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Andy Hale

Civil Rights Attorney, Founder, Documentary Film ProducerHale & Monico

Chicago, IL

Skills

law
wrongful conviction
documentary film making

About

Andy M. Hale, ESQ, is an Emmy nominated documentary film producer and attorney with over 30 years of experience in civil rights and commercial litigation matters. He and his cofounder, Brian T. Monico, joined forces in 2019 to create Hale & Monico - America’s Justice Attorney’s - where they specialize in civil rights, commercial litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. Andy began his career as a litigator in Orlando, Florida and later worked in the Chicago and Los Angeles office of a large national law firm, focusing his practice on a variety of commercial litigation and entertainment litigation matters. Since moving back to his hometown Chicago over twenty years ago, Andy has focused his trial practice on civil right cases. It was in Chicago where he began his career as a filmmaker and producer, shining a light on the issue of wrongful convictions. His Netflix documentary entitled “A Murder In the Park” lead to the exoneration of Alstory Simon after sixteen years of wrongful incarceration. His documentary “Wrong Cat” follows his client Cleve Heidelberg Jr.'s struggle to prove his innocence after forty-seven years of wrongful incarceration. Andy has also produced short documentary films regarding social justice issues, including “Bullets Have No Names,” which addresses gun violence in Chicago, as well as “98 Seconds,” which sheds light on the issue of sexual assault. Andy also hosted an Emmy nominated television show in Chicago for several years - “Case Files Chicago” - which highlighted and attempted to solve many of Chicago’s most well known “cold cases.” Andy’s legal case regarding a deathbed image of President Abraham Lincoln was featured in the documentary “Lost Lincoln” that premiered on the Discovery network. Finally, Andy was also an executive producer of the documentary “White Boy” that chronicled the case of Rick Wershe, a 17-year old from Detroit who was sentenced to life in prison for a non-violent drug offense. This story was also depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster “White Boy Rick” starring Matthew McConoghey. Andy’s documentary films have been featured on Netflix, Showtime, and Discovery, and his court cases have been prominently featured in publications such as NYTimes, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, and Crain’s Chicago Business.

Published content

Nine Smart Strategies for Building a Cause-Driven Brand That Lasts

expert panel

Want your brand to stand for something real and be taken seriously? Start here. A strong cause can give your brand meaning beyond products or services — but aligning with that cause in a way that feels credible, not performative, takes more than good intentions. Consumers are increasingly discerning, and cause-based branding that lacks follow-through can do more harm than good. So how do you build something that resonates with your audience, earns their trust and stands up to scrutiny? To answer this question, Rolling Stone Culture Council members share their top strategies for building a brand around a cause and how these decisions can shape your reputation and long-term success.

Nine Unique Places Business Leaders Can Find Inspiration

expert panel

Inspiration may not always come from the most obvious of places. Creative inspiration can sometimes be a difficult resource to come by. It’s often difficult to think of ways to innovate, navigate challenges or simply make needed decisions when your creative well has run dry. And those in naturally creative industries such as art, music, film and more can also struggle with the constant need for new ideas.  At times like these, savvy business leaders will often have places they can turn to to spark ideas and out-of-the-box thinking — but these places may not always seem the most obvious places to start. Here, nine members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share the unique places they find inspiration and how that helps them lead — and create — in a positive way.

Six Tips for Using Social Media to Enhance Your Networking Efforts

expert panel

Being intentional with social media can help you build the connections you need to succeed. With professional platforms like LinkedIn — and even more casual ones like Instagram and X — offering a vast pool of potential collaborators, clients and industry influencers, it’s never been easier to reach a wide audience and build your network. However, it takes more than just a well-maintained profile to leverage these platforms effectively. Understanding how to engage authentically and strategically can be the key to transforming virtual interactions into real-world opportunities. Whether you’re a casual social media user or are looking for simple ways to refine your approach, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council have key advice for any professional in the culture space looking to use social media to supercharge their networking efforts. Discover how to strengthen vital network connections and advance your career by being more intentional with your social media presence.

Leaders: 12 Tips for Handling Criticism While Staying Grounded in Your Vision

expert panel

Feedback can be hard to listen to, but it’s almost always valuable. Whether it's from fans, critics or team members, criticism is unavoidable as a business leader. Especially in the culture space where so many businesses are built around trending interests and tastes, receiving feedback on your business or yourself as a leader is understandably inevitable. However, learning to handle criticism with grace is a learned skill that's not always easy to do when you’re passionate about your project. Here, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council reflect on their experiences with criticism and offer up 12 tips you can use to better handle criticism as a leader while staying grounded in your vision.

Six Ways Digital Platforms Can Change the Way You Interact With Your Customers

expert panel

Embracing these technologies can strengthen your bond with your audience. In 2025, digital platforms are nothing new. Individual users and businesses alike have grown accustomed to the nature of social media and how it has revolutionized culture and the way customers interact with and purchase from brands. However, these platforms have not only continued to evolve, adding new ways of shopping, streaming and consuming, but they’ve also multiplied in number, meaning businesses must always stay up to date on the latest innovations and how they must respond if they want to stay relevant to their customers. So how can brands keep up? The answer may lie in how brands have evolved their communications thus far. Thinking about the rise of digital platforms like TikTok, Instagram or even streaming platforms, the business leaders of Rolling Stone Culture Council discuss their experiences with digital platforms over the years and how they have changed the ways in which their brands interact with their audiences now and will continue to do so into the future.

Managing the Stress of Business Success: 14 Strategies from Entrepreneurs

expert panel

Here's how to manage stress and burnout even when you're thriving. Success in business often comes at a cost to the people who achieve it. Long hours, high stakes and relentless pressure can take a toll on even the most driven entrepreneurs and leaders. Because burnout and stress can significantly impact decision-making, team dynamics and the future of your business, it's important to proactively address these feelings and manage them effectively. To help you do this, the members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share their tried-and-true tips for dealing with the stress that can come with success.

Company details

Hale & Monico

Company bio

Hale & Monico is a law firm that focuses on civil rights and personal injury litigation. We are dedicated, passionate advocates for our clients, using our experience and knowledge to strive for the maximum possible compensation for your needs. Whether you believe your civil rights have been violated or you have been seriously injured due to the negligence of another, we are here to help you seek justice and the maximum possible compensation. As trial lawyers, we approach every case with the intent to take it a trial, giving us a distinct advantage over other firms who may strictly seek to quickly settle your case. Contact us today for a free, confidential initial consultation. We are committed to fighting for your rights. A History of Successful Verdicts and Jury Awards Our attorneys have vast trial experience, successfully advocating on behalf of our clients in the courtroom, achieving verdicts and settlements that total tens of millions of dollars to date. Our level of success is the direct result of our dedication to the people we serve, along with our professional process, which involves thorough case preparation and comprehensive research into the details. Our ultimate goal is to achieve the level of compensation you deserve. Our Approach to Civil Rights and Personal Injury Cases Our team of litigators is open taking a creative, unconventional approach in case investigations and litigation at trial, often employing the use of new, innovative technologies and presentation methods to further substantiate your claims. Ultimately, we are dedicated, as attorneys, to assisting our clients in any way we can. Your initial consultation is always free with no obligations, and we will not hesitate to visit you at home, in the hospital, or other location that is convenient for you.

Industry

Media

Area of focus

Law
Trial Cases
Wrongful Conviction