Jay Urban is a 100% plaintiff personal injury law firm with offices in Milwaukee and Tomah (his hometown), Wisconsin. Co-founded Urban & Taylor, S.C. in 1999 with law school classmate, Scott Taylor.
One of the largest single event non-punitive, non-economic injury only jury awards in Wisconsin history: $13.3M in 2014 in Milwaukee (Bradway v. FFE) and only lawyer in Wisconsin under 50 years of age with two over $10M single event trial awards (other one $10.2M in Sparta in 2011 – Miller v. Zurich).
First Wisconsin attorney to serve on a national MDL as Plaintiff Steering Committee co-lead counsel (Du Pont Imprelis® – Philadelphia) while representing the most single plaintiffs in the entire litigation all from Wisconsin and resolved action in 2014 for confidential sum.
Other accomplishments and achievements include:
- On the Plaintiff Steering Committee in Just For Men® litigation in East St. Louis, IL.
- Went to court of appeals over $750 to reaffirm Wisconsin’s “made whole” subrogation law in 2015 (EMC v. Kujawa).
- Achieved at least a high six or seven figure award in virtually every kind of personal injury case including medical negligence and nursing home cases not just auto or premises cases.
- Board Certified by National Board of Trial Advocacy since 2008.
- Named a Wisconsin SuperLawyer every year since inception.
- Named Best Lawyer in America for a decade.
- Won the highest mark American Jurisprudence Award from Marquette Law trial practice program in 1992.
- Before founding Urban & Taylor S.C., was a litigation associate at Karp Law Offices S.C. and Techmeier & Van Grunsven S.C.– both in Milwaukee– and a law clerk at Murphy, Gillick, Wicht & Prachthauser.
- Attended Marquette University Law School (J.D. 1992).
- Attended University of Wisconsin –Madison (B.A. 1989).
- Admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin (#1018098) and the E.D. and W.D. of Wisconsin Federal Courts and the Seventh Circuit.
Personal
- Widowed (Alicia Urban Oct. 2012); married to Ann Jordan (Dec. 2016); two daughters, Bryn (18) and Piper (11).
- Founder of Friends of Atwater Beach to lead the restoration of a Milwaukee family waterfront treasure and raised money and grants to build a boardwalk etc.
- Served on boards and committees for the Volunteer Center of Milwaukee, Village of Shorewood, Historic Water Tower District and Skylight Opera and donor for multiple community events annually including AIDS Resource Center, Radio Milwaukee 88.9, Discovery World, Third Ward Association, ACLU, and Public Citizen.
- Hobbies include travel, boating, dining, tennis, theater, music, and skiing.
Professional Organizations
WAJ – Wisconsin Association for Justice
- Executive Committee since 2016 and currently Secretary; will be Vice-President at the end of this year, then President-Elect in 2019 and President in 2020.
- Member since 1992 when graduated from law school (Marquette).
- Founder of the New Lawyers Section in 1997 and served two terms as the initial chairperson in that initial two year period.
- Served on the Board from when I was chair of the NLS until the present.
- Served as co-chair of the Program Committee 2001-2003 and also co-chaired the Membership Services Committee during that time.
- Frequent speaker and presenter at various seminars annually.
- On the original Justice Fund committee and ran the initial auction.
AAJ – American Association for Justice
- Member since 1992 – went to first convention in 1995 and have been to 2/3 since serving as both a New Lawyer BOG member as well as now on the BOG for the second time around – have also been a State Delegate and also have served on numerous committees and sections and frequent speaker at conventions.
- Key speeches at specific colleges like catastrophic injury case and trial strategy and trucking and nursing home.
- Won the AAJ NNLS Outstanding State New Lawyers Section award for the WAJ section in its first year of existence due to new projects he brought and his work with AAJ.
- Won the AAJ NLS Most Outstanding Trial Lawyer (F. Scott Baldwin) Award in 2002 due to his work on not just big verdict cases but by getting one of the largest consumer recalls in the history of juvenile products, a baby stroller, as the result of work on a single case and class.
Injury Board
- Wisconsin’s member of the national service and marketing driven plaintiff lawyer organization dedicated to marketing based upon and community service and good works level of success and all national members do not advertise traditionally.
Achievements
- Most Outstanding Young Trial Lawyer in America (F. Scott Baldwin Award), 2002.
- Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Advocacy and Civil Pretrial Advocacy, 2008.
- Best Lawyers in America – Plaintiff Personal Injury.
- SuperLawyers – Wisconsin – Plaintiff Personal Injury.
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers – The National Trial Lawyers.
