People use “lawyer,” “attorney,” and “litigator” interchangeably. In practice, there is a meaningful distinction — and in a contested case, it can decide the outcome.
A trial attorney is one who actually takes a case before a judge or a jury and argues it through to a verdict. Not every attorney does. Many handle filings, negotiate, and settle — valuable work — but never try a contested case in front of the person deciding the facts. A trial attorney has done it, and is prepared to do it again.
Most cases settle. But some cannot be resolved on fair terms — and when that happens, someone has to be ready and able to try yours. An attorney who has examined witnesses, handled evidence, and addressed a jury knows how to build and present a case under the rules and pressure of a real trial. That experience is what protects you when a settlement isn’t enough.
Because we prepare every matter as though it will be tried, our clients are in a stronger position even when the case never reaches a courtroom. The same work that wins a trial — a complete record, anticipated arguments, credible witnesses — is what produces a favorable settlement. Trial readiness is not just for trial.
George M. Gomez has tried more than one hundred cases to the bench and to juries, in Illinois state courts and in federal court. When a matter has to be tried, it is tried by someone who has stood in that position many times before.