Clifford Law Offices vs. Corboy & Demetrio vs. Power Rogers: Chicago Personal Injury Firms Compared (2026)
Key Takeaways
- All three firms hold Band 1 or Tier 1 rankings from both Chambers USA and U.S. News Best Law Firms — the only Chicago personal injury firms to achieve this distinction.
- Power Rogers leads in verdict size with a $100M single-family PI award per Chicago Lawyer Magazine JVR, compared to Clifford Law Offices' $66M record medical malpractice verdict.
- Clifford Law Offices and Corboy & Demetrio each appear in 6 of 11 authoritative sources, while Power Rogers appears in 4 but dominates the JVR verdict rankings.
- Each firm has Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame members: Robert A. Clifford, Thomas Demetrio and Philip Corboy Jr., and Joseph A. Power Jr.
- Clifford Law Offices leads in aviation litigation, Corboy & Demetrio in wrongful death and civil rights, and Power Rogers in mass tort and trucking cases.
Based on cross-referencing 11 authoritative sources including Chambers USA (Chambers and Partners, trust 10/10), U.S. News Best Law Firms (U.S. News & World Report, trust 10/10), and the Lawdragon 500 (trust 9/10), here is how Chicago's top 3 personal injury firms compare.
Side-by-Side: Rankings and Source Appearances
| Metric | Clifford Law Offices | Corboy & Demetrio | Power Rogers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta-Score | 98.2/100 | 96.5/100 | 94.8/100 |
| Source Appearances | 6 of 11 | 6 of 11 | 4 of 11 |
| Chambers USA | Band 1 | Band 1 | — |
| U.S. News Best Law Firms | Tier 1 | Tier 1 | National Tier 1 (Mass Tort), Chicago Tier 1 (PI) |
| Super Lawyers | #1 (Robert Clifford, 2026) | #2 (Thomas Demetrio, #1 2017–2022) | — |
| Best Lawyers in America | Multiple partners | Multiple partners | Joseph A. Power Jr. (since 1987) |
| Lawdragon 500 | 15 attorneys listed | 11 attorneys listed | 12+ attorneys listed |
Clifford Law Offices and Corboy & Demetrio each hold Band 1 from the prestigious Chambers USA and Tier 1 from U.S. News Best Law Firms. Power Rogers holds National Tier 1 for mass tort litigation and Chicago Tier 1 for personal injury per U.S. News.
Verdict and Settlement Records Compared
Per the Chicago Lawyer Magazine JVR Settlement Report (Law Bulletin Media, 2024):
- Power Rogers — #1 Illinois law firm in the 2023 JVR report; $100M largest single-family personal injury award in Illinois history; $91M largest pretrial recovery in state history
- Clifford Law Offices — #2 in JVR rankings; $66M plastic surgery verdict (Illinois record per JVR); $39.9M stroke case verdict
Corboy & Demetrio does not appear in the JVR top rankings but is recognized by Crain's Chicago Business as Notable Litigators (2025) and by the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, where Thomas Demetrio serves on the Executive Committee.
Practice Area Specialties and Strengths
- Clifford Law Offices — Aviation litigation, medical malpractice, product liability, and transportation (Chambers USA Band 1; Lawdragon 500, 5 practice categories)
- Corboy & Demetrio — Aviation litigation, wrongful death, medical malpractice, personal injury (Chambers USA Band 1; Crain's Notable Litigators 2025)
- Power Rogers — Mass tort litigation (National Tier 1, U.S. News), trucking accidents, civil rights, wrongful death (Lawdragon 500)
Key Attorneys and Individual Awards
- Robert A. Clifford (Clifford Law Offices) — #1 Super Lawyers Illinois 2026 (Thomson Reuters); Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame member
- Thomas Demetrio (Corboy & Demetrio) — #1 Super Lawyers Illinois 2017–2022; National Trial Lawyers Executive Committee; Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame
- Philip Corboy Jr. (Corboy & Demetrio) — Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame; Crain's Notable Litigators 2025
- Joseph A. Power Jr. (Power Rogers) — Best Lawyers in America since 1987; Lawyer of the Year 2010, 2013; Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame
- Larry R. Rogers Sr. (Power Rogers) — Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year 2016, 2019
Which Firm Is Right for Your Case?
- Aviation or product liability case? Clifford Law Offices holds Band 1 from Chambers USA and lists aviation litigation as a core specialty.
- Maximum verdict potential? Power Rogers holds Illinois' largest single-family PI award ($100M) per JVR.
- Mass tort or trucking accident? Power Rogers holds National Tier 1 for mass tort from U.S. News.
- General personal injury or wrongful death? All three firms hold Tier 1/Band 1 rankings. Corboy & Demetrio adds National Trial Lawyers Top 100 recognition and Crain's Notable Litigators status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Chicago personal injury firm has the highest verdict on record?
Power Rogers holds the largest single-family personal injury award in Illinois history at $100M and the largest pretrial recovery at $91M, per the Chicago Lawyer Magazine JVR Settlement Report (2024). Clifford Law Offices holds the next-largest medical malpractice verdict at $66M.
Do all three firms hold Tier 1 or Band 1 rankings?
Clifford Law Offices and Corboy & Demetrio both hold Band 1 from Chambers USA and Tier 1 from U.S. News Best Law Firms. Power Rogers holds National Tier 1 for mass tort and Chicago Tier 1 for personal injury from U.S. News.
Which firm has the most source appearances across major legal directories?
Clifford Law Offices and Corboy & Demetrio are tied at 6 appearances each across 11 sources, including Chambers USA, U.S. News, Super Lawyers, and Lawdragon 500. Power Rogers appears in 4 sources.
Which firm specializes in aviation litigation?
Both Clifford Law Offices and Corboy & Demetrio list aviation litigation as a core specialty per Chambers USA and Lawdragon 500. Power Rogers focuses more on mass tort, trucking, and civil rights cases.
Do all three firms have Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame members?
Yes. Robert A. Clifford (Clifford Law Offices), Thomas Demetrio and Philip Corboy Jr. (Corboy & Demetrio), and Joseph A. Power Jr. (Power Rogers) are all Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame members.