Our 2021 Rising Stars and Super Lawyers

Medal and wooden judge's gavel on top of award

We are proud to announce that we have many lawyers in-house that have been selected as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars this year! Up to 5% of lawyers in the state of Illinois can be named Super Lawyers and no more than 2.5% can be named Rising Stars.

Cooney & Conway 2021 Super Lawyers

  • Kevin Conway - A firm partner focused on mesothelioma, mass torts, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury cases.
  • John Cooney - A firm partner focused on mesothelioma, mass torts, complex personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, asbestos, transportation, and medical malpractice cases.
  • Robert Cooney Jr. - A firm partner focused on personal injury and wrongful death cases.
  • William Fahey - A firm partner focused on serious asbestos and mesothelioma cases.
  • Kathy Byrne - A firm trial attorney focused on asbestos and product liability cases.
  • Daniel Stanton - A firm trial attorney focused on mesothelioma, medical malpractice, legal malpractice, motor vehicle negligence, product liability, premises liability, construction site negligence, nursing home neglect and abuse, and wrongful death cases.

Cooney & Conway 2021 Rising Stars

  • Megan Monty - A firm trial attorney focused on serious personal injury, wrongful death, mesothelioma, and asbestos cases.
  • Judy Conway - A firm trial attorney focused on serious personal injury, wrongful death, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos cases.
  • Matt Adair - A firm trial attorney focused on asbestos, product liability, construction negligence, premises liability, and motor vehicle negligence cases.
  • Ryan Linsner - A firm trial attorney focused on serious personal injury, wrongful death, mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestos cases.

About the Selection Process

This selection process is very detailed. Here is a high-level summary of the steps involved:

  1. Nominations: For Rising Stars, while the selection process is the same, the lawyer must be 40 years old or younger, or have been in practice for 10 years or less to be eligible. Candidates for Rising Star and Super Lawyer are all formally nominated by a peer or are identified by the research department during the research process.

  2. Independent Research: The Super Lawyers' research department evaluates all lawyers in the candidate pool using 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. These indicators include verdicts/settlements, experience, honors/awards, position in the law firm, etc.

  3. Peer Evaluation: Also known as the "blue ribbon review," this step invites the candidates to review and rate each other by practice area.

  4. Final Selection: All candidates are grouped in firm-size categories and the highest point totals from each category are selected. This ensures that small firm lawyers are compared to other small firm lawyers, large firm lawyers are compared to large firm lawyers, and so on.

You can learn more about the selection process in-depth by checking out the Super Lawyers Selection Process.