Allen N. Schwartz

Al began as an associate in the firm of William D. Maddux & Associates from 1984. William D. Maddux became a Circuit Court Judge in Cook County in 1990 and Al became an owner of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, the successor firm to William D. Maddux & Associates at that time.

Al's personal highlights include successful jury verdicts in Marion County, Indiana, Cook County, DeKalb County, Will County, Winnebago County and McHenry County, Illinois. The verdicts in DeKalb County (1993) and McHenry County (2001) set records for the largest verdicts ever in those counties. The verdicts in Cook County, Will County (Joliet), Winnebago County (Rockford) and McHenry County (Woodstock) each exceeded one million dollars.

With respect to settlements, Al has numerous multi million dollar settlements in plaintiff personal injury cases in the fields of medical negligence, auto/truck litigation, worksite injury and general negligence.

Al lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with his wife of 35 years, Janet. Together they have three adult children: Charlie, Amanda and Olivia.

Bar Admissions
Illinois Supreme Court
United States District Court, Northern District
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar

Memberships & Associations
American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
American Association for Justice, Member
American Bar Association, Member
American Board of Trial Advocates, Member
Chicago Bar Association, Member
Illinois State Bar Association, Member
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member
Society of Trial Lawyers, Member

Education
J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law (with Honors), 1984
B.A., University of Illinois, 1981

Awards and Recognitions
Top Rated Medical Malpractice Attorney, Super Lawyers, 2006-Present
Illinois Super Lawyers Top 100, 2015-Present
Advisory Board Member, Leading Lawyers, Chosen top 5% of Illinois Lawyers
Top Attorneys in Illinois, Chicago Magazine
Leading Personal Injury Lawyers, Crain's Chicago Business
Martindale-Hubbell, Preeminent Award for High

Professional Achievement
Verdicts and Settlements
$2.4 billion, Member of lead counsel for group Actos mass tort settlement (patients diagnosed with bladder cancer)
$12.5 million, Estate of Michael Pleasance, deceased v. City of Chicago, Alvin Weems
$3.7 million, Estate of Precious Matthews, deceased minor v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (Record verdict for stillbirth in the State of Illinois)
$1.5 million, Deckert v. Pioneer (Record verdict in McHenry County)
$1.5 million,Estate of Delores Matsen, deceased v. Dr. Joseph Hindo
$1 million, Krystyna and Dale Winemiller v. Donald E. McCanse, M.D. and Rockford Clinic, Ltd.
$827,058, Estate of Fred Berkes v. Manakavalan J. Prabhaker
$720,000, Estate of Jack Markbank, deceased v. Silver Cross Hospital, Dr. Bassam Kawadry, Fischer Mangold
$500,000, Estate of Heather Evans v. James Cromer, M.D.
$265,000, Elsie Slevnik v. Gary Marcotte, D.O.

Craig P. Mannarino

Since joining Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz in 1997, Craig has consistently obtained significant jury verdicts and settlements for his clients in lawsuits involving medical malpractice, automobile negligence, pharmaceutical mass torts, and other catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. His record of success includes over $50 million in jury verdicts to date. He has obtained large jury verdicts for his clients in counties throughout northern Illinois. Additionally, Craig has obtained a number of sizable settlements throughout his career. In 2015, Craig was one of a small group of lawyers leading the consolidated Cook County, Illinois pharmaceutical litigation involving the diabetes drug Actos which resolved for $2.4 billion, one of the largest pharmaceutical settlements ever.

In recognition of his long-standing record of success, Craig has earned a number of honors from various local and national peer-organizations. In 2016, Craig was accepted as a Fellow into the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Membership in the Academy is limited to 500 U.S. trial lawyers. The standards for admission are high and include outstanding skills and extensive experience as a trial lawyer as well as unimpeachable personal and professional character. In 2014, Craig was selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor bestowed upon only those who have shown dedication to the welfare of the community and the highest principles of the legal profession. In 2010, Craig was elected to membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Membership in ABOTA is by invitation only. Prospective members must have substantial civil trial experience and must demonstrate the virtues of civility, integrity, and professionalism. There are currently only 110 ABOTA members in the state of Illinois.

Additionally, since 2012 Craig has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer and he has been listed as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of Illinois by the National Trial Lawyers Association every year since 2009. He has been identified as an Illinois Leading Lawyer. In 2008, Craig was named one of the Top 40 Illinois Lawyers Under 40 by Law Bulletin Publishing, Inc., the publisher of Chicago Lawyer and Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.

In 2013, Craig was one of only five trial lawyers featured in an article in Crain's Chicago Business discussing Rising Stars in Chicago's Personal Injury Bar.

For the past several years, Craig has been an elected member of the Board of Managers of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Bar Admissions
Illinois Supreme Court
United States District Court, Northern District
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar

Memberships & Associations
American Association For Justice, Member
Chicago Bar Association, Member
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Managers, Member
American Bar Association, Member
Illinois State Bar Association, Member
DePaul Law Review, Member

Education
J.D., DePaul University College of Law (summa cum laude), 1996
B.A., Wesleyan University, 1991

Awards and Recognition
International Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2016-Present
Illinois Leading Lawyers, 2016-Present
American Bar Foundation, 2014-Present
Super Lawyers, 2012-Present
Top 100 Trial Lawyers (National Trial Lawyers Association), 2009-Present
American Board of Trial Advocates, 2010-Present
Top 40 Under 40 (Law Bulletin Publishing), 2008

Verdicts & Settlements
$12,500,000, Estate of Michael Pleasance v. City of Chicago and Alvin Weems
$10 million, Child left brain damaged by air embolism
$9 million, Worker catastrophically injured in an industrial accident
$8,587,598, Herman Calloway, Jr. v. Bovis Lend Lease, Inc.
$8,070,000, Daniela Vlahovic v. Catherine Baker, M.D.
$8 million, Child suffering cerebral palsy due to delay in delivery
$7.5 million, Child suffering cerebral palsy due to delay in delivery
$5.1 million, Woman suffering catastrophic injuries following an automobile accident
$4,830,000, Estate of Janice Suera v. Floyd Heller, M.D.
$4 million, Death of a child whose mother was exposed to harmful medications during pregnancy
$4 million, Clergy sexual abuse
$3.4 million, Stillborn infant who died during labor and delivery
$3,249,822, Dawn Kostal v. Pinkus Dermatopathology Laboratory
$3 million, Wrongful death of woman who received improper dialysis medications
$3 million, Death of a young woman from untreated thyroid disease
$2.75 million, Below the knee amputation following knee replacement surgery
$2.7 million, Failure to timely diagnose breast cancer
$2.65 million, Young woman who suffered foot drop following surgical treatment of scoliosis
$2.6 million, Wrongful death of woman following cardiac catheterization
$2.45 million, Death of a child following tracheoesophageal fistula surgery
$2.4 million, Leg amputation following improper treatment of compartment syndrome

Michael S. Shinsky

Michael Shinsky's serious approach coupled with his extensive trial experience has provided him with the necessary tools to represent his clients with excellent results. After obtaining his law degree with honors in 2001, Michael served as a prosecutor with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office where he rapidly ascended the ranks, prosecuting cases on behalf of children who were abused and neglected.

In 2004, Michael joined the law firm of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz where he utilizes those trial skills in pursuit of justice for injured individuals and their families in the civil arena.

Currently, Michael focuses his practice on representing and protecting the legal rights of those who have suffered serious, life-altering personal injuries caused by the negligence of others, and seeking justice for the families of those victims who have lost their lives due to negligence. Michael's practice focuses on automobile accidents, premises liability, sexual assaults, medical malpractice, wrongful death and nursing home litigation.

Michael has successfully tried several civil jury trials to verdict and has argued in the First District Appellate Courts of Illinois. Michael has been publicly recognized on numerous occasions for the quality of his work and professional successes. In 2001, Michael was the recipient of the Justice Warren Wolfson Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. Michael was also recognized as one of Illinois' "40 Under 40 Lawyers to Watch", an honor achieved by less than 1% of all Illinois lawyers.

Bar Admissions
Illinois and U.S. District
Northern District of Illinois
Memberships & Associations
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member
Chicago Bar Association, Member

Education
J.D., Chicago Kent College of Law
Senior Member of the ATLA Trial Team, 2000-2001
Served as a Judge and Instructor for Trial Advocacy Competitions and Courses

Awards and Recognition
Recognized as one of Illinois' "40 Under 40 Lawyers to Watch"
Recipient of the Warren D. Wolfson Award for Best Trial Advocate, 2001
Recipient of CALI Award in Trial Advocacy

Verdicts & Settlements
$6 million, Medical malpractice birth injury case
$2.7 million, Personal injury resulting in a back injury
$2 million, Medical malpractice birth injury case
$2 million, Personal injury resulting in a traumatic brain injury
$1.5 million, Porch collapse case resulting in back injuries
$800,000, Automobile accident resulting in a mild traumatic brain injury

Amanda L. Brasfield

Amanda is one of the firm's most experienced trial attorneys. From medical malpractice to construction accident negligence, Amanda has obtained a number of multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts.

Amanda has worked on dozens of complicated medical malpractice cases involving birth injuries, cerebral palsy, surgical mishaps, delayed diagnosis of cancer, and missed diagnosis of conditions such as heart attack, stroke, infection, sepsis, hemorrhage, meningitis, abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm (AAA and TAA), and shock. From depositions through trial, Amanda works tirelessly to uncover what proper medical practices were not followed and what steps could have been taken to prevent injuries and deaths related to medical care. In each of her medical malpractice cases, Amanda works with dedication and tenacity to achieve justice for those who have been harmed by the medical providers in which they placed their trust.

In addition to her experience with medical malpractice cases, Amanda has worked on a number of complex personal injury actions involving construction site negligence, trench collapse, elevator/lift collapse, trucking accidents, auto accidents, childhood sex abuse, police misconduct and police shootings. Amanda works tirelessly to investigate and litigate her personal injury cases.

Amanda understands what it takes to bring complicated cases to trial. While she was taking night classes at Loyola University School of Law, Amanda worked full-time as a paralegal/law clerk at KJS. As a paralegal/law clerk, Amanda assisted in all aspects of preparing medical malpractice and complex personal injury cases for trial. Even prior to beginning her career as an attorney, Amanda worked on more than a dozen medical malpractice trials and a handful of complex personal injury trials, including a fatal shooting by a Chicago Police Officer which resulted in a $12.5 million dollar verdict.

As an attorney at KJS, Amanda has worked on hundreds of cases and has obtained tens of millions of dollars for her clients. Amanda is widely respected for her success at securing just compensation for her clients.

Amanda is active in local and national bar associations and has authored an annual chapter in the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook for six years.

In both 2015 and 2016, Amanda was named as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers. This distinction is reserved for attorneys who have shown outstanding aptitude for the practice of law at an early stage of their career. This honor is bestowed on less than 2% of all attorneys licensed in Illinois. In addition, Amanda was designated a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, another honor reserved for less than 2.5% of attorneys.

Bar Admissions
Illinois, 2010

Memberships & Associations
American Association for Justice, Member
American Bar Association, Member
Chicago Bar Association, Member
Illinois State Bar Association, Member
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member
Women's Bar Association of Illinois, Member
Women's Trial Lawyer Caucus, Member

Education
J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2010
B.A., University of Illinois, 2006

Awards and Recognition
Elite Lawyer, 2018-Present
Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2017-2020
Leading Lawyers, Emerging Lawyers, 2015-2016

Verdicts & Settlements
$10 million, Infant injured by air embolism
$8,587,598, Herman Calloway, Jr. v. Bovis Lend Lease, Inc. (Cook County)
$4 million, The death of a toddler who was injured in-utero and later died
$3.4 million, The death of a baby who was injured in-utero and later died
$3,249,822, Dawn Kostal v. Darius Mehregan, M.D. and Pinkus Dermatopathology Laboratory, P.C. (Cook County)
$3 million, The death of a woman from untreated valve disease and hypothyroidism
$2.75 million, A below the knee amputation following knee replacement surgery
$2.65 million, A girl who suffered temporary paralysis and a permanent drop-foot following scoliosis surgery
$2.45 million, The family of a baby who died following routine surgery because of misplaced sutures in the baby's aorta
$2.4 million, A woman whose leg was amputated following a delay in diagnosing compartment syndrome
$2,350,000, James Smola v. Jeffrey Sheedy, D.O. (Cook County)
$1.93 million, Death of man from untreated AAA
$1,750,000, Shirley Larson v. Richard Miller, M.D. and Miller Eye Center (Winnebago County)
$1.7 million, The death of a woman from arterial dissection during an elective cardiac catheterization
$1.5 million, The death of a man in Dekalb County from a misdiagnosed heart attack, $1.5 million
$1.27 million, Death of man struck by truck
$1.25 million, The family of a woman who died of internal bleeding while 8 months pregnant
$1.1 million, The death of a woman who bled to death following removal of a surgical drain
$1,000,000, Estate of Joan Mossberger v. Midwest Respiratory, Ltd. (Will County)
$800,000, Mechanic crushed by truck

Jeffrey C. Schwartz

Jeffrey Schwartz has worked at Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz since 2006, first as a law clerk and currently as an associate attorney. Jeff's practice is dedicated to representing victims in medical malpractice, automobile negligence, and premises liability litigation. He has obtained outstanding results in counties throughout the state of Illinois, resulting in millions of dollars recovered on behalf of his clients. His trial experience includes cases involving medical malpractice, automobile collisions and declaratory judgment regarding the applicability of insurance coverage. Additionally, Jeff has successfully briefed and argued a case before the Illinois Appellate Court. As a result of his achievements, Jeff has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star, a recognition given to the top 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois under the age of 40.

Jeffrey grew up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and received his B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University and his J.D. from John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

Bar Admissions
Illinois, 2010
Bar Admissions
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2012

Memberships & Associations
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Member
Illinois State Bar Association, Member
Chicago Bar Association, Member
American Association for Justice, Member

Education
J.D., John Marshall Law School, 2010
B.A., Illinois Wesleyan University, 2006

Awards and Recognitions
Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2016 - Present

Verdicts and Settlements
$1.4 million, Failure to diagnose neonatal pneumonia resulting in the death of an infant
$1.3 million, Surgical malpractice case resulting in the death of an infant
$946,000, Scheidt v. Sharma, Will County, 14 L 205 (Surgical Malpractice Case)
$600,000, A victim of sexual abuse
$325,000, A woman who suffered soft tissue injuries in a rear-end trucking collision
$325,000, A pedestrian who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after being struck by a bus
$310,000, A woman who suffered a broken hip after tripping on loose carpet
$131,000, Maxwell v. Miskowiec, LaSalle County, 13 L 100 (Auto Collision resulting in soft tissue neck injury)
$109,000, Reis v. Pope, Cook County, 09 L 5425 (Auto Collision causing aggravation of a pre-existing wrist fracture)
$86,000, Flechsig v. Smith, Cook County, 11 L 13411 (Defendant opened a car door into a bicyclist traveling on Western Avenue)
$60,000, Solovastru v. Boyko, Cook County, 13 L 551 (Rear-end collision causing soft tissue injuries to the lumbar spine)
$51,000, Pelletier v. Fialkowski, DuPage County, 13 L 988 (Rear-end collision causing soft tissue injuries to the lumbar spine)
$26,000, Wang v. Ostrow, Cook County, 10 L 11198 (Pedestrian injured while crossing Sheridan Road in Evanston)