Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, one of the nation’s most renowned personal injury and wrongful death law firms, has named the Honorable Henry R. Simmons (Retired) as the new Managing Partner of the firm.

Thomas K. Prindable, who has served as Managing Partner for 20 years, will become Senior Partner at the firm.

Judge Simmons was on the bench in the Cook County Circuit Court for 19 years until he retired in 2011 when he became a Certified Mediator with ADR Systems of America. His experience on the bench included serving in the Law Division as well as the Criminal Division where he was a Felony Trial Judge.

Prior to serving on the bench, Judge Simmons served as an Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney. For 12 years, Judge Simmons handled assignments in the Felony Trial Division, Juvenile Court, Felony Review, Appellate Division and the Consumer Fraud Unit where he served as supervisor.

He was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve on the Committee on Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases from 1994-2004. He has been recognized by several organizations for his work and his dedication to the profession including receiving the American Legion Award of Excellence (Post#808). The Cook County State’s Attorneys’ Office Recognition of Service Award was bestowed upon him for his serving as a weekly volunteer for the HighSight Organization in Chicago that supports high school students in the area of academics and social support from 2006-2008. He will be honored in November, 2014, as the Judge of the Year by the Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP) for his volunteer work with this organization that helps lawyers in need.

Judge Simmons has spoken to various organizations on a wide range of subjects. In the past three years, he has taught the following accredited CLE courses at law firms in the Chicago area: Effective Defense Advocacy: Constructive Criticism from the Bench Regarding the Use of Experts; Motion Practice and Pre-Trial Settlements; Winning at ADR: Understanding Advocacy in Arbitration and Mediation; Negotiation, Mediation, Arbitration and Litigation: The ADR Spectrum of Processes and Medical Malpractice and Litigation Update (moderator). Judge Simmons has served as a judge in numerous law school advocacy mock court competitions as well. Throughout his judicial career, he was a participant in the law school externship programs involving DePaul University College of Law and IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Judge Simmons graduated from DePaul University College of Law and Purdue University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics. He was admitted as a member of the Illinois and Indiana state bar associations.

“Clifford Law Offices is very proud of Judge Simmons’ professional career spanning over three decades and we are equally proud that he will continue his career in managing our firm,” said Robert A. Clifford, Founder and Senior Partner. His work in such a critical position will serve our firm well in the years to come. “We also are proud that Tom Prindable will continue with the firm as Senior Partner, focusing on probate work, an area in which he excels and is recognized throughout the state.”