HM&M

What HM&M does

HM&M (Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C.) is a Chicago-headquartered plaintiff-side trial law firm founded in 1992 by Christopher T. Hurley and Mark R. McKenna. The firm concentrates on complex, high-stakes personal injury and institutional abuse matters across seven practice areas: medical malpractice, sexual abuse, vehicle collisions, personal injury, product liability, nursing home abuse and neglect, and workplace injuries. It serves individual plaintiffs and families in Chicago, Cook County, and throughout the United States, with active engagements ranging from single catastrophic-injury cases to mass-tort representations including more than 4,000 Boy Scouts of America abuse claimants.

The firm operates exclusively on a contingency fee basis — clients pay no retainer or hourly fees, and the firm is compensated only upon favorable resolution, typically via a percentage of the recovery. Delivery is partner-led and team-based, with associates and paralegals layered across matters; client intake is via phone, email, and video consultation. The firm has 11–50 employees, with cumulative attorney experience characterized at 75–100+ years across the partnership group. Marketing is content- and PR-led, anchored by a legal blog and earned media from record-setting verdicts and mass-tort publicity, rather than paid acquisition channels. Competitive differentiation rests on attorney credentials (Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers) and demonstrable verdict performance rather than scale.

HM&M is led by four named partners — founding partner Christopher T. Hurley, Mark R. McKenna, Michael T. Mertz, and Clint T. Pierce — and is structured as a privately held professional corporation (Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C.) under Illinois jurisdiction with no external institutional ownership. Headcount has remained in the 11–50 range across the firm's 33-year operating history. The firm reports no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no public-market affiliation; control rests entirely with senior partners. Notable case outcomes include the 2024 $41.1M Pierce v. OSF Healthcare verdict (largest Illinois stroke-case verdict and largest medical malpractice verdict for a plaintiff over 70), the $11M Metra derailment wrongful-death settlement, and multiple seven-figure recoveries in malpractice and trucking matters.

Name

HM&M

Legal name

Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C.

Website

https://hurley-law.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HM&M (Hurley McKenna & Mertz) is a Chicago-based plaintiff trial law firm serving individual victims of medical malpractice, sexual abuse, vehicle collisions, product liability, and nursing home abuse nationwide on a contingency fee basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Injury Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) (FSAJADAB)

Keywords

• Personal injury law
• Medical malpractice litigation
• Trial advocacy
• Sexual abuse representation
• Contingency fee representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Contingency Fee: The firm handles all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no upfront costs and the firm only receives payment if and when the case resolves favorably. This aligns the firm's interests with their clients' outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. (HM&M) is a Chicago-based trial law firm that represents seriously injured individuals and families in complex personal injury, medical malpractice, sexual abuse, product liability, vehicle collision, nursing home abuse, and wrongful death cases. All cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, so clients pay no upfront costs and the firm is paid only when the case resolves favorably. The firm operates with a team approach pairing partners, associates, and paralegals on each matter, and serves clients in Chicago, Cook County, and nationwide.

Product overview

Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. (HM&M) is a Chicago-based trial law firm providing legal representation for individuals injured through negligence or misconduct. The firm operates as a single unified legal services practice offering specialized representation across seven core areas: medical malpractice, sexual abuse, vehicle collisions, personal injury, product liability, nursing home abuse and neglect, and workplace injuries. The firm does not offer separate product lines or modules; all services are delivered through its attorneys as integrated legal counsel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Malpractice Representation

Quantifiable outcome

• $41,149,942.38 verdict in Pierce v. OSF Healthcare - largest Illinois stroke case verdict and largest medical malpractice verdict for plaintiff over 70 years of age
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Chicago Public MediaminorOthersHM&M is a Presenting Partner of Chicago Public Media's annual gala 'Chicago Together,' supporting independent journalism and civic engagement in the Chicago community.
• Aunt Martha's House & WellnessminorOthersHMM staff led charitable donation efforts for children at Aunt Martha's, an organization offering child welfare, community wellness, and family services. Donations included toys, hoodies, and toiletries.
• Colgate UniversityminorOthersChristopher T. Hurley endows scholarships at Colgate University as part of the firm's commitment to education and community support.
• Loyola University Chicago School of LawminorOthersChristopher T. Hurley funds scholarships at Loyola Law School and served as past president of the Law School's Alumni Board of Governors.
• No Free Passes InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare education initiative founded by Chris Hurley to improve patient safety in emergency rooms and intensive care units by training medical staff in proper airway management techniques to prevent intubation-related complications.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Levin & Perconti: Chicago firm recognized for nursing home abuse and medical malpractice litigation on behalf of injured plaintiffs. Direct overlap with HM&M's elder care and med-mal practices.
• Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard: Illinois plaintiff trial firm focused on medical malpractice, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death. Closely comparable to HM&M in case selection, verdict-driven reputation, and contingency fee structure.
• Clifford Law Offices: Chicago-based trial law firm specializing in catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice, and aviation/product liability. Directly comparable to HM&M in practice mix, contingency model, and Chicago plaintiff-bar positioning.
• Romanucci & Blandin: Chicago personal injury and medical malpractice firm with a strong record in catastrophic injury and civil rights cases. Comparable to HM&M in contingency model, trial posture, and case-type breadth.
• Simmons Hanly Conroy: Illinois-based national mass tort and catastrophic injury firm. Comparable to HM&M in contingency structure and high-stakes litigation, though materially larger and more mass-tort focused.
• Napoli Shkolnik: National mass tort and catastrophic injury firm. Comparable to HM&M in contingency-driven complex litigation, including institutional abuse and product liability matters.
• Ankin Law Office: Chicago plaintiff firm handling personal injury, medical malpractice, and workers' compensation cases. Direct overlap with HM&M in Illinois PI/med-mal market and contingency fee approach.
• Power Rogers & Smith: Top-tier Chicago plaintiff firm handling medical malpractice, personal injury, and wrongful death cases on contingency. Comparable to HM&M in trial reputation, case-type mix, and Illinois plaintiff-bar leadership.
• Moll Law Group: Chicago personal injury and medical malpractice trial firm. Comparable to HM&M in plaintiff-side trial focus, case-type mix, and contingency model.

Broad incumbents

• Morgan & Morgan: Largest U.S. plaintiff personal injury firm with national TV advertising and broad practice coverage. Operates in the same contingency-based PI/med-mal space as HM&M but at vastly greater scale and marketing intensity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HurleyMM33
• Facebookfacebook.com/HurleyMcKennaMertz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HM&M