Area of Practice: Civil Rights Law
Ed Fox earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in 1976 and subsequently pursued his law degree at Southwestern University, graduating with distinction in 1985. At Southwestern, Ed's exceptional legal aptitude was recognized as he ranked near the top of his class and secured victory in a national moot court competition. Throughout his career, spanning over two decades split between Los Angeles and Chicago, Ed has consistently championed the rights of individuals whose trust or authority has been violated, including victims of nursing home abuse, police misconduct, and employer malpractice.
Returning to his original hometown of Chicago in 1996, Ed commenced his legal practice and established Ed Fox & Associates, Ltd. in 1999, initially with one fellow attorney. Over the past seven years, the firm has witnessed steady growth, expanding its success, team of lawyers, and office space to accommodate its flourishing practice.
During his tenure as a lawyer, Ed has been involved in a multitude of cases that garnered significant media attention, as well as cases that, while not capturing national headlines, held great importance for the clients involved. Among the notable cases were a police brutality lawsuit against Mark Fuhrman during the O.J. Simpson trial and a police misconduct case against the LA Sheriff's Department, which arose from an attempt to kill a deputy who refused to participate in a police cover-up, resulting in debilitating injuries. Both cases were settled for substantial amounts.
Other prominent cases include a class-action lawsuit regarding strip searches of African-American women at O'Hare airport, which spanned from 1997 to 2006 and led to policy changes within U.S. Customs (now Homeland Security) regarding search protocols. Additionally, in a groundbreaking case, Ed achieved a significant jury trial victory against Chevron on behalf of an employee who underwent an unlawful random drug search and was subsequently terminated for refusing to comply with the search.
Ed possesses extensive experience in both state and federal court trials, having secured his first victory in 1987 on behalf of Tyrone Merritt, an African-American man who suffered physical abuse and false accusations of car theft. In a more recent case, Ed went to trial in a nursing home abuse lawsuit representing Rene Ferguson's great aunt and reached a settlement after eight days, amounting to nearly one million dollars. Sadly, the great aunt, Hattie Brown, had passed away before the trial commenced. In another success, Ed won a $95,000 jury verdict for malicious prosecution on behalf of Steven Schrader, who was wrongfully issued traffic tickets. Additionally, in April 2007, Ed secured a $415,000 jury verdict against the Chicago Park District in a case involving a woman who tripped in an uncovered pole vault box on a track, resulting in a broken arm.
While not his largest case, Ed takes great pride in a trial he won on behalf of a mentally challenged man who was wrongfully terminated from his job as an exterminator due to his inability to read and write. Ed successfully proved to the jury that this termination violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In addition to his extensive trial experience, Ed has conducted seminars and spoken on various legal issues within his areas of expertise. In 2000, he provided testimony before the United States Congress on matters related to racial profiling. More recently, Ed has been consulted by the media regarding a nursing home case involving a profoundly disabled woman who was raped, became pregnant, and gave birth due to the negligence of the facility. Ed has consistently been an outspoken advocate for individuals whose rights have been infringed upon.
