Mary F. Andreoni is Ethics Education Senior Counsel for the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, in Chicago, where she focuses her practice on legal ethics and professional responsibility. Andreoni is a member of the Chicago Bar Association and Former Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Professional Responsibility Committee. Andreoni received her B.A. magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she also wrote for the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal.
Sherri M. Arrigo is a Partner and Shareholder with Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth LLC, in Chicago, where she focuses her practice professional liability defense, pharmaceutical defense, and products liability defense. Prior to initiating a legal career, Ms. Arrigo worked for several years as a registered nurse. She is a published author and a frequent lecturer to various groups and organizations on topics related to professional malpractice liability and medical malpractice insurance. Ms. Arrigo is a Fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized by her peers as one of the Top Ten Women Civil Defense Lawyers in Illinois. She has also been recognized by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America. Ms. Arrigo earned her B.S. summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University and her J.D. with highest honors from DePaul University College of Law, where she was a member of the DePaul University Law Review and was admitted to the Order of the Coif.
William T. Barker is a Partner with Dentons US LLP, in Chicago, where he has a complex litigation practice, concentrating in insurance law, and is a member of Dentons’ Ethics Committee. He is the author of Extrajurisdictional Practice by Lawyers, 56 Bus.Law. 1501 (2001), and continues to write and speak frequently on that subject. Mr. Barker is a coauthor, with Ronald D. Kent, of NEW APPLEMAN INSURANCE BAD FAITH LITIGATION (2d ed.). He is also a member of the American Law Institute and was active in the debates over the RESTATEMENT (THIRD) OF THE LAW GOVERNING LAWYERS concerning the ethical obligations of insurance defense counsel. Mr. Barker was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct (2004 – 2007). He is a member of the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility and of its Policy Implementation Committee, the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the ethics committees of the Chicago Bar Association, and the ABA Sections of Litigation and Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice (Chair, 2014 – 2015). Mr. Barker was Chair of the IADC Ad Hoc Committee on Interstate Practice, an invited participant in the ABA Working Symposium on Multijurisdictional Practice, a member of the Advisory Council of the ABA Ethics 2000 Commission, and a member of the IADC and TIPS task forces on multidisciplinary practice. He earned his B.A. and M.S. from Michigan State University and his J.D. from the University of California.
Thomas L. Browne is a Partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in the firm’s Chicago office, where he focuses his practice almost exclusively on the representation of lawyers, having represented hundreds of lawyers and law firms on numerous issues involving civil liability, professional responsibility, and risk management. He is in-house counsel for Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP and is the Past Chair of the firm’s Professional Liability Group. Mr. Browne is a frequent lecturer on the subject of lawyer liability and professional responsibility and has written numerous articles on the law of lawyer liability and professional responsibility matters. He earned his B.A. from Northwestern University and his J.D. with honors from The John Marshall Law School.
Robert A. Chapman is a Co-Managing Partner with Chapman Spingola LLP, in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice in the prosecution and defense of commercial, professional liability, real estate, trade secret, and organizational disputes. He has written articles on trial-related issues for the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Bar Journal and was a Coeditor of the TRIAL LAWYER’S GUIDE. Chapman is a member of the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations and was a member for nine years of the ARDC’s Hearing Board. He earned his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and his J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley’s Berkeley School of Law, where he was an associate editor of the California Law Review.
Cortney S. Closey is an associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice on complex commercial litigation matters, including business disputes, mass tort, products liability, financial, environmental, and white-collar matters. She has given lectures on a variety of topics, including the implications and future of tort reform in Illinois. Ms. Closey received her undergraduate degree with a double major in political science and Spanish from the University of Michigan and her J.D. cum laude from DePaul University College of Law, where she was a Dean’s Scholar, served as an officer of the appellate moot court society, and won national awards for Best Brief and Best Oral Advocate.
George B. Collins is a Partner with Collins Bargione & Vuckovich in Chicago, where he is engaged in litigation practice, including civil litigation, appellate work, disciplinary defense, legal malpractice, and professional responsibility. He has also represented judges before the Judicial Inquiry Board and the Illinois Courts Commission. Mr. Collins has testified as an expert witness in legal malpractice trials and often serves as a consultant in such matters. He has published several articles on white-collar crime defense issues. Mr. Collins is a member of the American, Arkansas, Illinois State, and Chicago Bar Associations and of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. He received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas, where he was an Associate Editor of the Arkansas Law Review.
Kent J. Cummings is a Partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on working with insurers, insureds, and self-insureds in all aspects of insurance-related law. He works with companies to create effective risk management strategies, including both traditional and nontraditional insurance programs, such as captive insurance, risk retention groups, and risk purchasing groups. Mr. Cummings has authored several articles on a wide variety of insurance issues and lectured in the past on insurance-related matters. He earned his B.A. from the University of Maine and J.D. cum laude from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
J. Timothy Eaton is a Partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on commercial and appellate litigation. Eaton was named Person of the Year by Chicago Lawyer in 2020 and earned the Distinguished Award for Excellence from the Illinois Bar Foundation in 2022. Eaton received his B.A. from Miami University and his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law.
James R. Figliulo is a Partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on litigation. He is the Founder and Past President of the Chicago Inn of Court, as well as a recipient of the Judge Joel M. Flaum Award. Figliulo is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and was the 2005 President of the Seventh Circuit Bar Association. Figliulo received his B.A. cum laude from Saint Mary’s College and his J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law.
William M. Freivogel is a private consultant, in Chicago, to law firms on ethics and professional liability issues. Until 2007, he was Senior Vice President of Loss Prevention at Aon Risk Services and was a member of its Professional Services Group. Mr. Freivogel has written and spoken extensively in the areas of legal ethics and loss prevention. He is the author of FREIVOGEL ON CONFLICTS, a comprehensive online guide to conflicts of interest, available at www.freivogelonconflicts.com. Mr. Freivogel is a member of the Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA LAWYERS’ MANUAL ON PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT. He is a member of the American Law Institute, where he was a member of the Members’ Consultative Group for the RESTATEMENT (THIRD) OF THE LAW GOVERNING LAWYERS project. Mr. Freivogel was a member of the Advisory Council to the American Bar Association Ethics 2000 Commission, and he is a member of the ABA Business Law Section Legal Opinions Committee. He received his B.S. from the University of Illinois and his LL.B. from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Peter J. Gillespie is a Partner at Laner Muchin, Ltd., in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on employment law-related issues. He is a member of the editorial board of the SciTech Lawyer. Gillespie received his B.A. from Northwestern University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Theresa M. Gronkiewicz is Deputy Regulation Counsel of the American Bar Association’s Center for Professional Responsibility in Chicago, where she serves as counsel to the Standing Committee on Professional Discipline and addresses various topics concerning lawyer and judicial disciplinary enforcement, ethics, and professional responsibility nationwide. Prior to joining the Center, she was in private practice for 22 years and Of Counsel to Collins, Bargione & Vuckovich in Chicago, representing lawyers, judges, and bar applicants in professional responsibility, ethics, and disciplinary defense matters at various stages of the disciplinary process, including investigations, hearings, and appeals. Ms. Gronkiewicz has appeared before the various boards of the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, the Supreme Court of Illinois, the Judicial Inquiry Board, the Illinois Courts Commission, and the Illinois Committee on Character and Fitness. Before entering private practice, she served as Senior Counsel to the ARDC, where she investigated and prosecuted allegations of lawyer misconduct for 6 years. Ms. Gronkiewicz is admitted to the Illinois bar, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She is a frequent speaker on various subjects relating to the ARDC, attorney discipline, ethics, and professional responsibility. Ms. Gronkiewicz is a member of the ABA. She previously served on the Chicago Bar Association Professional Responsibility and Law Practice Management Committees and mentored lawyers under court-ordered probation or supervision to address law practice management issues. Ms. Gronkiewicz received her B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.
Ira N.Helfgotis a solo practitioner at the Law Offices of Ira N. Helfgot, in Chicago, where he concentrates his practice in commercial litigation, commercial collections, and professional liability law. He is a current member and former board member and officer of the Illinois Creditors Bar Association, a current member and former board member of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, and a current member of the Illinois State Bar Association. Mr. Helfgot earned his B.A. from Northern Illinois University, where he was a Student of Distinction of the Department of Political Science and a member of the National Political Science Honors, National History Honors, and Mortar Board Societies. He received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, where he was a member of the DePaul University Law Review.
Matthew R. Henderson is a Partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on representation of attorneys in all aspects of professional liability and ethics. He is a member of the Chicago Bar Association Committee on Attorney Malpractice and the Professional Responsibility Committee, as well as being a member of the Illinois Defense Counsel and Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. Henderson received his B.A. cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Fritz K. Huszagh is an attorney and counselor at FKH Legal, in Vernon Hills,where he concentrates his practice on consulting, counseling, and representation in insurance matters. Mr. Huszagh is a member of the American Bar Association and the Illinois State Bar Association, and he has served on ISBA’s Insurance Section Counsel as both a member and an officer.
Rex K. Linder is Senior Counsel to Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C., in Peoria, where he concentrates his practice in civil litigation in federal and state courts, including the defense of professional and products liability cases involving potentially significant damages. He is a member and Past President of the International Association of Defense Counsel, a member and former board member of the Defense Research Institute, and a member and former President of the Peoria County Bar Association. He is also a member of the American and Illinois State Bar Associations. Mr. Linder received his B.S. from Bradley University and his J.D. from Washburn University School of Law.
Terrence P. McAvoy is Of Counsel at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on professional liability and legal malpractice. He is a Member of the American Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the Defense Research Institute. McAvoy received his B.A. from the University of Illinois and his J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.
Thomas P. McGarry is an independent lawyer and expert consultant. For 39 years, he was a member of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, in Chicago, where he served as a leader of the firm’s national Lawyers Professional Responsibility Professional Liability and Risk Management Practice Group and focused his practice on the representation of lawyers and law firms in the areas of professional liability, discipline, and risk management. McGarry is a veteran trial lawyer and a certified mediator in the Cook County Court-Annexed Mediation Program. He was a judicial law clerk to the Hon. James J. Mejda, Illinois Appellate Court, and served in the United States Navy as a commissioned officer. McGarry has been a frequent lecturer on issues of attorney malpractice and ethics for various legal organizations, forums, and law schools. From its inception, he has been the General Editor and chapter author of the Illinois lawyers’ practice manual, ATTORNEYS’ LEGAL LIABILITY, published by IICLE®. For many years he was a co-contributor to a monthly ethics column in Chicago Lawyer magazine. He was published as chapter coauthor in The PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE LAW REVIEW (3d ed. 2020 – 2021). He was a contributing author and editor from 2005 to 2022 in LEGAL MALPRACTICE: THE LAW OFFICE GUIDE TO PURCHASING LEGAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE. McGarry was also Editor of ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS: ILLINOIS PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE (Law Bulletin Publishing, 2002). He has been an associate member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability, the Chicago Bar Association’s Attorney Malpractice and Prevention of Malpractice Committee, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, and the Professional Liability Underwriters Society. McGarry earned his B.A. from Marquette University and his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law, where he was a published member of the DePaul Law Review. Today, he focuses his private practice on lawyer ethics counseling and litigation expert consulting.
Maureen A. McGuire is a Partner with Anderson Rasor & Partners LLP, in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice in the areas of railroad defense, premises liability, construction litigation, commercial transactions, civil litigation, and corporate and real estate law. Her memberships include the Defense Research Institute, the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel (current Executive Committee member, President 2021 – 2022), and the Norwood Life Society (current Director, Chair 2011 – 2013). She was listed in Top Lawyers of Chicago, Transportation Law (2012) and was selected as a Leading Lawyer (2017– 2022). She earned her B.A. and B.S. from Loyola University Chicago and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Justin M. Penn is a Partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on financial services litigation. He is a member of the Legal Advisory Board for the Consumer Relations Consortium. Penn received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.
Elliot R. Schiff is a private practice attorney in Chicago, where he focuses his practice on representing clients who have been damaged from legal malpractice by attorneys. He is the Past President of the Illinois Society of Trial Lawyers and a Past Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and was named Fellow of the National Litigation Counsel of America. Schiff received his B.A. from Ohio University and his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
J. Matthew Thompson is a Partner with Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C., in Peoria, where his practice is concentrated on the defense of hospitals, physicians, nurses, and other professionals in professional negligence cases, products liability defense, and business and commercial litigation. He is a coauthor of the Health Law column for the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel Quarterly and has published multiple articles in the Southern Illinois University Law Journal. Mr. Thompson has been named a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers (2012 – 2014) and recognized as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers. He received his B.S. from Culver-Stockton College and his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law.
Michael J. Wagner is a Principal with Baker & McKenzie LLP in Chicago. He is the immediate Past Chair of the firm’s Global Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Industry Group and is Chair of the North American Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Industry Group. Mr. Wagner also serves on the firm’s global Executive Committee. In addition, he heads the firm’s Product Liability, Safety, and Recall Practice. His practice focuses on civil litigation, with particular emphasis on commercial and tort litigation for global companies. Mr. Wagner has authored articles and given speeches on a wide range of litigation-related subjects, including attorney-client privilege, global product recalls, corporate crisis management, trade secret misappropriation, and the RESTATEMENT (THIRD) OF TORTS: PRODUCTS LIABILITY. He is the Coeditor of the GLOBAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE HANDBOOK (1st ed. 2010, 2d ed. 2014) and the coauthor of the United States chapter. Mr. Wagner also served as Coeditor of the GLOBAL PRODUCT RECALL HANDBOOK (3d ed. 2013). It is the only book to address the recall laws and regulations of 40 jurisdictions in a single source. He also authored Preventing and Defending Product Liability Claims: Minimizing Their Media, Monetary, and Reputational Repercussions, a chapter in STRATEGIES FOR LIMITING LIABILITY (Aspatore Books, 2008). Mr. Wagner coauthored Drug and Device Product Recalls: Prevention and Plan of Action, a chapter in the CROSS-BORDER LIFE SCIENCES HANDBOOK (Practical Law Company, 2011). He earned his B.S.J. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Jennifer W. Weller is a Partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, in Chicago, where she concentrates her practice on the defense of lawyers and other professionals, debt collectors, and creditors. She has defended debt-collection agencies, lawyers, and creditors in numerous class action lawsuits involving claims brought pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and various other state and federal laws. Ms. Weller earned her B.A. from the University of Illinois and her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law where she was an Editor-at-Large on the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal.
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