Corboy & Demetrio Attorney William Gibbs Honored in "40 Under Forty"

October 2009

Corboy & Demetrio, the nationally renowned Chicago personal injury law firm, is pleased to announce that attorney William Gibbs has been named one of the 2009 "40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch" by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, publishers of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer magazine.

The Selection Committee for this year’s list received over 1000 nominations from around the world. The Committee looked for young lawyers who were intelligent, passionate, and hard working, and had scores of successful verdicts, a desire to help the community and a willingness to work hard at their profession. Adam Hrejsa, Chair of the Committee, said that the lawyers selected are "attorneys that clients would feel fortunate to have handling their legal matters."

"Bill is very deserving of this honor," said Thomas Demetrio, named partner at Corboy & Demetrio. "He is hard working, dedicated and passionate about his work and as a result, has been quite successful in securing excellent settlements and verdicts for his clients But he is also very dedicated to the community and his family. We are proud of him and all he has accomplished."

At the Corboy & Demetrio law firm, Bill concentrates his practice on cases arising from aviation negligence, automobile collisions, construction negligence, medical negligence, premises liability, product liability, and railroad negligence. He has obtained several record-setting and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. Recently, with Demetrio and partner Daniel Kotin, he helped obtain a $29.6 million verdict on behalf of a woman who was seriously injured in the derailment of a Metra train. The verdict is the largest in Illinois for an individual injured in a mass transit crash. In a Federal District Court case, he obtained a $6.6 million verdict for a family injured in an automobile collision. It was the largest verdict ever in that Court.

He is a member of numerous legal organizations including the American Association for Justice, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association and the Notre Dame Law Association. Bill recently authored an article, "A Quick Guide to the Illinois Dead Man’s Act," which was published in the Illinois Bar Journal, a publication of the Illinois State Bar Association. In January, 2009, he was designated an Illinois Super Lawyer, Rising Star.

Active in many community organizations, Bill is co-chair of "St. Clement Dads," a group that volunteers throughout the community and provides activities for parents and their children. Through the St. Clement Legal Aid Clinic, Our Lady of Mercy Legal Clinic and Mercy Home for Boys and Girls. he provides pro bono legal assistance to individuals who are unable to afford private counsel.

Bill received his law degree from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law, his M.A. from the University of Portland, and his B.A., from Notre Dame University. He was a high school computer science teacher and varsity football, basketball, and baseball coach prior to his legal career.

About Corboy & Demetrio

Corboy & Demetrio is one of the nation’s premier law firms. It represents individuals and their families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases and is renowned for its achievements in the courtroom and for its contributions to the community. The rights and concerns of its clients are at the core of Corboy & Demetrio’s practice. That commitment, dedication, compassion and relentless drive has resulted in exceptional service and exceptional results for its clients. The firm has acquired more than $3 billion in settlements and verdicts and has attained almost 600 settlements and verdicts in excess of $1 million.

For further information, contact Mary Neville, Communications Director at 312.346.3191 or mjn@corboydemetrio.com.