Thomas A. Demetrio Ranked First by IL Super Lawyers for Sixth Consecutive Year
Thomas A. Demetrio, co-founder of the Chicago law firm of Corboy & Demetrio, has been ranked first in the state by Illinois Super Lawyers for 2022. This is the sixth year in a row Thomas has earned the #1 overall ranking. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a research-driven, peer-influenced rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Only the top 5% of lawyers in the state qualify to be named a Super Lawyer.
“This phenomenal recognition is a reflection of the collective and tireless work of all our attorneys, day in and day out. I share this acknowledgment with the entire firm,” Demetrio said.
Thomas is one of 11 Corboy & Demetrio Partners who were selected to 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers, which includes: Philip Harnett Corboy, who was selected to Top 100; Michael K. Demetrio; Francis Patrick Murphy; Kenneth T. Lumb; Daniel S. Kirschner; Michelle M. Kohut; William T. Gibbs; Edward G. Willer; David R. Barry, Jr. (Of Counsel); and Susan J. Schwartz (Of Counsel). Associate Attorneys Michael D. Ditore, Britney R. Pennycook, and Andrew P. Stevens were selected to 2022 Illinois Rising Stars.
Thomas received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and law degree from IIT-Chicago Kent College of Law. One of his early milestones was acquiring the first 8-figure compensatory verdict in Illinois. He has acquired well over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements, including the largest verdict ever to be affirmed by the Illinois Supreme Court. All of his verdicts have been paid, and he has never lost an appeal.
Thomas has been included in Best Lawyers in America in every edition since 1987. He received the #1 ranking as the top aviation plaintiffs’ lawyer by Illinois Leading Lawyers in 2019. In 2014, The National Law Journal named Thomas to its inaugural “Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers and Pioneers,” and in 2019, the National Trial Lawyers named him to: “The Roundtable: America’s 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers.” In 2015, the prestigious Lawdragon, which has anointed Thomas “Dean of the Chicago Trial Bar,” selected him for “Legends of the Bar,” as one of only 50 lawyers nationwide who had been selected every year since its inception, for its 500 Leading Lawyers in America, joining a select group that includes U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. In 2021, Lawdragon published its 15th anniversary issue, featuring some of its legends, including Thomas, who it inducted into its Hall of Fame with 36 other highly distinguished honorees including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In 2015, Thomas received the Hellenic Bar Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2016, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association bestowed on Thomas its highest honor, the Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award. That same year, he received the Chicago Bar Association’s prestigious United States Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Award – from Justice Stevens himself.
For over 30 years, Thomas has been an elected Fellow of: The International Academy of Trial Lawyers (top 500 in the U.S.), American College of Trial Lawyers (top 1% in the U.S.), and the Inner Circle of Advocates (top 100 in the U.S.).
A leader of the bar, Thomas has served as President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the 22,000-member Chicago Bar Association. He is an internationally sought-after lecturer on trial techniques and advocacy skills and has authored more than 60 professional articles.
Thomas is on the Board of Advisors of IIT-Chicago Kent College of Law and previously served as its long-time Chairman. He has been President of its Alumni Association and has been honored by being named as one of its 125 Alumni of Distinction. He is a recipient of its Alumni Merit Award, Professional Achievement Award, and Distinguished Service Award.
Thomas currently serves on the boards of the Center for Disability & Elder Law and Big Shoulders-Archdiocese of Chicago. He has previously served on the boards of: Illinois Institute of Technology; St. Ignatius College Prep; Mundelein Seminar; Notre Dame Law School; Dispute Resolution Research Center of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University; and the Constitutional Rights Foundation Center.