Hinshaw Partner Joshua Vincent Named to Crain’s Chicago Business 2023 Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today announced that partner Joshua Vincent has been selected by Crain’s Chicago Business among its Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys for 2023. He was among 74 Chicago area litigators to receive recognition.

The award recognizes Chicago area litigators and trial attorneys for professional achievements, community service or pro bono work, and leadership and mentoring. In announcing the award, Crain's noted the honorees "have led cases that meant the difference between solvency and bankruptcy for companies and, at times, life or death for human beings. [They] have fought headline-making courtroom battles, in several cases on opposite sides of each other. Off the clock, they epitomize all that the Latin phrase pro bono — “for the public good” — represents."

"Josh has a stellar track record, with successes in state and federal appellate courts across the country," said Richard Porter, leader of the firm's Government practice group. "In addition to managing an extremely active appellate practice, he commits significant time to mentoring associates in various pro bono matters and is dedicated to improving access to legal services for underserved individuals. We’re thrilled that Crain’s Chicago Business has selected him as among the 2023 Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys."

Vincent has argued more than 250 cases before state and federal appellate courts nationwide. Among his more recent successes, he obtained dismissal of a high-profile class action claim against a global technology company alleging violations of the Biometric Information Privacy Act, and won a case of first impression for the Rockford Board of Education involving teacher evaluations under the Illinois Performance Evaluation Reform Act.

A consummate leader, he serves on the Hinshaw Executive Committee and is the firm’s Professional Development Partner. He also established Hinshaw’s nationwide pro bono legal services program. Each year he devotes hundreds of hours supervising associate attorneys on pro bono direct criminal appeals in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Under his supervision, young attorneys help ensure their pro bono clients receive a fair trial. He helps associates hone critical writing skills and prepare for arguments, providing a rare opportunity to argue an appeal at the federal court level. In 2018, he was selected the winner of the "Best Mentor: Law Firm" award by The American Lawyer in its annual Industry Awards.

In addition, for over 20 years, Vincent has personally provided pro bono services to SkyART, a free visual arts therapy program for at-risk youth, in various corporate, transactional and employment matters.

His leadership extends to the statewide legal community, where he has had a critical role in improving access to legal services for the underserved. As chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission’s Appellate Forms Subcommittee for six years, he led a group of legal professionals in developing writable PDF forms and “plain English” instructions for prosecuting and defending state court appeals from start to finish. Now in widespread use by self-represented litigants and practicing lawyers, the forms are a real game-changer for people who can’t afford a lawyer. He also worked with the Public Interest Law Initiative and the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts to launch the appellate component for the ABA Free Legal Answers Online platform in Illinois.

The full list of honorees is available on the Crain's Chicago website.