Shareholders in Construction, Product Liability/Torts, and Commercial Disputes were honored
CHICAGO – In its recently released 2026 ranking of "Chicago Elite" attorneys, the UK-based firm Legal 500 has ranked six Johnson & Bell shareholders for their work in three different practice areas. Legal 500 also ranked the firm as one of only six elite product liability/torts firms in the Chicago area. This is the latest of many honors for the firm and these lawyers.
Firm President Joe Carini and shareholder Katie Gorrie were recognized for their client work in Construction Law. Johnson & Bell is one of the leading Midwestern law firms representing building owners, developers, architects, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, homebuilders, and various subcontractors in construction disputes of all types.
Firm chairman Patrick Morris and shareholders Steve Ellenbecker and David A Warnick were named to the Chicago Elite list for Product Liability/Torts law. Johnson & Bell has one of the most successful product liability/tort defense teams in the Midwest, representing U.S. and international product designers and manufacturers in state and federal courts for five decades.
Shareholder Ava Caffarini was recognized in the area of Commercial Disputes. Ava has also been recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers. She focuses her practice on insurance coverage, professional negligence, business litigation, and insurance defense.
Founded in 1987, since 2024, UK-based Legal 500 has been analyzing attorney and law firm excellence in six U.S. markets:
- California
- Florida
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Texas
Every year Legal 500’s team of more than 150 researchers, technologists, data analysts, journalists and content specialists collate and review 60,000+ data-submissions from law firms, conducting interviews with thousands of leading law firm partners. Legal 500 also analyzes confidential data from 300,000+ commercial law firm clients to benchmark law firms and lawyers around the world.
