Practice Area: Appellate Litigation

The Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions for civil cases now include instructions for employment discrimination and retaliation claims brought under the Illinois Human Rights Act. These instructions have been posted on the Illinois Supreme Court’s website as Chapter 255.00 of the IPI Civil Instructions.   Pretzel & Stouffer shareholder Matthew J. Egan is the vice chair …

Matthew J. Egan has been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as Vice Chair of the Court’s Committee on Civil Jury Instructions for a two-year term from January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023. Matt has served as a member of the committee since January 2019. He also served for several years as …

Robert Chemers, a Firm shareholder and Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel, who has practiced exclusively with the Firm for almost 45 years, was interviewed for the Coverage Opinions publication.  The interview is linked here.

The Committee is responsible for receiving rule proposals from the Supreme Court, Supreme Court or Judicial Conference Committees, the bench, the bar or the public. Proposals offered by the bench, bar or public are reviewed by the Rules Committee and placed on the agenda for public hearing if the proposal is determined to have merit.

  Robert Chemers – Insurance Coverage and Appellate Matt Egan – Civil Litigation, Professional Liability, and Employment Law Ed Ruff – Class Action Mass Torts,  Products Liability, Medical Malpractice, and Business Litigation Richard Waris – Business Litigation and Professional Liability We congratulate Robert, Matt, Ed, and Dick for again being recognized for their outstanding legal …

  Partner Scott Howie has been invited to become a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers after being elected at the Academy’s recent meeting. The American Academy of Appellate Lawyers was founded in 1990 to recognize outstanding appellate lawyers and promote the improvement of appellate advocacy and the administration of the appellate courts. …

Pretzel & Stouffer partner, Rich Burgland, has been appointed by Illinois State Bar Association President-Elect David Sosin, to be a member of the ISBA Insurance Law Section Council. Rich concentrates his practice in insurance coverage and appellate litigation.

Pretzel & Stouffer partners, Rich Burgland and Donald Eckler, filed an amicus brief in the Illinois Supreme Court in support of the petitioner in Crim v. Dietrich on behalf of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel. This case deals with whether a party is required to file a post-trial motion to preserve issues decided …

Pretzel & Stouffer partner Scott Howie was elected Secretary of the Appellate Lawyers Association at the annual meeting of the association yesterday. Scott has just completed a year-long term as Treasurer of the association and has previously served on its Board of Directors and as co-chair of its Moot Court Committee. Scott has practiced for …

Brendan Nelligan and Matthew J. Egan once again prevailed in the Illinois Appellate Court on behalf of the firm’s clients, an accountant and his firm who were sued for professional malpractice arising from alleged advice they provided certain clients which purportedly resulted in a loss suffered by the clients in a subsequent collections action. The circuit court had …

Jim Sipchen and Tom Draths recently prevailed in the Illinois Appellate Court on behalf of an attorney who was alleged to have committed legal malpractice in the representation of a client in an underlying whistleblower/retaliatory discharge suit filed against Nicor Gas, Co. Plaintiff alleged that attorney was negligent in failing to take adequate discovery on his claims and …

Pretzel & Stouffer partners Matthew J. Egan and Brendan Nelligan recently prevailed in the Illinois Appellate Court on behalf of the firm’s client, an attorney who had been sued for legal malpractice arising from his representation of a client in litigation which challenged the plaintiff’s performance of fiduciary duties as the trustee of a trust. See, 2018 IL App …

Pretzel & Stouffer partners Matthew J. Egan and Brendan Nelligan once again prevailed in the Illinois Appellate Court on behalf of the firm’s client, an attorney who was sued for legal malpractice arising from his representation of certain clients in multiple mortgage foreclosure cases. The circuit court had dismissed the plaintiffs’ complaint on the grounds that it did not …

The Illinois Appellate Court recently issued an opinion affirming a dismissal which Pretzel & Stouffer partners John H. Scheid and Matthew J. Egan won in the Circuit Court of Cook County in favor of the firm’s client, a condominium association. The case involved a large Chicago bank, which foreclosed on a mortgage it held on a condominium and was …

The Appellate Court of Illinois has affirmed the dismissal of several defendants, including a doctor and a professional corporation represented by Pretzel & Stouffer, finding that the trial court properly dismissed the plaintiff’s medical malpractice action as an impermissible second refiling of a previous action. Scott L. Howie of Pretzel & Stouffer, retained specifically to handle …

Scott L. Howie served on the faculty of the recent Pincus Professional Education seminar, “Appellate Practice 101: The Nuts and Bolts,” held May 10 in Chicago. Scott was the chief presenter on the topics “Should You Appeal?” and “Post-Judgment Motions,” and co-presented on “Perfecting the Appeal and Other Preliminary Matters” and “Interlocutory Appeals by Right and …

The Appellate Court of Illinois has affirmed summary judgment for several doctors and professional corporations finding that the trial court properly found no genuine issue of material fact as to whether any of the defendants proximately caused the plaintiff’s injury. Robert Marc Chemers and Scott L. Howie of Pretzel & Stouffer prepared and defended the appellate brief on behalf …

Robert Marc Chemers won a significant appeal in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The 7th Circuit held that the insured’s 21-month delay in notifying his carrier of the accident was “inexcusable.” State Auto Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Brumit Serv’s, Inc., 877 F.3d 355 (7th Cir. 2017). The insured, an owner of a …

The Appellate Court of Illinois has affirmed a verdict for a doctor represented by Pretzel & Stouffer, finding that the trial court properly barred an expert witness for the plaintiff who would have given inflammatory opinion testimony about documentary evidence, and properly rejected the plaintiff’s proposed jury instruction on contributory negligence. Scott L. Howie of Pretzel …

The Appellate Court of Illinois has reinstated a jury verdict for a hospital foundation represented by Pretzel & Stouffer, finding that the trial court abused its discretion when it vacated that verdict and granted a new trial to the plaintiff. Scott L. Howie and Sommer R. Luzynczyk of Pretzel & Stouffer represented the hospital foundation in the appeal, …

Robert Chemers and Scott Howie recently secured an affirmance in the Appellate Court of summary judgment in favor of the Boy Scouts of America. The case involved the sexual assault of a minor Boy Scout by a former employee of a local scouting council. John Walsh obtained the summary judgment, after extensive briefing and oral argument before …

Robert Marc Chemers secured a victory in the Illinois Appellate Court when the Court reversed the circuit court’s finding of personal jurisdiction against a Tennessee volunteer fire department. The department’s board treasurer had sold a fire tanker truck that he owned to an Illinois leasing company, and then purchased it on behalf of the volunteer …