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ALTSCHULER, Special
OTHY BR
Administrator of the Estate of
CLERK OES THE CARE
Christof Litwin, Deceased,
Plaintiff,
V. No. 03 L 11241
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL
HOSPITAL, et al.,
Defendants
NOW COMES THE Plaintiff, Adi Altshuler, Special Administrator of the Estate of
Christof Litwin, Deceased, by and through her attorneys, LEVIN, RIBACK LAW
GROUP, P.C., and petitions this court to make the following findings in the above-
captioned cause of action:
Retired, an offer of settlement for ail claims for damages has been made in the amount
of $2,150,000.00 from Defendant Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
7. The petitioner has retained the legal services of Levin, Riback Law Group,
P.C., to represent the next of kin in this claim for damages for the wrongful death of the
decedent. The attorneys, Levin, Riback Law Group, P.C., and the petitioner believe the
offer is a fair and reasonable settlement of the action for damages for the wrongful
death of the decedent and that it is in the best interests of the next of kin that the offer
be accepted and that Defendant be released from any further financial liability.
8. The court has approved attorneys’ fees in the amount of 33 1/3% of the
settlement plus costs incurred for investigation, filing and prosecution of this case. The
fees are $716,666.66 and the expenses are $174,357.23.
9. Costs which are itemized and attached as Exhibit A have been incurred in
the amount of $174,357.23 plus anticipated of costs for the bond/probate filing fees for
the two minors’ estates.
B. Directing the attorneys, Levin Riback Law Group, P.C., to be paid the sum
of $716,666.66 as compensation for attorneys’ fees;
C. Directing the attorneys, Levin Riback Law Group, P.C. to be paid the sum
of $174,357.23 (plus probate costs*) for reimbursement for the amount
paid or incurred for costs and expenses for investigation, filing, and
prosecution of the case.
D. Directing that the net distribution amount be distributed as follows:
E. Directing that the net settlement proceeds that are for the benefit of the
minors, Yonaton Litwin and Yael Litwin proposed herein shall be paid only
to a guardian appointed by the Probate Division and after the entry of an
order approving the bond or other security required to administer the
settlement and distribution in the petition.
Plaintiff,
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V. No. 03 L 11241
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NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL
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HOSPITAL, et al.,
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Defendants.
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PETITION FOR FEES FOR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICES PURSUANT TO
735 ILCS 5/2-1114 OF THE ILLINOIS CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
NOW COMES THE Plaintiff, Adi Altshuler, by and through her attorneys, LEVIN,
RIBACK LAW GROUP, P.C., and respectfully moves this Honorable Court for an order
granting attorneys’ fees in the amount of 1/3 of the gross settlement for extraordinary
Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The case was based on Defendant's: (1) failure to
diagnose and treat respiratory compromise; (2) failure to institute timely ACLS
protocols; and (3) improper direction of the respiratory arrest code team to the wrong
building.
this case.
4. Plaintiff, Adi Altshuler, and Plaintiff's attorneys, Levin, Riback Law Group,
P.C., entered into a contingency fee contract for legal services in accordance with the
statutory fee schedule set forth in Section 2-1114 of the Code of Civil Procedure, plus
costs and expenses (A copy of the Contingency Fee Contract and Retainer Agreement
Memorial Hospital has offered and Plaintiff has agreed to accept the sum of
medical preparation in excess of the work normally done for medical malpractice cases.
This preparation was necessitated by the nature of the medicine, the nature of the
liability and the complexity of the multiple issues invoived in proving Plaintiff's case, as
7. Plaintiff's counsel was retained after the Law Offices of Powers, Rogers
and Smith rejected the case. Prior counsel consulted with medical expert(s), but was
unable to establish a causal link between the decedent's respiratory and cardiac arrest
and the failure of the ACLS Protocols and Defendant's negligence. Levin, Riback Law
Group, P.C. was retained on June 24, 2003, twenty months (20) after the date of death,
to review the matters explored by Powers, Rogers and Smith and research and
investigate all other possible medical theories leading to Mr. Litwin’s arrest and death
(Exh. A).
8. Plaintiff's attorney Richard Levin, has engaged in extraordinary services in
the prosecution of this case. He consulted with sixteen (16) medical experts in order to
fully research, prepare and prosecute the case. Plaintiff's counsel obtained
counsel also retained an economist to review all pertinent documentation and prepare a
2
complete economic analysis of lost earnings over the decedent's life expectancy.
Counsel for Plaintiff, Richard Levin, held over fifty (50) telephone conferences and/or
Plaintiff's Illinois Supreme Court Rule 213 (f)(3) Answers disclosed Lance
M.D. from the University of Missouri (Anesthesiology); Ursina Teitelbaum, M.D. from
the University of Pennsylvania (Oncology); Peter Kudenchuk, M.D. from the University
Chicago (Nursing); and Charles Linke, Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at
Champaign (Economist). The names of the purely consulting experts will be provided
to this Court in camera, but are not included in this petition due to the confidential
of this case. The majority of these depositions were of physicians and/or nurses,
Name Specialty
A. Rakesh Chandra, M.D. Otolaryngology/ACLS
that were taken, all but the depositions of Plaintiff's experts, Adi Altshuler and the
before the Honorable Donald O’Connell, Ret. Plaintiff prepared a position paper
analyzing the entire case in concise terms along with numerous exhibits (including
required a detailed case analysis, a review and summary of all of the depositions,
additional meetings with experts and a compilation of exhibits. Plaintiff prepared for the
4
first mediation which lasted three hours. Defendant subsequently requested
depositions of Plaintiff's retained experts. The mediation was rescheduled eight (8)
months later after extensive 213 (f)(3) discovery of Plaintiff's experts. Plaintiff again
prepared for mediation, and the second mediation occurred on July 13, 2009.
12. Had this matter not settled at the mediation, Plaintiffs attorneys were fully
excess of the work normally done for malpractice cases due to the multiple issues that
were involved. Counsel for Plaintiff had to become medically knowledgeable and
required extensive medical research and tutoring from consulting experts. Plaintiffs
counsel read and consulted many medical articles, journals and textbooks in the fields
15. Levin, Riback Law Group, P.C. provided extraordinary legal services for
document mentioned the reason the ACLS protocols failed when the
response to court order, that the respiratory arrest code team was sent to
the wrong building when the code was called for Chritoff Litwin’s arrest.
After Plaintiffs counsel filed multiple discovery motions, the hospital finally
produced documents pursuant to court orders that revealed that Mr. Litwin
was left without proper medical management for over twenty (20) minutes
in a code situation. Mr. Litwin was in the Feinberg Pavilion, two blocks
from Prentice Women’s Hospital where the code team was sent.
the critical medical error in the direction of the code team. Even after
6
obtaining this information, Plaintiffs counsel was required to file additional
leading to the failed code and the death of Christof Litwin. Thereafter, the
of the code team responding to a code two blocks away from the code’s
actual location and argued that Christoff Litwin would have died from his
cancer within 1-5 years even if he survived the code. Regardless, the
to support the theory that the arrest could have been avoided, the code
was mishandled, Christof could have survived and he would have lived to
malpractice law firms in Chicago. The first step Plaintiff's counsel took
was to investigate the code and its failures from a medical standpoint.
7
Plaintiff's counsel retained a consulting expert in anesthesiology and
determined from that starting point that the code was mishandled.
proof on both deviations of the standard of care and causation. This work represents
17. Levin, Riback Law Group, P.C. has incurred costs and expenses in the
preparation and prosecution of this case which currently total $174,357.23. Levin,
Riback Law Group, P.C. seeks reimbursement in the actual amount of the costs and
18. Plaintiff, Adi Altshuler, has been advised of the lilinois Statute regarding
attorney's fees in medical negligence actions and the structured fee component thereof.
Pursuant to statute, the normal attorney's fee would be $492,500.00 (See affidavit of
made herein, that Levin, Riback Law Group, P.C. be compensated one-third contingent
fee based on the settlement of $2,150,000.00 for a total fee of $716,666.66 (See Exh.
A). Adi Altshuler agrees with and supports the motion (See Exh. B, par. 3).
20. The basis for this request incorporates the substantial legai efforts put
21. Plaintiff joins in the Petition for request of said compensation (See
Exh. B).
22. Additionally, Plaintiff attaches and incorporates the affidavit of the
Honorable Donald O’Connell, Retired, who read all of the depositions and Rule
213(f)(3) disclosures in this matter and mediated this case (See affidavit of the
WHEREFORE, THE Plaintiff, Adi Altshuler, respectfully requests that this Court
approve attorney’s fees to the firms of Levin, Riback Law Group, P.C. in the total
amount of $716,666.66 plus costs and expenses in the amount of $174,357.23 plus
costs for probate.
Respectfully Submitted,
ee GROUP, P.C.
Should LEVIN, RIBACK LAW GROUP agree to proceed to represent ADI ALTSCHULER
(the client) regarding the medical malpractice claim, the client agrees to pay a total contingent fee
according to the following schedule: .
(1) As to any sum recovered:
(A) 33 1/3 of the first 150,000;
(A) 25% of the next $850,000;
(B) 20% of any amount recovered over $1,000,000, of the sum recovered
(2) If the attorneys perform extraordinary services involving more than usual
participation in time and effort, LEVIN, RIBACK LAW GROUP may apply to the
Court for approval of additional compensation up to 33 1/3 % of the gross
settlement and/or verdict.
(3) This contingent fee agreement may be reviewed by the Court for fairness.
(4) The contingent fee will be calculated by multiplying the appropriate percentage
listed in 1(A) & (B) above by the total gross settlement or verdict. The fee will be
calculated before the expenses are deducted from the gross settlement or verdict.
After the fee is calculated the remaining expenses and costs will be deducted from
the remaining amount of the settlement or verdict.
(5) LEVIN, RIBACK LAW SAE Aiket apsume profes ional repponsity ity in iho |
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Levin, Cikack law Grupheor Oud PON ExMenses. -
this potential medical malpractice action entrusted to us, to charge no fee unless
recovery is had by settlement or verdict, and to make no settlement without the
consent of the client.
CLIENT COOPERATION
The client agrees to cooperate fully with the attorneys in the handling of the
payment of costs and expenses, review, investigation, and representation of the
claim, cause of action, or litigation.
\ ,
DATE: Jun¢ 24, 2003
7 — ADI ALTSCHULER,
RIDER A
in the event that LEVIN, RIBACK LAW GROUP determines that the case should not be
pursued, LEVIN, RIBACK LAW GROUP has the right to withdraw and supply the client with the
records gathered on his/her behalf.
[/ ADI ALTSCHULER
_.- PLAINTIFF'S
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Administrator of the Estate of
Christof Litwin, Deceased,
V. No. 03 L 11241
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Defendants g¥
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AFFIDAVIT 25
1, ADI ALTSHULER, state that the following is true: é
1. | have been advised by my attorney, Richard Levin of Levin, Riback Law Group,
of the Illinois statute regarding contingent fees for attorneys in medical
malpractice actions. |
| have also reviewed the petition prepared by my attorneys in which they are
seeking attorneys fees at a one-third contingency fee rate.
| agree and support the motion and believe that my attorneys are entitled to
receive attorneys’ fees at a one-third contingency fee rate.
eh oe T SAYETH NOT
ADI ALTSHULER
OFFICIAL SEAL
SANDRA ARROYO
y Bi Notary Public, State of Illinois
otary 4 My Commission Expires 8/25/2009 §
PPDPPPP PEPE LPP ALAM
PLAINTIFF'S_
TNS
EXHIBIT
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Plaintiff, ts
V. No. 03 L 11241 gy
mi
NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL #3
HOSPITAL, et al.,
Defendants. £
AFFIDAVIT OF THE HONORABLE DONALD P. O’CONNELL, RET.
The undersigned states that under oath that if called to testify, he would state as follows:
1. | was the mediator for the case of Adi Altshuler, Special Administrator of the Estate of
Christof Litwin, Deceased v. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, et al.
4, | read the transcripts of approximately ten of the depositions taken in this matter.
5. | read the opinions of Plaintiff's eight Illinois Supreme Court Rule 213(f)(3) expert
witnesses.
6. By mediating the case and reading the position paper, the deposition transcripts and
the expert opinions, | recognized the theory of the case Plaintiff's counsel formulated by their
extensive investigation and research into multiple areas of medicine as well as hospital
procedure and practice. Plaintiffs counsel also spent extensive time and resources
challenging and resolving the many privilege issues that were raised during the course of the
litigation. The work performed by Plaintiff's counsel represents extraordinary services which
involved more than usual participation in time and effort for a medical malpractice case.
RET.
; OFFICIAL SEAL
PALPPPPL A
TCT
APP Padre
ELIZABETH TAYAHUA
NOTARY PUBLIC - STATE OF ILLINOIS
OTUCCT