Michael Mertz to be Installed as President of ITLA

MICHAEL T. MERTZ, partner at Hurley McKenna & Mertz in Chicago, Illinois, will be installed as the 73rd president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) on Friday, June 5, 2026, at its annual convention at the Sheraton Grand in Chicago, Illinois.

Mertz, 54, earned his bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1994, and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 1997. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar the same year and has been practicing with Hurley McKenna & Mertz since, becoming partner in 2004.

He exclusively represents injured persons and their families in all types of cases, including medical malpractice, sexual abuse, nursing home abuse, product liability, construction accidents, automobile collisions, and premises liability cases.

Through his extensive experience in complex cases, Mertz has honed his skills to evaluate each case closely and quickly identify successful theories and arguments. His tireless and aggressive advocacy, coupled with his flexibility throughout each phase of litigation, allows him to achieve justice for his clients.

Mertz's recent notable achievements include a Cook County Circuit Court jury verdict obtained in April of 2022 against a Chicago apartment building owner and property management company who failed to maintain a building’s front security door, resulting in a 63-year-old female apartment tenant being attacked by an intruder.

In June of 2022 in a case pending in Birmingham, Alabama, Mertz obtained a settlement for a 55-year-old Chicago man who suffered leg injuries in a head-on collision with a negligently operated ambulance in 2019 in Birmingham.

In 2024, Mertz obtained a favorable settlement for a group of female students who were sexually abused by their high school teacher. 

Earlier this year, Mertz successfully resolved dozens of cases for women who were sexually abused by their physician.

Mertz first became involved with ITLA during law school and has remained an active leader within the organization, serving on the Board of Managers since 2012 and the Executive Committee since 2021.

In addition to his work with ITLA, he is also involved in several professional organizations, including the American Association for Justice (AAJ), the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the Southern Trial Lawyers Association (STLA), and the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA).

Outside of his professional activities, Mertz is also an active supporter of several charitable organizations within the community.

Mertz has earned widespread recognition throughout his career for his accomplishments as a trial attorney and his commitment to excellence in the legal profession. In 2021, the National Trial Lawyers selected Mertz for inclusion into its Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Illinois, an honor given to only a select group of lawyers for their superior skills and qualifications in the field.  Membership in this exclusive organization is by invitation only and is limited to the top 100 attorneys in each state or region who have demonstrated excellence and have achieved outstanding results in their careers in either civil plaintiff or criminal defense law.

He has also been recognized as a leading trial attorney, earning selection as one of the National Trial Lawyers’ “Top 40 Under 40.” After being named a “Rising Star” in 2009, Mertz was designated a “Super Lawyer” in 2012 and has continued to receive that distinction every year since.

“I am looking forward to the great honor of serving as President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association for the 2026-2027 term. I have been an active member and strong supporter of ITLA since I was in law school,” said Mertz.

He continued, “ITLA has never yielded in its fight to ensure that injured people and their families have the same access to justice as the insurance companies and big corporations. I am proud to wage this fight with ITLA as a member of ITLA’s Executive Committee and in my upcoming role as President.”

Mertz resides in Evanston with his wife and their three children. As a family, they enjoy spending time on Lake Michigan participating in watersports and cheering on the Chicago Bears and the University of Oregon football team.