James L. Farina began his professional career as a trial attorney in 1979, and since 1981 has limited his practice to representing seriously injured persons. Jim has successfully represented catastrophically injured persons in products liability, medical malpractice, construction negligence and transportation litigation. He has obtained record and near record verdicts for the firm’s clients including many awards in excess of 1 million dollars in both State and Federal Courts throughout the country. In 2010, Jim obtained a 33 million dollar verdict for a severely injured railroad conductor which is a record Illinois verdict and the second highest individual verdict in the history of the Federal Employers Liability Act.
Jim has been honored to be Designated Legal Counsel for SMART-TD Union and the Transportation Communications Union. Jim was appointed as Designated Legal Counsel for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen back when the BLET had a DLC program. Now that the BLET has discontinued its DLC program and the BLET recommends that its members hire attorneys who belong to the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys, Jim - who is on the ARLA Board of Managers - continues to represent members of the BLET.
Jim is a member of the American Association for Justice and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.
Since 2005, he has repeatedly been recognized as an "Illinois Super Lawyer." Martindale-Hubbell, the international leader in providing persons the means evaluate and hire lawyers with the highest ethical standards and professional ability, awards Jim their absolute top rating – "AV Preeminent."
In 2009-2010, Jim has the distinction of being listed as a "Leading Lawyer." Only lawyers who were most often recommended by their peers in a statewide survey are listed on LeadingLawyers.com.
Education:
Illinois State University - B.S. (Phi Eta Sigma Honorary Society) / IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law - J.D. with Honors