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SBH LLC, 20 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL (2026)

07/24/2026

SBH partners Mark Smith and Greta Powell, along with associate Jack Moore, successfully defended two vascular surgeons and their practice. The case involved the management of the 55-year-old patient’s enlarging abdominal aortic aneurysm. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed one of the surgeons at the beginning of the trial. The plaintiff claimed the remaining defendant inappropriately delayed surgery and missed an opportunity to prevent rupture of the aneurysm. Before surgery could be performed the aneurysm ruptured, requiring emergency surgery followed by two additional surgeries to attempt to address ongoing bleeding. The patient arrested and later died. The defense argued it was appropriate to delay the surgery in order for the patient to undergo outpatient optimization from a cardiopulmonary standpoint rather than keeping him hospitalized at a time of great uncertainty during the Covid pandemic. The plaintiff asked the jury to award over $9,000,000. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty. The case was tried in Cook County Circuit Court before The Honorable Preston Jones Jr.

07/23/2026

SBH partner Patrick O’Connor, alongside Shilpa Patel and Adam Rodriguez from the City of Chicago’s Corporation Counsel, successfully defended a claim made on behalf of a 22-year-old man who died when the vehicle he was riding in drove off an access road, resulting in him drowning in Lake Michigan. The plaintiff claimed the City of Chicago failed to maintain yellow bollards to mark the end of the roadway before it terminated. Plaintiff claimed that the City knew the bollards were in disrepair for at least 10 years and it did nothing to maintain them. Plaintiff claimed that the bollards were part of the curbline and the City of Chicago was responsible for maintaining its curbs. The defense argued that it was not responsible for maintaining the bollards and that the roadway design, with or without bollards, was reasonably safe. The City also did not concede that the decedent was a passenger in the vehicle and even if he was, the defense argued he should not have gotten in the car with someone he knew to be impaired. The plaintiff asked the jury to award over $89 million. Patrick O’Connor was not involved in the workup of the case, and he was brought in to provide assistance with experts and trial. The jury found the City of Chicago not guilty. The case was tried in Cook County Circuit Court before The Honorable Maura Slattery Boyle.

06/16/2026

Meet Caroline Kernan, a fourth-year associate attorney at SBH. Originally from Belleville, Illinois, Caroline earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science from Illinois State University. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, graduating cm laude. Caroline is licensed in the State of Illinois and admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois. She specializes in civil defense litigation with an emphasis on medical malpractice and professional negligence claims and was recently recognized as a 2026 Rising Star by Thompson Reuters. Outside of work, Caroline enjoys spending time with friends and family and is an avid supporter of Liverpool F.C. and the Chicago Bears. In addition to this, Caroline also serves on the March of Dimes Associate Board – Chicago, supporting their mission of improving the health of moms and babies both locally and across the country.

06/02/2026

SBH LLC Celebrates Pride Month!

03/20/2026

SBH partners Jenny Blake and Sam D'Anna secured a trial victory on behalf of their clients, a plastic surgeon and his practice. The plaintiff, a 45-year old woman, claimed the surgeon directly injured one or both of her sural nerves during bilateral calf and ankle liposuction, resulting in Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and permanent disability. The plaintiff also claimed she was not informed of the risk of direct nerve injury during the procedure. The defense argued there was no evidence or symptoms to suggest a direct nerve injury and denied the surgeon was required to inform the plaintiff of the risk that the sural nerve could be directly and permanently injured during the procedure, which is not a risk of calf and ankle liposuction. The defense was able to demonstrate the plaintiff suffered from pre-existing and post-operative swelling which led to a bilateral sural nerve injury and her current condition/disability. The plaintiff asked the jury to award $11,638,056, which included a life care plan of over $4.2 million dollars and $6.5 million in non-economic damages. The jury returned a decisive verdict in favor of the plastic surgeon and his group, after less than 1 hour and 15 minutes of deliberations. The case was tried in Winnebago County Circuit Court before the Honorable Judge Lisa R. Fabiano.

03/16/2026

Meet Austin Montbriand, an associate attorney at SBH whose background reflects a strong foundation in legal writing, advocacy, and client service. Austin earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before pursuing his legal education at Marquette University Law School. He is licensed to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin.

During law school, Austin gained valuable experience through internships and clerkships that strengthened his legal research, writing, and advocacy skills. He also performed substantial writing for a personal injury firm, where he developed a sharp attention to detail and a thoughtful approach to analyzing complex legal issues. These experiences helped shape his practice and prepared him for a career centered on careful analysis, effective advocacy, and strong client service.

At SBH, Austin is developing his practice in litigation, including medical malpractice defense. He is particularly motivated by the responsibility that comes with handling cases involving complex facts, important professional judgments, and significant consequences for everyone involved. He appreciates the level of precision, preparation, and critical thinking the work demands and is committed to guiding clients through those matters with diligence and care.

Outside of his practice, Austin is a passionate Chicago sports fan, avid concertgoer, and golfer. Whether he is following his favorite teams, getting out for a round of golf, or attending a live show, he loves staying active and connected with friends and family.

02/13/2026

Meet Michael Fowler, a second-year attorney at SBH whose professional path reflects both a strong business foundation and a commitment to litigation advocacy. Michael earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business and worked in commercial real estate and finance before pursuing his legal education at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he graduated cm laude.

While at Loyola, Michael obtained certifications in Transactional Law. However, through his participation in trial advocacy courses and his experience working at a plaintiff’s personal injury firm, he developed a strong interest in litigation. During his third year of law school, he had the distinguished opportunity to complete a judicial externship with Justice Joy V. Cunningham. Following graduation, Michael joined SBH.

Michael is particularly drawn to the demanding and fact-intensive nature of medical malpractice litigation and is committed to providing thoughtful, thorough, and dedicated representation to his clients.

Outside of his practice, Michael enjoys golfing and bowling and is an avid supporter of the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Blackhawks. He also participates in a softball league and a volleyball league with friends from high school and college.

02/12/2026

SBH partners Jenny Blake and Katie Vaughan, assisted by associate Suzana Broderick, secured a trial victory on behalf of their clients, a neurosurgeon and a local hospital. The plaintiff, a 55-year-old woman, claimed the physician improperly performed a posterior cervical decompression and fusion. Nine hours after surgery, the patient developed weakness in her right arm that progressed over time. The surgeon promptly took her back to surgery for further decompression of her nerve roots. The patient awoke with full function of her right arm, but eight hours after the second surgery, she again developed right arm weakness followed by bilateral weakness and gait abnormalities. The plaintiff claimed the first surgery was improperly performed when the surgeon allegedly improperly placed allograft bone spacers in the cervical spine and allegedly failed to adequately decompress the foramina, requiring a second surgery where the plaintiff claimed the surgeon caused a permanent injury to her spinal cord. The defense argued the physician performed the surgery appropriately, as evidenced by neuromonitoring during surgery as well as the post-operative exams. The defense argued the patient developed a C5 palsy after both surgeries. This is a known and unpredictable complication of surgery and did not occur due to any negligence. The defense further argued there was no objective evidence of a nerve root injury or a spinal cord injury, despite the patient’s deterioration. The plaintiff asked the jury to award more than $27 million. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the neurosurgeon and the hospital. The case was tried in Cook County Circuit Court before Judge Slattery Boyle.

01/21/2026

SBH Recognizes Our 2026 Super Lawyers: Jenny Blake, Thomas Hill, Kevin Bugos, and Gretchen Powell, as well as our 2026 Rising Stars: Samantha D'Anna, Kevin Fleming, and Caroline Kernan.

These attorneys were selected by Thompson Reuters via a peer influenced and research driven selection process to represent the top 5% of attorneys to be named to the Super Lawyers list each year. SBH remains committed to providing the best representation to our clients.

01/06/2026

Meet Lauren Reyes, a second-year associate at SBH. Lauren earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where she double majored in Philosophy and Spanish. After graduating, she moved to Chicago to attend Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor.

Prior to joining SBH, Lauren worked as a law clerk at a plaintiff's personal injury firm in Chicago and a criminal defense firm in Michigan. While in law school, Lauren competed in several mock trial competitions as a Philip H. Corboy Fellow. In addition, she served as the Finance Director of the Mock Trial Executive Board. Now, Lauren serves as an Adjunct Professor of Trial Advocacy at Loyola, helping students prepare for national mock trial competitions.

In her spare time, Lauren enjoys playing tennis, collecting records, and spending time with friends and co-workers. When she's not in Chicago, you can find Lauren back in Michigan visiting family and cheering on her alma mater.

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