2024 Gala

Honoring Jay Edelson (Edelson PC) with the 2024 Distinguished Award for Excellence

Friday, October 18, 2024 
The Old Post Office Chicago | 433 W. Van Buren, Chicago 
VIP Reception begins at 6 pm | General reception begins at 6:30 pm

You are cordially invited to join us for a one-of-a-kind Gala honoring Jay Edelson, founder and CEO of Edelson PC. Mr. Edelson’s leadership in the Illinois legal and philanthropic communities coupled with his dedication to serving others through the practice of law have made him exceedingly worthy of the Foundation’s highest honor, the Distinguished Award for Excellence. Edelson PC is a firm unlike any other, embracing creativity and a distinct sense of fun while securing powerhouse results, and this year’s Gala will reflect their fresh take and non-traditional attitude. We hope you’ll join us for this one-of-a-kind event marking the 25^th anniversary of our flagship Gala.

ABOUT THE EVENT

Black tie.
Complimentary valet parking & coat check will be available.

Full seated dinner and program to follow reception, with live and silent auctions, dancing, cocktails and remarks by our distinguished honoree, Jay Edelson…and just a little whimsy.

PROGRAM BOOK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

If you’re unable to attend in person or simply looking for an additional way to congratulate our deserving honoree, 100% tax-deductible program book acknowledgment pages may be purchased online here. Contact Jessie Reeves for more information or questions.

ABOUT JAY EDELSON

Representing victims of the Labor Day Fires in Oregon, last year the firm secured a historic verdict in favor of thousands of class members establishing that the utility provider acted intentionally and recklessly causing the wildfires—the first classwide verdict holding a utility accountable for causing a fire. In individual damages trials following that ruling, the firm has won $220 million in jury verdicts in favor of just 36 victims, paving the way to billions in liability to the class. The firm also represented more than a thousand survivors of the California Camp Fire, and currently represents hundreds of survivors of the Marshall fires in Colorado. Beyond its work in wildfires, the firm represents hundreds of individuals around the country who have been injured as a result of ethylene oxide exposure and the “forever chemicals” PFAS and PCBs.

In addition to plaintiffs’ class and mass actions, the firm routinely represents governments and public interest organizations in matters of first impression, ranging from holding polluters accountable to complex tech and consumer issues. The firm represents several states in cases against social media platforms for addicting a generation of teens, and has successfully represented states in novel suits against, among others, Google, JUUL, and Uber. Here in Illinois, some of the firm’s notable cases include leading the litigation to preserve Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park and representing the American Civil Liberties Union against Clearview, resulting in a settlement that has been called a “milestone for civil rights.”

Jay is considered one of the nation’s top plaintiffs’ lawyers, and is the leading voice of the reform wing of the plaintiffs’ bar. In addition to filing the lawsuits that brought down the Girardi firm’s 20-year Ponzi scheme, Jay has been shining the spotlight on issues in the plaintiffs’ bar throughout his career, ranging from deceptive settlements to claims rates. (His firm’s made a few music videos on these points, too.) Jay was recognized in 2024 as one of America’s Top 200 Lawyers by Forbes, and was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” in 2022. Jay has repeatedly been recognized as a “Titan of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” by Law360.