Name: David E. Rapoport
Item: David E. Rapoport
Author: drapoport

Bio

David E. Rapoport is the founding and managing partner of Rapoport, Weisberg & Sims P.C. In his 40 years as a full time trial attorney, he has consistently won multimillion-dollar jury verdicts and settlements for people who have been wrongfully injured and the families of people who have been wrongfully killed. David has served as the lead or managing attorney in cases resulting in jury verdicts and settlements exceeding $500 million. Click here to read more about David's record in court.

David represents people harmed in air crashes, semi-truck and motor vehicle collisions, medical malpractice, product liability accidents, recreational and commercial boating accidents, premises liability accidents, work injury and construction accidents. He is known nationally for his work representing injured victims and the families of those killed in air disasters.

As an aviation attorney, David has served on several court appointed plaintiffs' steering committees in major air disaster cases, where he has represented passengers, their families, crew members and their families. For example, he is currently a member of the court appointed Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in In re: Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 Crash, the consolidated federal product liability case against Boeing alleging defects in the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. For more information about David's air disaster work, click here. David was the Chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Aviation Law Committee from June of 2017 to June of 2018. Since 2019 he has been designated as a "Top 10 National Aviation Trial Lawyer" by the National Trial Lawyers.

By helping people and holding the at fault parties accountable, David helps make the community safer. David provides customized services to every client he represents, offering the compassion and skill they need to get just results, while remaining as comfortable as possible with the process.

David is a member of the invitation only American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an association of premier trial attorneys who are dedicated to preserving the right to trial by jury. ABOTA's general mission is "to foster improvement in the ethical and technical standards of practice in the field of advocacy to the end that individual litigants may receive more effective representation and the general public be benefited by more efficient administration of justice consistent with time-tested and traditional principles of litigation."

Since 1990, David Rapoport has been Board Certified* in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy ("NBTA"), the oldest and largest not-for-profit American Bar Association ("ABA") accredited trial attorney certification program. Attorneys with NBTA certification have proven specialized abilities through written examinations and meeting rigorous criteria for trial experience and ethical ratings. David has proven his currency and substantial trial experience through NBTA recertification in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020. He is also board certified* by the NBTA in Civil Practice Advocacy.

David is a leader of the movement to encourage board certification for trial lawyers. He has been on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the NBTA since 2009. From August of 2013 to August of 2016, David was the President of the NBTA and he is currently serving as the Founding President of the NBTA Foundation, the educational and charitable arm of the NBTA. David recently explained: "In this era of Wild West style lawyer advertising, it has never been more important for the public to have an easy to use and reliable means of identifying the small fraction of practicing attorneys who truly have substantial experience trying lawsuits. Board certification programs help consumers of legal services make more informed choices. Too many lawyers are out there claiming they have substantial trial experience, when the truth is they have never or hardly ever tried a case. Board certified trial lawyers have proven their substantial trial experience in ways the public can trust."

David is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys (ABPLA). He is Board Certified* by the ABPLA in Medical Malpractice and is the only plaintiffs' attorney in Illinois with dual board certification* in Civil Trial Advocacy and Medical Malpractice. Like the NBTA, the ABPLA is a non-profit organization accredited by the ABA to issue attorney board certifications.

Best Lawyers has named David as one of the Best Lawyers in America and Martindale Hubbell has rated David "AV Preeminent", their highest professional rating. David has been an Illinois Super Lawyer every year since the inception of the Super Lawyer program; and Avvo rates David "10.0 Superb", their highest attorney rating. The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers has awarded David the distinction of being one the top 100 trial lawyers in Illinois.

David is a member of the President's Club and Leader's Forum of the American Association for Justice. He is also a member of the state trial lawyer associations in Illinois and Wisconsin. David is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, and he is one of a handful of trial attorneys selected for membership in the Economic Club of Chicago.

* Board certification is not required to practice law in Illinois, and the Illinois Supreme Court does not recognize specialties in the practice of law.

David E. Rapoport

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