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06.9.06

CHICAGO – June 2006 – Frederick Cohen and David Chizewer, principals at the law firm Goldberg Kohn – along with John Bouman with the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and Tom Yates and Stephanie Altman with Health & Disability Advocates – have been recognized by both the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Federal Bar Association, for representing the rights of underprivileged Illinois children by receiving the Court's 7th Annual Excellence in Pro Bono Award.

Cohen and Chizewer worked with the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and Health & Disability Advocates to ensure that the 600,000 Medicaid-eligible children in Illinois receive the medical care they deserve.  After a four-week trial, Cohen and Chizewer, along with their co-counsel, obtained a ruling by Judge Lefkow that found that the Illinois Department of Public Aid and the Illinois Department of Human Services were violating the rights of Medicaid-eligible children in Cook County to receive health care under the Medicaid program.  After reviewing Judge Lefkow's opinion, the parties negotiated a Consent Decree, pursuant to which the 600,000 members of the plaintiff class will receive dramatically enhanced health care under the Medicaid program in Illinois.  The present value of the increased health care is hundreds of millions of dollars.

“The firm is honored that Fred and David received this well-deserved recognition,” said Terry Moritz, a senior principal of Goldberg Kohn and chairman of its Litigation Group.  “Fred and David, including other colleagues from our firm, as well as National Center on Poverty Law and Health & Disability Advocates, worked extremely hard to achieve a result that goes a long way to ensuring that the 600,000 under-privileged children in Cook County will receive appropriate medical attention.  No pro bono activity undertaken by this firm has ever been more significant.”

Goldberg Kohn Black Rosenbloom & Moritz, Ltd. is an 85-attorney law firm located in downtown Chicago with principal concentrations in business litigation, commercial finance, creditors' rights and bankruptcy, corporate, federal and state taxation, intellectual property, Internet and e-commerce, labor and employment and real estate.  The firm is the Chicago member of Meritas - an international alliance of 200 business law firms dedicated to providing business clients access to superior legal advice and exceptional services around the globe. Please visit www.goldbergkohn.com for more information.