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Kevin Burke has long been recognized for the extraordinary results he has achieved for his clients, including a recent listing in Chicago Lawyer magazine's annual settlement survey as the highest-ranking attorney in Illinois. In February 2008, Chicago Magazine published its annual Super Lawyers ratings naming Kevin a "Super Lawyer" for the fourth year in a row. Also in 2008, Chicago Magazine placed Kevin among the top 10 "Super Lawyers" in Illinois describing him as "one of the pre-eminent medical malpractice attorney's in Illinois." In September 2007, Crain’s Chicago Business listed Kevin as a power player (“Focus: Who’s Who; Chicago’s Power Players,” Sepember 3, 2007). In April 2006, Leading Lawyers Network Magazine ranked Kevin Burke sixth of all lawyers in Illinois in all areas of law. Chicago Magazine and Law & Politics also selected Kevin as one of Illinois' Top Ten Lawyers.
In 2004 Crain's Chicago Business recognized Kevin's remarkable settlement record, noting that Burke had 4 of the top 20 settlements in Illinois (Arkebauer v. Lojeski, et al.: $35 million; Campbell v. Rush-Prudential HMO Inc., et al.: $32 million; Duvall v. Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Corp.: $15 million; and Hashmi v. Swedish Covenant Hospital Et. al.: $4 million).
Burke's trial results are equally impressive and include several record setting verdicts. In November, 2005 Burke won a $2.5 million verdict for the family of a Chicago cabdriver who was struck and killed on the Kennedy Expressway. In October, 2004, he won a record $32 million verdict for a boy severely injured at birth Campbell v. St. Francis Hospital. Further, in October, 2003, he won a $19.4 million verdict for a woman who had a stroke, developed a flesh-eating infection and lost fingers and toes following complications from outpatient surgery Phillips v. Evanston Saleh, et al. In April of 2003, he obtained a $3.2 million jury vedict for the family of a 69-year-old mother of four who was struck and killed by a Wilmette School District van Lecat v. Wilmette School District No. 39. This is the highest known verdict for a wrongful death case involving a person over the age of 65 in Cook County. Further, in December 2002, he achieved a $20 million verdict for the family of a boy born severely brain damaged as a result of medical malpractice at birth Townsend v. Little Company of Mary Hospital.
In the last 15 years, Burke has secured 68 verdicts and settlements of more than one million dollars each, for a total of over $409 million.
Notable settlements and verdicts include:
• A $10.2 million settlement for a man whose misdiagnosed heart infection led to a debilitating stroke. Luera v. Northwestern Memorial Hospital
• A $5.5 million settlement for a boy who suffered severe brain damage due to complications during his delivery. Liberato v. Westlake Community Hospital
• A $15 million settlement for a boy who sustained brain damage
at the time of his birth. Duvall
v. Evanston Hospital
• A $12 million settlement for a boy who suffered brain damage
when the defendant failed to diagnose and treat bacterial meningitis.
Speck v. Children's Memorial
Hospital
• A $6 million settlement for a girl who suffered brain damage
as a result of medical negligence at birth. Domahidi
v. Swedish Covenant Hospital
• A $6 million settlement for a woman who sustained injuries in
a surgical room fire. Osberger
v. The University of Chicago Hospitals, et al.
• A $16.5 million verdict for the family of a child who suffered
brain damage at birth. Bellino
v. Raju
• A $10 million verdict for a 28 year-old man who was left a quadriplegic
in a medical negligence case in 1996. This was the largest jury verdict
in Cook County at that time. Daubach
v. Lutheran General
• A $7.9 million verdict for an 8 year-old boy who was rendered
blind due to the negligence of his pediatrician. Carroll
v. Barrows
• A $7.1 million verdict for a brain damaged boy as a result of
medical malpractice at birth. Brown v. Luedtke
• A $7 million settlement for the family of a woman who died after
a missed diagnosis of cervical cancer. O'Kane v. Olympia
Fields
Kevin was also one of the first attorneys to successfully represent a family in a wrongful death case against a tire manufacturer. The case settled for over $12 million and was the subject of a national-award winning investigative series in the Chicago Sun-Times.
In addition to his courtroom successes, Kevin strives to educate others in the field of medical negligence and trial techniques. Kevin has lectured extensively on the subject of trial techniques. His lectures include “Communication in the Courtroom,” Northern Illinois University School of Law, May, 1993; “Blueprint for Building a Successful Medical Malpractice Case,” Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association, April, 1994; “Obtaining and Preserving Quality Plaintiff’s Experts and Opinions,” December, 1995; “A Plaintiff’s Attorney Looks at Medical Errors,” October, 2000; Illinois Hospital & Health Systems Association Annual Meeting, “Closing Argument,” October, 2001; ATLA Seminar, “Life in the Courtroom, Proving Your Case, and Preparations for Trial – the Medicine,” October, 2001; “Closing the Circle: The Summation,” ATLA Seminar – Medical Negligence: Litigation Tactics of ATLA All Stars, April, 2002.
Kevin has also published several articles including “Closing Argument: The Lawyer’s Crowning Achievement,” Trial, Vol. 34, No. 4, p. 70 (1998); “My Scariest Moment in Court,” Trial, Vol. 35, No. 2, p. 72 (1999); and “Defeating the Eight-Hour Rule in Anesthesia Cases,” Trial, Vol. 36, No. 5, p. 48 (2000).
Mr. Burke received his law degree from Chicago Kent College of Law in 1979. He then served as a law clerk to Justice Francis S. Lorenz of the Illinois Appellate Court. From 1982 to 1990, Kevin was a trial attorney for an insurance defense firm in Chicago. His practice there concentrated on the defense of medical negligence cases and product liability actions.
Kevin’s main areas of practice include medical malpractice, automobile liability and product liability.
Education:
Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D. - 1979
Marquette University, B.A. - 1976
Admitted:
Illinois - 1979
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois - 1979
7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals - 1980
Professional Affiliations:
Illinois Bar Association (ISBA)
Chicago Bar Association (CBA)
American Bar Association (ABA)
Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA)
Lecturer:
• (AAJ) Seminar - Weekend of the Stars - "Closing Arguments" - New York, New York, December, 2008
• Kansas City Trial Lawyers Association - CLE Program - "The First Witness in a Medical Malpractice Case" - December 6, 2008
• Chicago Bar Association - Trial Techniques- "Issues in Jury Selection - What Counsel Needs to Know" - September, 2008
• Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Chicago, Illinois - Fact Discovery - Medical Malpractice - May, 2006
• ATLA Seminar - Birth Trauma Litigation - Litigating Catastrophically Injured Infant Cases - February, 2006
• ATLA Seminar - 19th Annual Weekend With The Stars -Trial by Jury Under Attack: Skills, Strategies and Survival Tactics - December, 2005
• American Conference Institute - Creating and Maintaining Charting and Documentation Procedures That Will Keep You Out of Court - April, 2005
• ATLA Seminar - National College of Advocacy - Litigating Catastrophically Injured Infant Cases - February, 2005
• ITLA Seminar - Medical Malpractice -Damages: How To Achieve Your True Potential - December, 2004
• American Conference Institute - Reducing The Risk of Obstetric Malpractice - Liability Arising Out of Genetic Testing: Wrongful Birth, Wrongful Conception and Wrongful Life Actions -October, 2004
• ATLA Seminar - Medical Negligence - The Missed Diagnosis,
Surgery and Trial Techniques - Demonstration of a Closing Argument in
a Medical Negligence Case - June, 2004
• ATLA Seminar - Medical Negligence - Failure to Diagnose Ruptured
Aneurysms in the Emergency Department - April, 2003
• ATLA Seminar - Medical Negligence: Litigation Tactics of ATLA
All Stars Closing the Circle: The Summation - April, 2002
• ATLA Seminar - Medical Negligence: Life in the Courtroom, Proving
Your Case, and Preparations for Trial - the Medicine - Closing Arguments
- October, 2001
• VHA Partnership Symposium 2001: Patient Safety - Stories of
Success - Panelist dealing with issues regarding healthcare organizations
accountability - October, 2001
• Illinois Hospital & Health Systems Association Annual Meeting
- A Plaintiff’s Attorney Looks at Medical Errors - October, 2000
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association - Setting the Standard: Use
of Fetal Heart Tracings, Biophysical Profiles, Non-Stress Tests - December,
1999
• American Trial Lawyers Association - Trial Strategy in Medical
Negligence Cases - October, 1999
• Chicago Area Radiation Therapists - Legalities Surrounding Health
- April, 1999
• Chicago Bar Association - Civil Practice and Procedure: Effective
Use of Experts - January, 1999
• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association - Medical Malpractice - Under
The Microscope - The Anatomy of a Malpractice Seminar - Cross Examination
of the Defense Nursing Expert, December, 1998
• Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association - Winning With The Masters
Seminar - Proving Damages in the Catastrophically Injured Case - December,
1997
• ITLA Seminar - Damages: Opinion & Lay Witnesses - December,
1997
• Loyola University Chicago Health System Seminar - Current Legal
Issues in Nursing Practice - November, 1997
• Illinois State Society of Radiologic Technologists - The Changing
Environment in the Field of Medical Negligence - October, 1997
• CBA Young Lawyers Section Seminar - Deposing Defendant Physicians
in Medical Malpractice Cases - December, 1996
• ISBA - Tort Section Counsel Continuing Education Seminar - Trial
Techniques - Getting a Case Ready; Getting a Verdict - November, 1996
• ITLA Seminar - Trial Techniques - October, 1996
• American Law Institute - ABA Seminar - Litigating Medical Malpractice
Claims - October, 1996
• ITLA Seminar - Obtaining and Preserving Quality Plaintiff's
Experts and Opinions - December, 1995
• Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association Seminar - Direct Examination
- September, 1995
• CBA Trial Advocacy Course - Cross-Examination Skills and Methods
- February, 1995
• ITLA Seminar - Blueprint for Building a Successful Medical Malpractice
Case - April, 1994
• ITLA Seminar - Legal Trends - Jury Instructions - September,
1993
• Northern Illinois University School of Law Seminar - Communication
in the Courtroom - May, 1993
• ABA Litigation Section Seminar - Direct Examination - December,
1992
• ITLA Seminar - Expert Witnesses - February, 1992
• CBA Young Lawyers Section Seminar - Successful Automobile Trials
- January, 1991
Publications:
• “A Quiet Call to Action,” Trial, Vol.
41, No. 4, p.45 (2005).
• “A New Remedy for a Life Cut Short,” Trial,
Vol. 40, No. 3, p.64 (2004).
• “Defeating the Eight-Hour Rule in Anesthesia Cases,”
Trial, Vol. 36, No. 5, p.48 (2000).
• “My Scariest Moment in Court,” Trial, Vol.
35, No. 2, p. 72 (1999).
• “A Closing Argument: The Lawyer’s Crowning Achievement,’
Trial, Vol. 34, No. 4, p. 70 (1998).
• "When the Rules Change," Association of Trial Lawyers
of America Symposium (October, 1998).
Radio Interviews:
• Guest Speaker, Sky Radio Interview
"Special Tribute to America's Best Lawyers", 1:00 CST. Broadcast on "Forbes Radio" Channel, American Airlines, January 13, 2005.
• Guest Speaker, WKKC Radio 89.3
Medical Malpractice Interview, November 23, 2004, 7:00 p.m.