William J. Hacker
Partner
William J. Hacker received his B.S. degree in physics from DePaul University in 1973 and is a graduate of The John Marshall Law School (J.D. 1976). He is a member of the Fidelity and Surety Committees of the American Bar Association and the International Association of Defense Counsel as well as the Forum Committee on the Construction Industry.
Mr. Hacker has an "AV" rating with Martindale-Hubbell indicating the highest ranking in legal ability and ethical standards as determined by his peers in the legal community, and has been elected to the Leading Lawyers Network, a distinction given to less than five percent of all licensed attorneys. Mr. Hacker’s practice is concentrated in the areas of contract surety, fidelity, construction litigation, estate planning and contested probate matters. He has spoken at ABA National Institutes and insurance industry seminars. He has authored a number of articles, including:
Limits of Liability—Whether Cumulative or Not, National Institute on Employee Dishonesty sponsored by the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1983.
Construction Trust Fund Statutes, Construction Business Handbook, Chapter 43, McGraw-Hill, 1985.
The Commercial Blanket Bond Annotated (Chapter 4, Section 2(B) and Chapter 5, Section 9), Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, 1985.
Fidelity and Surety Newsletter, Editor, various issues.
Defending Bank Directors and Principal Officers against Claims of Dishonesty and Fraud in the 1980s, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee of the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, San Francisco, California, 1987. This paper was subsequently published as part of Financial Institution Bond Litigation—A Case Study for Bankers, Sureties, Insurers and Attorneys, Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, 1988.
Limits of Liability, National Institute on Fidelity Bonds sponsored by the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, New York, New York, 1991.
Minimizing the Surety’s Loss through Effective Use of Selective Provisions Contained in General Indemnity Agreements: The Pursuit of Subrogation and Indemnity Claims, Defense Research Institute No. 3 Volume 1991.
First Supplement to the Commercial Blanket Bond Annotated (Commercial Crime Policies), Fidelity & Surety Law Committee of the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA, 1992.
Forged Signatures and Improper Notarizations on General Indemnity Agreements, Surety Claims Institute Annual Meeting, 1998.
Fiduciary and Judicial Bond Claims - How to Meet Obligee Expectations Without Losing Your Shirt, National Association of Independent Sureties Annual Meeting, September 22, 2000.
Education
- J.D. The John Marshall Law School, 1976
- B.S. Physics DePaul University, 1973
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1976
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, 1976
Organization Affiliations
- Chicago Bar Association (Member, Forum Committee on the Construction Industry)
- Illinois State Bar Association (Member, Young Lawyers Section)
- American Bar Association (Sections on: Patent, Trademark and Copyright, Natural Resources Law, Tort, Insurance, Member, Fidelity & Surety Committee)
