Chicago City Wire

Illinois attorney Arthur Kane has passed away, at age 98. The well-known lawyer, advocate, businessperson, philanthropist and mentor died on Oct. 1 "peacefully in his sleep" a Chicago Tribune obituary said.

Kane received his Illinois attorney's license on Dec. 14, 1939. During his long career, he worked diligently for his clients. Kane is known for his instrumental work in the 1950s and 1960s with Irving Greenfield and other Illinois attorneys in creating the workers' compensation model that the state still uses today.

Kane's law firm -- Kane, Doy & Harrington -- was one of the top defense firms in the Midwest, handling 10 percent of all Illinois workers' compensation claims.

Kane and friend Martin Boyer owned the Martin Boyer Company. The duo sold the claims company, watched the company fail, bought the company back at a discount, rebuilt it and sold it again. They repeated this process at least twice while making a large profit with each sale.

Kane was famous for his ability to argue both sides, defense and petitioner.

Kane served as president of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association and chaired the Chicago Bar Association's Committee on Workers' Compensation.

As a philanthropist, Kane and his wife Esther donated millions to the University of Chicago, including $3 million for the Arthur Kane Center for Clinical Legal Education. The couple also were board members of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and made significant donations to support the Institute's work.