CHICAGO – It’s no secret that the business of law is often a family affair. But few lawyers have the unique opportunity of working alongside their parent, sibling, in-laws and their spouse. Even fewer genuinely enjoy all that quality family time. But for Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard attorneys and married couple Brian and Eirene Salvi, the opportunity to spend nearly every waking moment together is a gift. And that positive outlook on their special situation has paid off not only for their careers, but for the injured victims they represent in their practice as personal injury attorneys.
Over the past two months alone, the couple has recovered more than $8 million in settlements together for their deserving clients. Most recently the couple obtained a $4.25 million settlement on behalf of the family of a 13-year-old boy who was killed in a Yorkville car crash. The settlement is the highest reported Kendall County wrongful death settlement, according to the Jury Verdict Reporter. The previous record-high Kendall County death settlement was $2.8 million. Other recent settlements include a $3 million confidential medical malpractice settlement and a $1 million confidential birth injury settlement. In addition to those recoveries, Brian and Eirene have settled even more cases both individually and on separate legal teams with other attorneys at the firm.
While they both have enjoyed similar successes since joining the firm, the past few months have been especially exciting for the couple as they have had the opportunity to work together as a legal team more often. In that time, they have found that working together on cases challenges them both professionally and personally.
“People often ask us what it’s like spending so much time together as if they expect it to cause issues, but the simple answer is that it works for us. We love it. On top of it being a joy, I truly think that our skillsets complement each other perfectly, both in our professional lives and our relationship,” Brian L. Salvi said.
Brian joined Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard in 2013 and was named partner in 2019; Eirene joined the firm in 2016 after nearly a year working at another plaintiffs firm. Both Salvis attended The University of Notre Dame Law School, where they met when Brian was a 3L and Eirene was a 1L.
“Brian has played an enormous role in my development as an attorney. Since he is a couple of years ahead of me, he’s been my go-to person for questions or advice and I’m learning from him all the time,” Eirene N. Salvi said.
To date, the duo has worked on 7 total cases together – and each of those cases has had a positive result for their clients. The first case they worked on together resulted in a $20.6 million settlement in 2019 for a woman who was rear-ended by a delivery truck. But it was not until 2020 that the couple had the opportunity to take a case to trial together.
In November of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brian and Eirene represented a family who lost their father and brother in a Boone County car crash. The trial was one of the few jury trials to take place in-person during the pandemic, and after a few minor complications due to the nature of the world at the time, the couple, along with Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard founder Patrick A. Salvi Sr., won a $9 million verdict for the family. The verdict represents the highest jury verdict ever awarded in Boone County, Ill. and broke the previous county record of $1,075,000. The verdict was also the first of two record-breaking results the couple has achieved together thus far.
But Brian and Eirene are not purely results-driven. Outside the firm, they are both passionate about giving back to the community and ensuring all people have access to the justice system.
Eirene is a co-chair and founding member of the Chicago Committee of the Japanese American Bar Association, which provides a special forum for members of the legal profession with interests and ties to the Japanese American community. Eirene is also a board member of JABA Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships to law students and recent grads. She is an officer and Vice President of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth, an organization that channels the legal community’s resources to promote one-to-one mentoring and tutoring programs in disadvantaged Chicago communities. She serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for JABA Educational Foundation, which grants scholarships to law students and recent grads. She was also recently appointed to the Young Professionals Board of the Chicago Bar Foundation, which is dedicated to improving access to justice. Further, Eirene serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, which aims to develop strategies and programs to increase minority membership and participation in leadership roles and joint programs with other minority bar associations.
Brian is a Chicago advisory board member of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, an organization that is working towards finding a cure for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) while providing support and resources to those affected by concussions and CTE. Brian is also active in Horizons for Youth, a philanthropic organization dedicated to providing resources and education to children of all academic ability levels. Brian is also an active member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Lake County Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the American Association of Justice.
While their successes in the courtroom are many, Brian and Eirene say their greatest joy and accomplishment yet is being the parents of their 2-year-old son, River.
