Jiang, Earl L.

Joseph P. Sorce joined the firm in 1990 and became a partner in 1996. As one of the firm's senior trial lawyers, Joe has tried a wide variety of cases including construction, products liability, medical malpractice, vehicular, premises, FELA and municipal liability. He has obtained  multiple million dollar verdicts including the largest ever worker injury verdict in Macon County. Many of his cases present difficult liability where insurance companies do not want to pay. Joe obtained a $1.2 million dollar verdict for a sprinkler fitter after the insurer offered $60,000 to settle. Joe and Colin O'Malley obtained $5.1 million for an electrician after the insurer offered $90,000. Many of his cases involve  injuries from complex workplace events such as chemical exposure and electrical explosions. He obtained a $6 million verdict for the family of an electrician killed when working at a CTA substation, disproving defense efforts to blame the electrician for causing a switchgear to explode. In a case involving a bricklayer, the insurance company offered $500,000 which was rejected, leading to a trial and an eventual $8.3 million verdict for the client.  He has also obtained million dollar plus recoveries representing ironworkers and sheetmetal workers injured in construction site falls from elevation.  In 2012, he obtained the largest settlement for a millwright ever reported in Winnebago County for a hand amputation.  Joseph's work has earned him Martindale-Hubbel's highest ranking for legal ability.

Joe grew up in Chicago, the first U.S. born child of a physician who emigrated from Italy after WW II. He attended DePaul Academy and DePaul University and then served in the U.S. Army for 2 years.  Joe attended the John Marshall Law School and graduated with distinction. He was in the top 7% of his class and on the Law Review, earning the Dean's Scholarship and Justinian Society Scholarship. He wrote articles on securities law for the Securities Law Journal.
 
He began his law career at one of the city's top defense firms before he was recruited to join GWC  in 1990 as the 12th lawyer (at that time) in our rapidly growing firm. He belongs to the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, and the Justinian Society. Away from work, Joe loves to read, work out, and spend time with a great family.