CHICAGO – Plaintiff’s attorney Jay Edelson, the founder of Edelson P.C., has been named to Fast Company’s 14th annual list of the Most Creative People in Business, making him the first plaintiff’s lawyer to make the list.
Edelson and his eponymously-named firm have won billions of dollars for their clients in some of the most groundbreaking cases of the day. From setting records for the largest consumer privacy settlement ($650m against Facebook) to the largest privacy jury verdict ($925m) to winning hundreds of millions of dollars in first-of-their-kind online casino cases to taking on the plaintiff’s bar establishment in the wake of the Tom Girardi embezzlement scandal, the firm has made its mark bringing and winning cases other firms have shied away from.
And it has done so with its unique flair. With a commitment to a flat hierarchy within the firm that often feels more reminiscent of a tech startup, the firm houses its own indoor volleyball court surrounded by murals from a Chicago street artist. It is the first (and only) law firm to establish its own creative wing, where it produces its “Non-Compliant” podcast (hosted by Jay Edelson) and rap videos calling for legal reform. (Its most recent video, “We Don’t Talk about Claims Rates (A Bruno Parody)” was seen by over 70,000 people, making it the second most-watched video produced by Edelson Creative.
“The legal industry has convinced generations of lawyers that law is not a creative art,” explained Edelson. “We are told to always look backward to solve problems, to copy what has worked, and to avoid what hasn’t. Our firm has always rejected that notion and has strived to approach our work from first principles: What should the law hold? How do we convince a judge or jury to buy in emotionally to new arguments? How do we run a firm that is not shackled to the old ways of doing things? How do we have a constructive voice in ushering in much-needed reforms for plaintiff’s lawyers in the wake of the Girardi scandal? How do we protect privacy in a post-Dobbs world, fight for victims of mass shootings given the broad protections the NRA has ushered into law, and find new ways to combat corporate polluters who are destroying the environment?”
Fast Company editors and writers research candidates for the list throughout the year, scouting every business sector, including technology, medicine, engineering, marketing, entertainment, design, and social good. The individuals honored have all accomplished something truly innovative within the past 12 months or so. Additionally, no one on this list has ever been profiled in the pages of Fast Company before. Together, they represent the future of business.
“Most Creative People represents Fast Company at its best,” says Brendan Vaughan, Fast Company‘s Editor-in-Chief. “These dozens of human stories showcase how creativity is one of the most underrated ways to transform business.”
Introduced in 2009, the Most Creative People list quickly established itself as one of Fast Company‘s most esteemed franchises. Each year, the magazine’s editors present an all-new list of people chosen according to a proprietary methodology.