Education
J.D., University of Illinois College of Law
B.A., Eastern Illinois University
Experience
Jim has over 30 years of experience representing insurance companies and self-insureds in the defense of common law litigation in state and federal courts in northern Illinois. His experience in handling personal injury actions includes trials involving products liability, Structural Work Act, dram shop, automobile accidents, premises liability, municipal law and wrongful death. He also has experience in litigating coverage issues. He has defended criminal cases in both state and federal courts. He has tried more than 90 jury trials to verdict, along with hundreds of bench trials and arbitration cases.
Community Involvement
He is a member of the Trial Bar of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and is admitted to the United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. He is a member of the Trial Section of the Winnebago County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel.
Jim is a former member of the Board of Directors of Wesley Willows. He formerly served as the President of the Board of Janet Wattles Center (a community mental health center) and Salt Youth Services (a residential placement service for troubled teenagers).
Since joining WilliamsMcCarthy, Jim has taken an active role in firm management. He has been the chairman of the Litigation Group and the Committee on Associates.