Sabina Babel
Hall Prangle
Healthcare litigation, medical malpractice defense

It hasn’t taken long for Sabina Babel to craft a reputation as one of the top healthcare and medical malpractice defense attorneys in the Chicago area. She has already taken several cases to trial for her firm, Hall Prangle and Schoonveld.

And what’s most impressive are the results she’s achieved in a series of complex medical cases.

One nominator, Catherine Reiter with Chicago’s Hughes Socol Piers Resnick and Dym, cited a case involving the death of a newborn as a result of a congenital heart defect. The defense of the doctors required Babel to craft a detailed evaluation of the events documented in the hospital’s medical records and the treatment rendered.

Babel worked with her client to provide an in depth analysis of the chronology of events in a timely fashion before the deposition of the defendant pediatric cardiovascular surgeon began.

“My partner and I were very impressed,” Reiter said. “Sabina has demonstrated that she understands the strengths and weaknesses of a case far beyond her level of experience. Any health professional or hospital would be in good hands with Sabina as the defense lawyer.”

Diane Webster with the Chicago office of Hinshaw & Culbertson worked with Babel as co-defendants on a wrongful death action involving the alleged failure to diagnose a strangulated paraesophageal hernia. Webster said that she witnessed firsthand just how methodical Babel is when preparing for a case and how dedicated she is to her clients during the process.

“Sabina is smart, conscientious, and very assertive,” Webster said. “In the cases we have worked on together, she has been consistently hard-working and thorough.”

In the case referenced above, Sabina’s hard work paid off. Her client was voluntarily dismissed shortly after the start of the trial.

Babel’s peers say that this young attorney has a natural presence in the courtroom, and takes the time to fully study the medicine and pertinent medical procedures in the case. She is dedicated to researching the issues, and is known for her ability to draw together all the countless facts in a case.

“Sabina’s ability to connect with hospital defendants and witnesses is amazing,” said Shellie Karno, general counsel at Chicago’s Norwegian American Hospital. “She has a photographic memory. She knows exactly what the numerous witnesses and defendants documented in a patient’s medical record told her during prep, stated in a deposition, and testified at trial. She gains the complete confidence of her clients, witnesses, and defendants.”

In addition to her clients and peers, opposing counsel have the same respect for Babel and her lawyering abilities. Matt Williams of Salvi Schostok & Pritchard worked on a complicated medical negligence case in Cook County against Babel where she represented the defendant physician. Williams had this to say about Babel: “Sabina has grit. She is tough, but not unpleasant to work with. She is smart, hard-working, and maintains her focus on the issues that matter in litigation. She does not get off course. All litigation has its moments of contention, and she always effectively represented her clients’ interests in an honorable fashion.”

Another member of the plaintiff’s bar, who had a case against Babel, echoed Williams’ sentiments, noting that “Throughout the case Sabina was bright and well prepared.”

Outside of the office Babel still finds time to be an active supporter of local charity World Sports Chicago. The mission of this organization is to increase the access to and participation in sports for low- to moderate-income neighborhoods and underrepresented communities.