JOHN D. COONEY will be posthumously awarded the prestigious Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award at the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association’s (ITLA) annual convention on Friday, June 9, 2023. The convention will be held at the Sheraton Grand in Chicago, Illinois.
The criteria of the award are as follows:
“This award is given annually to someone selected by a committee appointed by the president. The recipient is someone who has devoted, as Leonard did, a substantial part of their life and their practice to ITLA, someone who has done more than is called for. Someone who has the standards of Leonard, the work ethics of Leonard and the commitment to ITLA that Leonard had. At the same time, it keeps alive the memory of Leonard Ring.”
ITLA Past President John D. Cooney, 68, passed away on February 23, 2023, at Northwestern Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Prior to his death, Cooney was a highly regarded trial lawyer who obtained justice for mesothelioma victims and other clients in complex personal injury cases over his career that spanned more than 35 years.
“John Cooney was the finest and best trial lawyer and person I knew. He was respected by his adversaries, endeared by his colleagues and loved by his family and friends,” said Cooney’s brother, Bob Cooney. “He always had something nice to say about you and he was the most entertaining storyteller anywhere. You just felt better when you were with him.”
Cooney was partner at Cooney & Conway in Chicago and was the 61st president of ITLA serving from 2014 to 2015.
Cooney received his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 1976 and went on to receive his law degree from Loyola University of Chicago in 1979. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar shortly thereafter.
Immediately following law school, Cooney became a prosecutor in the felony trial division of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. He joined the law firm of Cooney & Conway in 1984.
Cooney focused his practice on asbestos injuries, personal injury, construction liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, products liability and drug litigation. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America, and his firm is listed as a “Best Law Firm” in U.S. News and World Reports.
“In the 35 years I practiced law with John Cooney I witnessed his dedication and determination to the pursuit of justice for wrongfully injured people every single day,” said incoming ITLA President Katharine Byrne. “John also brought a particular joy to the practice of law that I hope future generations of trial lawyers will emulate.”
In addition to ITLA, Cooney was active in many professional organizations. He has served as a member of the Georgetown University Board of Regents from 2009-2012. He was the founding chairman of the Mass Torts Committee of the American Bar Association. Cooney holds appointment by the United States Trustee to protect the rights of injured American workers in the reorganizations of General Motors, Owens Corning, USG, Halliburton, Armstrong World Industries, Honeywell, and other multinational corporations. He is also a past Governor of the American Association for Justice.
Cooney served on the Board of Directors of the Anne and Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital) since 2004. He also served on the Board of Trustees at the University of Chicago Hospital. He was a founding member of Project RUSH, a charitable foundation in Northern Illinois tasked with providing housing and a stable environment for homeless teenagers.
Flip Corboy, of Corboy and Demetrio, said of his longtime friend, “John was a great lawyer, a great partner, a great husband and a great father. But he was also so much more.”
Nothing was more important to John than his family. John and his wife Barbara were married for 35 years. John was the loving father of three children, Elizabeth (Matt Caraher), Devitt (Bess), and Bobby (Hutton); dear brother of Bob(Lorettta) and the late Nora Cooney Marra (Richard). He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins – as well as countless dear friends.
Past Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Jon G. Carlson, Rex Carr, Robert A. Clifford, Kevin J. Conway, Robert J. Cooney, Philip H. Corboy, George J. Cullen, Joseph R. Curcio, David A. Decker, Thomas A. Demetrio, James Thomas Demos, Geoffrey L. Gifford, William J. Harte, Keith A. Hebeisen, Thomas Q. Keefe, Jr., Thomas F. Londrigan, Philip F. Maher, Nicholas J. Motherway, Nat P. Ozmon, Eugene I. Pavalon, John G. Phillips, Joseph A. Power, Jr., Kim E. Presbrey, Anthony C. Raccuglia, Curt N. Rodin, Larry R. Rogers, Sr.; Patrick A. Salvi and Michael P. Schostok.
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