A look back at 2025
“One of the things that stands out to me about 2020 for Ankin Law was our ongoing commitment to technology. This was the first opportunity we had to build a team truly and that consisted of a technological consultant, a solutions architect, and a software developer. We were able to take this team and evaluate how we interact with technology in this office, and if we’re truly utilizing the tools properly and leveraging those tools. We conducted a full end-to-end process mapping evaluation, which consisted of truly whittling down how every employee interacts with every aspect of this business. So again, this ongoing utilization and leveraging of technology, I truly believe, is one of the things that stands out and separates Ankin Law from other offices, is it’s an ongoing commitment to not only provide our employees with the best tools in the business but give the best overall client experience.”
“I had a case where a young child, four years old at the time, was being dropped off at home on a school bus, and the actual bus that dropped him off ended up striking him. He had some extremely, extremely scary injuries in the beginning. Luckily for him, he had some very, very good medical treatment with some great doctors who ended up getting him back to basically normal. He has no residual complications, but he went through hell for three years to get to that point. We finally got his case to a point where we went to a mediation and got him a very, very good outcome. His settlement is going to be paid out over the next 30 years.”
“I think one of the things that was really gratifying for the year was getting to work with some of the younger attorneys here at Ankin Law. So much potential, so much drive, so much professionalism exhibited on a daily basis from some of the younger attorneys here, and it’s fun to be around them and be in that type of environment.
Also for me in 2025 getting the opportunity to work on some of the duo cases with some of the more experienced attorneys at Ankin Law was very rewarding. Some of the lawyers here I’ve worked with for many years and to be able to reconnect on some cases with higher potential trial value is something I enjoy.”
“I tried my 100th Workers’ Compensation trial, so I’m still going toe-to-toe with people even after 16 years. I think the fact that we’ve now expanded our department, had some attorneys come on, and we’ve really got a great group now moving forward, helping clients. I love the fact that we’re all chipping in and training up the new generation of lawyers. That’s going to keep this office running for years and years to come.”
“2025 was a great year and started out with a bang. I brought in a $2 million-plus case on a Legionnaire’s disease matter. We also successfully tried a COVID death case for a Cook County Sheriff that brought in over $800,000. I’m looking forward to another fast and furious 2026.”
“One thing to note that I’ve seen is the tremendous growth at Ankin Law over the past couple of years, especially this year, with some additions of new attorneys and support staff, to help us continue to grow and continue our success.”
Regarding cases, In a small county near Springfield, Illinois, my client was rear-ended on a rural road by a truck. She suffered significant injuries to her lower back and her hips, receiving extensive treatment for a couple of years and needing a hip replacement. Eventually, we went to mediation and settled the matter for $1.5 million.”
“In 2024, two cases stand out for me. Both involved a tough uphill legal battle but, in the end, produced results greater than expected for two clients who showed patience and perseverance. In one such case, our client sustained a severe fracture from a slip on ice. With the cards stacked against us in a case involving ice at a HUD complex, we achieved an unparalleled result, providing life-changing compensation for a mother of two living independently. Crucial to the case was our theory that the ice resulted from a downspout emptying water directly onto the walkway; however, even more important was a video taken by our client of the exact ice slick that caused this devasting injury. Her resilience in capturing that video while on the ground in excruciating pain was the key to bridging the gap between a good and a fantastic result. In another case, after a long court battle, we obtained a settlement against a public carrier of 12 times the initial offer for a young woman who endured a life-altering back surgery. The defense argued that the impact was slight in bumper-to-bumper traffic and unnecessary surgery. Our client’s resolve and trust in our office and the process ultimately led to a strong settlement. The client and I fought for justice and got it.”
“A woman went to the emergency room of a Chicago-area hospital with all signs of chest pain and heart failure – and they ended up sending her home. Unfortunately, she had a condition that needed to be addressed in the hospital immediately, and she passed away the next day. Her husband and children were devastated. We litigated that case; it was a hard-fought case, but we ultimately got a successful settlement. I’m very proud of the resolution of that for the family.”
“My highlight for 2025 was the continued growth and development within our law firm, as well as my first year as a partner here at the Ankin Law Office. Helping to develop the firm itself as well as expand our areas of practice, including medical malpractice. I’m working alongside Jeff Schulkin and continuing to grow the department.”
“My highlights from 2025 include over 15 cases mediated, successfully settling all of them and getting amazing results for our clients. All of these cases involved a lot of heavy litigation work, numerous depositions, responding to a motion for summary judgment and advocating on behalf of our clients in court. Ultimately, it led to the cases going into mediation to get successful results for these cases, making a difference in our client’s lives. That was very meaningful to me.”
“I handled a duo case – workers’ compensation and personal injury case – for an apartment building worker hurt on the job due to someone else’s negligence. I handled the personal injury side. The day of trial, the other side finally settled. But to get there, we had to hold the landowner and the property management company’s feet to the fire every step of the way. During litigation, one of the things that we ask for is documentation, and they wouldn’t produce documents. So, I was in court with this case more often than I normally am. It was a great result for the client. He’s super happy, and I’m happy, and I’m so glad Ankin Law was there.”
“A gentleman had been having his case disputed for about eight years. We’re finally able to get the case tried, and the arbitrator agreed that the injuries were related to his work accident, including his two surgeries. Additionally, we were able to get large settlements for people who suffered major injuries. All in all,
I was very happy with how 2025 turned out.”
“Not really one highlight. They come from helping the people in the intake department figure out if something is a case or discussing the merits or the liability issues involved. Also, a couple of times, I’m able to speak to clients who are usually, for whatever reasons, older than myself, and have questions, concerns, are somewhat upset, not because of anything we’ve done, but because they just don’t understand. It’s a specialty I’ve gained over the years of dealing with clients like this. I always like talking to them. Taking the time – 20 minutes, 30 minutes, however long it takes – and in the end they generally understand, appreciate it. That’s always a highlight of what I do.”
“One of the things that brings me satisfaction is when the client is satisfied. I’ve had a number of clients refer people back to the office, and that’s probably the best compliment that we can get here. That that never gets old for me.
A big trial victory we had on a very disputed case in which we got him a fair value on his case. The insurance company made a last-ditch effort to settle the case, and we ended up getting about three times what their final offer was. So that was a big win.”
“I got brought on to a trial that occurred this summer at Ankin Law where one of the partners had worked up this case for a number of years to get it to the trial stage. The defendant’s insurance company had offered a paltry sum of about $38,000 where our client had several hundred thousand dollars in medical bills, multiple surgeries and significant permanent injuries. We ended up getting a jury verdict of $1.26 million. With prejudgment interest, it ended up making it about a $1.5 million verdict for our client, which significantly enhances his quality of life.”
“What I like in particular about SSDI practice and I’ve always really enjoyed is you really get to see the tangible impact that you have on the lives of people – and a lot of people because of the number of cases that you are typically handling.”
“One highlight for sure is just getting to know all of the clients. I’ve been here now for a couple of months, but with all the cases that were already here, of course I wanted to make sure to do my best to reach out, talk to people, especially as issues came up in their cases. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of new people quickly, and that’s always a really enjoyable part of the job is getting to know the actually people behind the case.”
“It’s a privilege when I get to spend time with my clients and get to ultimately meet my clients. Whenever I do this it reminds me why I do this job. To be able to give them something tangible in the form of a settlement check at the end of the process is very rewarding. I get to see their faces light up and thank me for all I did for them to achieve whatever settlement I got for them. It also gives me an opportunity to thank them for putting their trust in me and Ankin Law.
“A trial against the IWBF – the Injured Worker Benefit Fund stands out for me in 2025.
In this case, my client, 20 at the time, was mowing a lawn and he got his leg stuck in the mower. His foot was completely degloved, his bones were shattered and even removed. He went through several years of treatment with no pay because, unfortunately, his employer did not have workers’ compensation insurance. It was a very long trial, we had a lot of medical records to sift through but we won – back pay, payment for medical bills, as well as permanency for his injury.”
This is my second year in law – there’s still so much to learn, but I definitely come into myself more. I have hundreds of cases that I’ve worked on now, and all of that’s been very, very helpful. I’d just like to express my gratitude to Howard and Ankin Law for giving me the ability to work here along with so many talented people and be able to change lives through my work.”
“I’ve gained a lot of experience in my first year practicing law and it’s been very rewarding. I’m working with Attorney Scott Goldstein on many cases and I’m doing my best to help my clients. I’m working on my own files now and settling cases for my clients doing my best to maximize their recoveries.
One thing I was very proud of is that I finally received feedback from one of our clients- a five-star Google review. It was my first one and solidifies that I’m doing a good job for my client and they appreciate my work.”
“I’m grateful to represent people that go through really tough times. Probably the toughest times of their lives. When you’re hurt, when you’re unable to work, and just stop receiving an income, you feel it in more ways most of us can imagine. That is when you need an attorney to advocate on your behalf – especially for a workers’ compensation case.”