Awards & Recognition

Partner Michael R. Grieco, an AAJ Board of Governors member since 2022, was honored to be presented with the F. Scott Baldwin Award, an award that recognizes the year’s “most outstanding young trial lawyer” in the country with one or more outstanding trial verdicts and significant contribution to the New Lawyers Division of the AAJ.

“To once again have such a presence on the Leading Lawyers and Emerging Lawyers lists is a testament to the dedication to our clients and the quality of our work. We are very proud of the number of attorneys we have on the Emerging Lawyers list, and look forward to watching them grow in their careers and becoming Leading Lawyers in this state,” said Founding Partners Antonio M. Romanucci and Stephan D. Blandin. 

Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their legal practice. The selection process is rigorous and comprised of peer selection and review, third-party research, and professional achievement. Candidates are eligible for Rising Stars if they are 40 or younger or have been in practice for 10 years or less. Only 5% of attorneys in Illinois receive the distinction of being a Super Lawyer, while 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois receive the title of Rising Star.

The Liberty Award, a distinction bestowed upon the Association’s members for outstanding service to the law or the BLA, is named after longtime member and respected Illinois attorney Liberty Dvorak, a mainstay of the Association in the ‘sixties and ‘seventies and whose legacy has lived on through not only her husband but son and grandson within the BLA, as well.

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes an alum who graduated from Chicago-Kent within the past 10 years and who has made a significant contribution to one or more of these five areas: the practice of law, the judiciary, public service or government, business or commerce, or the media. Daisy joins just a handful of Chicago-Kent’s 16,000+ alumni who are honored with an award at this year’s ceremony.

“Over the course of my career I have sought to promote justice and fairness for injured persons, safeguard victims’ rights, and strengthen the civil justice system – the very goals of the AAJ,” said Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci. “I have been involved with and dedicated to AAJ for more than twenty years because we share the same vision: justice for all. I am honored to have been recognized by an organization that I hold in such high regard.”

Best Lawyers lists are compiled annually following an extensive peer review. Between both lists, all ten of the firm’s partners were recognized.

“Bhavani’s leadership within our firm and within the broader legal community has brought tremendous value and insight. She cares deeply about her clients and about the law and is dedicated to justice in civil rights and human rights. We applaud her recognition on this respected Crain’s list of high-achieving women in the legal profession,” said Romanucci & Blandin Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci.

Antonio M. Romanucci was named the #1 Civil Rights Attorney for 2022. He was also named to the Top 10 lists for Aviation Accidents and Personal Injury Plaintiffs overall.  Stephan D. Blandin was named to the Top 10 list for Nursing Home Negligence.

Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci, L. Chris Stewart, Jeff Storms, Bhavani Raveendran and other co-counsel on behalf of the family of George Floyd together with members of the Floyd family were honored by AAJ with the 2021 Leonard Weinglass in Defense of Civil Liberties Award.

Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci was honored by the American Association for Justice (AAJ) with the Howard Twiggs Award. The recognition took place July 18, 2022 during the organization’s annual conference in Seattle.

Founding Partner Antonio M. Romanucci was honored on July 13, 2021 by the AAJ New Lawyers Division with the Joe Tonahill Award - the highest honor that the New Lawyers Division’s can bestow.