Conor Heaton
Dudley & Lake
Personal injury

Results matter in plaintiff’s personal injury law. Conor Heaton, a personal injury specialist with Chicago’s Dudley & Lake, LLC, gets them.

Heaton, during his relatively short legal career, has earned a long string of impressive verdicts and settlements for his clients. He often wins these decisions while representing clients whose chances of victory initially look slim.

Consider a recent case. Heaton represented a plaintiff burdened only with $2,322 in medical expenses. Despite this, Heaton won a $254,000 verdict on this plaintiff’s behalf.

Such results are not unusual for Heaton, who has earned a reputation as one of the savviest personal injury attorneys working in the Chicago area.

“He has consistently been commended by his peers and, more notably, his adversaries for his ethics, professionalism and perspicacity beyond his years,” said Matthew Jenkins, from the Chicago law offices of Corboy & Demetrio.

Another example? Heaton worked a difficult medical malpractice case in 2014 that involved a claim against a physician who discharged a patient who later committed suicide. The jury ended up deadlocked, but voted 11-1 in favor of Heaton’s plaintiff. This plaintiff eventually collected $325,000 in a high- low agreement negotiated after closing arguments. Heaton also earned a settlement of $675,000 for his plaintiff.

This means that Heaton’s plaintiff earned a total award of $1 million in what his peers say was a challenging case.

“Connor has consistently demonstrated his understanding that preparation and a willingness to work hard are the keys to success,” said Louis Hilfman, with Chicago’s Hilfman & Head, P.C. “He has a true trial lawyer’s personality. He has consistently demonstrated his trial skills and ability in front of the jury.”

Heaton’s peers say that this plaintiff’s specialist has a winning presence in the courtroom. Heaton doesn’t bluster. He doesn’t show-off.And he doesn’t try to win his cases by intimidation.

Instead, Heaton relies on his hard work, superior arguments and in-depth knowledge of the law when in front of a jury, his peers say.

“He cares about his clients,” said Tanya Park, with the Chicago office of Cassiday Schade LLP. “He is the consummate professional,and is the rare plaintiff’s attorney who is reasonable, approachable, trustworthy and very pleasant to work with. He takes the time to develop relationships, which serves him well in individual cases and in the practice generally.”

When he’s not earning verdicts and settlements for his clients, Heaton is an active volunteer and coach in the Loyola University Chicago School of Law’s Philip H. Corboy Fellowship Program in Trial Advocacy. He also is the founder of The Howlett Cup, a mock trial competition between the Jesuit and Cristo Rey Catholic high schools in the Chicago area.This event takes place each spring in the Richard J. Daley Center. Each year, six sitting federal, Cook County and Lake County judges, as well as more than 35 practicing attorneys, volunteer their time to oversee and judge the high school students who compete in six trials over two days.