Jay Paul Deratany
Founder, Deratany & Kosner
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Jay Paul Deratany
“When I first took on a foster care case twenty years ago though – I knew it was my passion. I have been fighting to reform the very broken foster care system and representing kids who have been abused, in the foster care system since.”
“When I first took on a foster care case twenty years ago though – I knew it was my passion. I have been fighting to reform the very broken foster care system and representing kids who have been abused, in the foster care system since.”
Jay Paul Deratany, the founder of Deratany & Kosner, has long been an advocate for the vulnerable, particularly those of the foster care system. His fight for justice extends to representation for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect, adoption abuse and neglect, personal injury and medical malpractice.
He holds a proven track record of helping clients get the results they need. His success in the courtroom includes winning a historic $45,000,000 verdict in a foster care wrongful death case as well as the then-largest jury verdict in Lake County history, $23,000,000, in a birth injury case. Since 2007, he has annually been recognized by Top Illionois Lawyers and Top 100 Lawyers.
In addition to his legal career, Mr. Deratany is also a playwright and screenwriter. In 2013, he received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of California — Riverside. His creative work includes writing the GLAAD nominated play Haram Iran, as well as writing and producing the feature film Foster Boy — which is currently in the works to be adapted as a television series with executive producer Shaquille O’Neal.
Mr. Deratany is also an advocate for global LGBT youth rights. He serves on the board of directors of Ekta Transglobal, a nonprofit organization that advocates for LGBT equality. He currently resides in Chicago with his husband, Curt Smith.
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Jay Paul Deratany
Jay Paul Deratany, the founder of Deratany & Kosner, has a proven track record of helping clients get the most efficient and pertinent results. His success in the courtroom includes winning a historic $45,000,000 verdict in a foster care wrongful death case as well as the then-largest jury verdict in Lake County history, $23,000,000, in a birth injury case.
LEGAL CAREER
Mr. Deratany has published numerous articles featured in the Illinois Bar Journal, Daily Law Bulletin, Adoption Magazine, and Foster Families Today. He has been a guest on Fox & Friends, CNN and the O’Reilly Factor. He has been featured in Foster Families Magazine for his continuing fight on behalf of foster children.
Mr. Deratany has served on numerous boards, including Howard Brown, Chicago House, Perspectives Charter Schools, and Community Support Services. He won the Ekroth Award for his federal lawsuit advocating on behalf of disabled women who were being discriminated against in housing.
Practice Areas
- Social Services/Foster Care Negligence
- Birth Injury
- Medical Malpractice
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability
- Wrongful Death
Education
- Juris Doctor, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Awards
- Best Lawyers in America®, 2021
- Top 100 Lawyers, 2007-Present
- Top Illinois Lawyers, 2007-Present
- Top Illinois Litigation Lawyer, American Society of Legal Advocates, 2016
- Leading Lawyers, 2017
Other Awards & Recognitions
- GLAAD Media Award nomination for Haram! Iran! in 2010
- Inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 2020
- Best Feature Film for Foster Boy at DRIFF 2019 (Durham Region International Film Festival)
- Best Narrative Feature for Foster Boy at the International Black Film Festival in 2019
- Best of Fest for Foster Boy at the International Black Film Festival in 2019
- Human Rights and Dignity Award for Foster Boy at the Tryon International Film Festival 2019
- Carpe Diem Award for Foster Boy at Woodstock Film Festival 2019
- Best Feature Film for Foster Boy at the West Texas Film Festival 2019
- Best New Theatrical Musical Jeff Award for The Civility of Albert Cashier
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Mr. Deratany is also a playwright; his hit play, Haram Iran, was nominated for a GLAAD theater award and has played in Chicago, Los Angeles, and soon London. He also has recently finished production of his first feature film titled Saugatuck Cures. SuperLawyers recently profiled Deratany’s work as a playwright and how it dovetails with his legal career.
Additionally, Mr. Deratany is a successful entrepreneur. During the filming of Saugatuck Cures, he used a historic home in Saugatuck, the Sarah M Kirby House, as a “base-camp.” Mr. Deratany took the house under his wing and began renovations to reopen it as a boutique hotel, The Kirby.
Mr. Deratany continues to advocate for global LGBT youth rights. He serves on the board of directors of Ekta Transglobal, a nonprofit organization that advocates for LGBT equality.