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Larry Finn

larry finn


Larry Finn is a shareholder and co-managing partner of Clewis & Finn. Mr. Finn concentrates his practice in representing victims and their families in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death claims in all of the Firm’s Practice Areas. Over a prominent 20 year legal career, Mr. Finn has developed extensive and wide-ranging experience representing both individuals and major corporations in civil lawsuits, and in jury trials, in state and federal courts Illinois and across the country. Early in his career, he defended corporations and health professionals in personal injury and wrongful death claims. He now utilizes the knowledge and experience he gained as an "insider" in seeking justice on behalf of victims of professional and corporate wrongdoing.

Larry received his Juris Doctor degree in 1986 from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Prior to entering the private practice of law, he first served as a Federal Law Clerk for the Honorable Roy W. Harper, U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, and for the Honorable Theodore J. McMillian, U.S. Circuit Court Judge for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In 1987, Mr. Finn began his legal career as an Associate at the prestigious firm of Budd, Larner, Gross, Picillo, Rosenbaum, Greenberg, and Sade, P.C., where among other things, he assisted in the prosecution of the groundbreaking tobacco case, Cipollone v. Ligget Group, Inc., et al.

In 1989, Larry joined the Chicago firm of Segal McCambridge Singer and Mahoney, Ltd. as a trial lawyer. In 1994, Mr. Finn was elected as an equity Partner in the firm, specializing in the defense of injury and wrongful death lawsuits involving defective products, toxic chemical and drugs, medical malpractice and nursing home abuse and neglect.

Over the years, Larry has amassed substantial experience in class action, multi-district and consolidated multi plaintiff litigation. His long resume of experience includes serving as National Trial and Coordinating Counsel for CryoLife, Inc., a publicly traded human tissue company alleged to have utilized deficient processing methods resulting in patient-acquired infections; representing physicians throughout the country who were named defendants in diet drug lawsuits (e.g.,Fen-Phen); and representing Sears Roebuck & Co. in lawsuits and claims involving asbestos and lead paint.

Between 2005 and 2007, Larry was a partner and trial lawyer at the law firm of Levin & Perconti in Chicago where he dedicated himself to pursing and protecting the rights of significantly injured clients and their loved ones. He represented clients in a wide range of injury and wrongful death claims including cases involving medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, admiralty and maritime liability, transportation liability, premises liability, defective products and sexual abuse cases.

Larry resides in Chicago with his wife, Hyla, and twin daughters.


education

Washington University School of Law, St. Louis (J.D. 1986)
Drew University, Madison, NJ (B.A. cum laude, 1983)

bar admissions
    State Courts
      New Jersey, 1987
      Illinois, 1989
      Michigan, 1998
    U.S. District Courts
      District of New Jersey, 1987
      Northern District of Illinois, including Trial Bar, 1989
      Central District of Illinois, 1997
      Eastern District of Michigan, 1998
    U.S. Court of Appeals
      Third Circuit. 1988
      Seventh Circuit, 1992
      Sixth Circuit, 2000
memberships and associations
    American Association of Justice
    Illinois Trial Lawyers Association
    Chicago Bar Association
former memberships and associations
    International Association of Defense Counsel (2001-2004)
      Product Liability Committee
      Drugs Device and Biotechnology Committee
      Toxic and Hazardous Committee
      Substances Committee
    American Health Lawyers Association (1998-2004)
    Defense Research Institute (1989-2004)
      Product Liability Committee
      Drug and Medical Device Committee
    American College of Legal Medicine, Associate at Law American Bar Association
      Health Law Section
      Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section
      Toxic and Hazardous Substance and Environmental Law Committee (vice chair, 1992-1994)
      Medicine and Law Committee
      Litigation Committee


    professional presentations

    Larry regularly participates as a speaker and author at educational programs. He was a faculty member at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, on "Medical Legal Implications of Practice Guidelines concerning the Diagnoses and treatment of Hepatitis C." He co-authored and presented a paper entitled "The Defense of Increased Risk and Fear of Cancer Claims" at the last National Institute on Toxic Torts, Conducted by the American Bar Association. He spoke at the 2001 Spring Meeting of the Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Committee, American Bar Association on "Discovery and the Use of Scientific Expert Testimony." He spoke on "Effective Trial Techniques" at the 1995 Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association.

    professional publications

    Larry has been a contributing author for the Toxic Torts and Environmental Law Annual Survey published in the Tort and Insurance Law Journal. He co-published in the Tort and Insurance Law Journal. He was a member of the Board of Editors for the IADC Defense Counsel Journal, and on Editorial Board of Member of the "Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Law Bulletin" published by Law Journal Newsletters. He co-published and edited Dental Malpractice Prevention, a risk management newsletter directed to dental professionals, and co-authored two articles published in the ADA Legal Advisor: "The Data Bank: Is It Big Brother at Work?" (December 1997) and "Talking to an Attorney" (July 1998).