the City of Chicago Law Department defends the City and its employees in personal injury, prop- erty damage, and workers’ compensation claims. The types of cases handled by the division on behalf of its client departments and employees range from slip-and-fall accidents on City property to complex litigation arising from al- leged medical malpractice, police pursuits, roadway design defects, and wrongful demolition. Torts Division attorneys have an active motion practice and extensive trial experience.
Mark J. Smith Mark is a trial lawyer whose practice is concentrated in the defense of complex medical malpractice matters. He has over thirty years of experience represent- ing health care professionals and organizations. He has tried more than sixty cases to jury verdict. Mr. Smith is a steadfast advocate for physicians, hospitals, nurses, and other health care professionals, aggressively and efficiently build - ing a defense and meeting the many professional and emotional needs of each individual client. Among all his clients, peers, and opposing counsel, Mr. Smith enjoys a reputa- tion for an aggressive, creative, and fair approach to every case. He never loses sight of the best interests of the people whom he represents or of the obligation to respect the rights of those who bring claims against them. That combination has been the secret to his success.
Mark obtained his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law and his B.S. from Purdue University. He is admitted to practice in Illinois and the Northern District Federal Court. He is a member of the Chicago Inn of Court, Illinois Society of Trial Lawyers, and American Board of Trial Lawyers. Smith Blake Hill, LLC, is a firm of trial lawyers specializing in the defense of health care systems, physicians, and al - lied providers against malpractice allegations involving complex fact patterns, catastrophic injuries, and significant financial exposure.
JURY VERDICT REPORTER • 2025 ANNUAL TRIAL LAWYER EXCELLENCE AWARDS 35
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