Awards & Recognition

Distinguished Award for Excellence

Each year at the Illinois Bar Foundation’s annual Gala, one recipient is awarded our highest honor, the Distinguished Award of Excellence.  The award is given to an individual whose career and personal life exemplify their ongoing commitment to the law and legal community.

October 2023 Recipient

Patrick A. Salvi

The October 2023 Gala will honor Patrick A. Salvi (founder and managing equity partner of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard) with the Distinguished Award for Excellence. The firm has 19 lawyers and is supported by more than 35 staff members in their Chicago and Waukegan offices. Under his leadership, the firm has obtained more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements, including more than 315 cases with recoveries of over $1 million. Mr. Salvi concentrates his legal practice in cases involving serious personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and mass torts. He has achieved numerous record-breaking jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients, including serving as lead counsel on the trial team that won an Illinois record high $148 million jury verdict on behalf of a young woman paralyzed at O’Hare Airport.

Distinguished Service to Law & Society Award

The Illinois Bar Foundation selects individuals each year to receive the Distinguished Service to Law & Society Award, presented at our annual Champions Breakfast (formerly known as the Fellows Breakfast). Honorees are selected because of their significant contributions to law and society, including dedicated service through the Illinois Bar Foundation and its Champions.

Champions Reception Honorees

The Illinois Bar Foundation is proud to host periodic Champions Receptions, honoring attorneys around the state who embody the mission of the Illinois Bar Foundation through their leadership and dedication to the legal community.