Attorney Profiles

Gregory F. Coplan is a principal in the law firm of Coplan & Crane, L.L.C. While he has practiced in all fields of personal injury litigation since 1992, Greg specializes in medical malpractice cases and other complex civil litigation.

After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) in 1988, Greg attended Northern Illinois University College of Law and was awarded his Juris Doctor in 1992.

Since receiving his license to practice law, Greg Coplan has successfully prosecuted cases on behalf of injured clients and their families throughout Illinois and in other states across the country, as well. In recognition of his accomplishments and success for his clients, Greg has been honored by induction into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a national group of trial lawyers who have achieved million, multi-million and billion dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of their clients.

Greg is active professionally as a member of the American Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, American Association for Justice and a Contributing Member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. As an AAJ member, Greg belongs to the Professional Negligence Section and with ITLA, he is a member of the Medical Negligence and Civil Practice and Rules Committees and on the Board of Managers. Greg has also co-chaired the Seminar Planning Committee and has served on the Editorial Board for ITLA’s acclaimed periodical, the Trial Journal. Greg has received a rating from Martindale-Hubbell that indicates his peers consider him to have high to very high legal ability, has an exemplary reputation and has been recognized for the highest levels of integrity. He is also listed in Marquis Who’s Who in American Law.

In addition, Greg has been a frequent lecturer to bar association groups and was an invited panelist on a cable television program underwritten by the Illinois State Bar Association, “Mediation in Medical Malpractice Cases,” which aired in April 2002. From 1999 to the present, Mr. Coplan has also authored chapters included in the Medical Malpractice Trial Notebook, published by the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Coplan resides in River Forest, Illinois, with his wife and three children. Greg is admitted to practice before the state court in Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Benjamin A. Crane is a principal in the law firm of Coplan & Crane where he exclusively represents individuals and families victimized by wrongful conduct. Ben concentrates his practice in plaintiff's personal injury law including cases arising under the FELA, from medical negligence, construction negligence, transportation (automobile, truck and railroad) negligence, premises liability, and wrongful death litigation.

After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Norbert College (DePere, Wisconsin) in 1997, Ben attended The John Marshall Law School (Chicago, Illinois) and was awarded a Juris Doctorate in 2000. During law school, Ben clerked for the Presiding Judge of the Law Division, the Honorable Judith Cohen, and at a large loop law firm. Upon receiving his license to practice law, Ben went to work for a large defense firm, representing doctors and hospitals in medical malpractice cases and insurance companies in a variety of personal injury matters.

Ben soon found his passions, ideologies and talents would be better suited by representing personal injury plaintiffs. The time he spent on the defense side, however, provided Ben with a keen insight into how insurance companies and defense attorneys analyze cases, which is a tremendous advantage to his clients.

Immediately upon becoming “a plaintiffs’ attorney,” Ben knew it would be his life’s work. Ben has successfully handled the most complex cases, including several medical malpractice cases involving infants catastrophically injured during labor and delivery, and the most straightforward automobile cases, which can become quite complex in their own right. Ben has developed a passion for representing union railroad workers in FELA litigation against carriers. Ben’s clients have all, in some way, had the quality of their lives depleted, and he finds that the best way to achieve success on behalf of his clients is to immerse himself in the personal heartache and misery of his clients, while laboring to somehow improve the quality of their lives.

Ben is a very active member of the legal community. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, where he served as chair of the Tort Litigation Committee in 2005-2006. Ben is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago, Public Justice, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, where he has served on the New Lawyers Division Board of Governors. In 2006-07 Ben served as the co-chair of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Products Liability Committee.

In 2008, Ben was selected by Super Lawyers Magazine as an Illinois Rising Star.

James (Jim) joined Coplan & Crane in July 2008. He concentrates his practice in plaintiff’s personal injury law including medical malpractice, transportation collisions, premises liability, construction accidents, FELA claims and insurance coverage disputes.

Jim was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. He attended Marist High School on a full academic/athletic sponsorship. After high school, Jim attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in Finance and was a member of the Men’s Volleyball Team. He graduated from college in 3.5 years.

Jim earned his law degree from John Marshall Law School in 2.5 years, graduating in the top of his class in 2005. While in law school, he took elective courses that emphasized litigation practice, including advanced trial advocacy. To refine his litigation techniques and skills during law school, Jim worked as a law clerk at a Chicago plaintiff’s personal injury firm and for the Cook County State’s Attorney, both in the civil and criminal divisions. He was also the head coach of a nationally ranked club volleyball team.

At the outset of his legal career, Jim practiced at a Chicago litigation defense firm for three years, successfully defending his clients in transportation collisions, premises liability actions, construction accidents and cases involving negligent supervision with insurance policies in excess of $1,000,000. Within six months of becoming a licensed attorney, Jim won his first jury trial in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Law Division.

He also had numerous victories at arbitrations, and effectively represented his client’s interests at mediations. Working on the defense side has given Jim a unique perspective and competitive edge in his representation of injured plaintiffs, enabling him to understand insurance companies’ motives and claims practices, with the net effect of maximizing his client’s recovery.

Before joining Coplan & Crane, Jim accepted a position at a Chicago plaintiff’s personal injury firm, where he handled various types of personal injury matters, including medical malpractice, transportation collisions, premises liability and construction accidents. There, he aggressively, but tactfully, prosecuted claims, both in court and out-of-court, receiving significant recoveries for his clients.

Jim is affiliated with various bar associations, the Justinian Law Society, and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is married to Renee Nash, a pharmacist and professional beach volleyball player.