Andy Schwartz Secures Rapid Resolution of $241 Million Judgment

05.26.26

Aronberg Goldgehn Member Andy Schwartz successfully helped enforce and resolve a $241 million judgment in Paula Johnson, et. al. v. Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., et. al., securing a near-full recovery through swift and strategic post-judgment action in a complex wrongful death matter.

The judgment followed a nearly decade-long case in which a team of trial lawyers secured a $241 million verdict on behalf of the plaintiff, including $191.5 million in punitive damages. While a verdict of this scale often signals the conclusion of trial proceedings, it also frequently marks the beginning of a critical — and often prolonged — collection phase.

Following the entry of judgment in Madison County, Illinois, Schwartz and Aronberg Goldgehn were retained to lead and expedite post-judgment enforcement and recovery efforts. Schwartz acted immediately to initiate enforcement, a core focus of his legal practice. He regularly works with attorneys and their clients to enforce and collect significant judgments, bringing a strategic, proactive approach to securing results after a verdict is reached.

Within one business day of the judgment being entered, he prepared citations to discover assets directed to the judgment debtors, along with third-party citations directed to financial institutions involved in the judgment debtor’s key financial operations. Unlike many jurisdictions that impose an automatic waiting period before enforcement can begin, Illinois permits immediate post-judgment collection efforts unless the debtor obtains a stay. In this case, the citations were issued and served before the judgment debtors could secure a stay, establishing early and powerful leverage.

The aggressive approach yielded immediate results. The judgement debtors sought emergency relief to halt the enforcement actions, which the court denied. The parties reached a resolution, settling the matter for $210 million within two weeks of the judgement order — a substantial and expedited recovery in a process that often takes years. The judgement debtors also assigned a large bad-faith claim against their insurance company as part of the settlement.

When top-tier injury lawyers secure verdicts and judgments in excess of available insurance, they turn to Andy Schwartz of Aronberg Goldgehn to help convert those results into meaningful recovery. Aronberg Goldgehn's Business Litigation team represents clients across a wide range of industries in complex disputes, including post-judgment enforcement and recovery matters.