Appellate

James Ferrini, Of Counsel, with Kimbley Kearney, Partner

James Ferrini, Of Counsel, with Kimbley Kearney, Partner

Skilled advocates, the appellate attorneys of Clausen Miller P.C. have earned the firm a reputation for excellence in post-trial and appellate work. With a combination of strong trial and appellate skills, our appellate attorneys handle the post-trial motion and appeal of all cases originating within the firm, as well as a significant number of high-profile cases referred to the Clausen Miller P.C. Appellate Practice Group from outside sources. In concentrating on the complex, highly technical and constantly evolving discipline of Appellate procedure, we have the experience needed to plan and execute the most effective post-trial and appellate strategy.

In addition to handling appeals, we provide critical services at the trial level, including consultation on the preparation of dispositive pretrial motions, participation at trial, and attendance at the crucial jury instructions conference. Further, when substantive changes in the law outside the judicial process are needed, our appellate attorneys have drafted legislative proposals for placement within the proper legislative mechanism, prepared supportive legal analysis, and provided testimony before the appropriate legislative body. And, we keep clients current on developments in the law with the CM Report of Recent Decisions and CM Report-New York.

CM’s appellate group spans a broad spectrum of practice areas achieving landmark victories for our clients in state and federal courts nationwide. Click below to join in on our successes:

Amicus Curiae Briefs
Administrative Law
Admiralty and Maritime
Arbitration
Arson/Fraud
Bad Faith Defense
Business/Commercial Law
Casualty Defense
Civil Rights
Class Actions
Constitutional Rights
Contracts
Debt Collection Defense
Design Professionals
Disciplinary Proceedings
Discovery
Employment Litigation
Environmental Coverage
Fair Debt Collection
Fidelity and Surety
First-Party Property Insurance
Indemnity
Insurance Regulation
Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition
Legal Malpractice
Liability Insurance Coverage
Limitation of Actions
Medical Malpractice
Negligence
Oil Refinery Disaster
Physicians and Surgeons
Premises Liability
Products Liability
Professional Liability
Scaffold and Structural Work Litigation
Schools
Securities
Sports and Recreational Injuries
Subrogation/Loss Recovery
Taxation
Torts
Unfair/Deceptive Practices
Unique Product
Waiver/Estoppel

 

Amicus Curiae Briefs: 

Elg v. Whittington, 119 Ill. 2d 344, 518 N.E.2d 1232 (1987) (civil procedure).

Haugan v. Home Indemnity Co., 86 S.D. 406, 197 N.W.2d 18 (1972) (GCL insurance).

Administrative Law: 

Peoples Gas, Light & Coke Co. v. Illinois Commerce Comm'n, 175 Ill. App. 3d 39, 529 n.E.2d 671 (1988).

Admiralty and Maritime: 

Hatch v. Durocher Dock & Dredge, Inc., 33 f.3d 545 (6th Cir. 1994).

Howard v. So. Ill. Riverboat Casino, 364 F.3d 854 (7th Cir. 2003)

Arbitration:

Father & Sons, Inc. v. Taylor, 301 Ill. App. 3d 448, 703 N.E. 2d 532 (1st Dist. 1998)(authority to decide consumer fraud claim). 

Arson/Fraud: 

Lykos v. American Home Assurance Co., 609 F.2d 314 (7th Cir. 1979) (arson). 

Palace Entertainment v. Bituminous Casualty Corp., 793 F.2d 842 (7th Cir. 1986) (fraud). 

Bad Faith Defense: 

Decker v. Atlantic Mut. Ins. Co., 1997 Ohio App. LEXIS 1829 (1997) (liability insurance coverage). 

Business/Commercial Law: 

Meng v. Maywood Proviso State Bank, 301 Ill. App. 3d 128, 702 N.E.2d 258 (1998). 

Owen Mumford, Ltd. v. Ulster Scientific, Inc., 652 N.Y.S. 2d 652 (App. Div. 1997) (commercial). 

MTB Bank v. Federal Armored Express, Inc., 175 F.3d 283 (2d Cir. 1999) (contract action versus contract carrier). 

Casualty Defense: 

Bezozo v. Town of Hempstead, 686 N.Y.S.2d 489 (App. Div. 1999) (no cause of action in negligence where plaintiff assumed risk of injury). 

Hansen v. Demarakis, 259 Ill. App. 3d 166, 630 N.E.2d 1202 (1994) (Structural Work Act/negligence). 

Maness v. Santa Fe Park Enterprises, 289 Ill. App. 3d 104, 700 N.E.2d 194 (1998) (negligence, limitations of liability). 

Siler v. 146 Montague Assoc., 652 N.Y.S.2d 315 (App. Div. 1997) (casualty defense; negligence instructions).

Wartenberg v. Dubin, Dubin & Moutoussamy, 259 Ill. App. 3d 89, 630 N.E.2d 1171 (1994) (Structural Work Act). 

Yager v. Adler, 686 N.Y.S.2d 33 (App. Div. 1999) (no cause of action in negligence absent evidence of defendant's involvement in plaintiff's injury). 

Civil Rights:

Dell v. Board of Education, Township High Sch. Dist. 113, 32 F. 3d 1053 (7th Cir. 1994) (handicapped).

Gramenos v. Jewel Companies, Inc., 797 F.2d 432 (7th Cir. 1986) (due process/equal protection).

Koch v. Stanard, 962 F. 2d 605 (7th Cir. 1992) (due process due applicants to police force).

Landstrom v. Department of Children & Family Services, 892 F.2d 670 (7th Cir. 1990) (civil rights; qualified immunity).

Class Actions:

In re Chicago Flood Litigation, 289 Ill. App. 3d 937, 682 N.E.2d 421 (1997) (class action attorneys' fees).

Kamilewicz v. Bank of Boston, 92 F.3d 506 (1996) (class action; mass tort).

Constitutional Rights:

Galante v. Steel City National Bank of Chicago, 66 Ill. App. 3d 476, 384 N.E.2d 57 (1978) (self-incrimination; fire insurance; fraud).

Harp Advertising Illinois, Inc. v. Village of Chicago Ridge, 9 F.3d 1290 (7th Cir. 1993) (first amendment challenge to village sign ordinance).

Sun Valley Waterbeds of Utah v. Herm Hughs & Son, Inc., 782 P.2d 188 (Utah 1989) (limitations; equal protections).

Contracts:

Allstate Insurance Co. v. National Tea Co., 25 Ill. App. 3d 449, 323 N.E.2d 521 (1975) (rescission; insurance policy).

Disciplinary Proceedings:

Pritzker v. Drake Tower Apts., Inc., 283 Ill. App. 3d 587, 670 N.E.2d 328 (1996) (Rule 137 sanctions).

Discovery:

North Shore Towers Apartments, Inc. v. Zurich Ins. Co., 691 N.Y.S.2d 327 (App. Div. 1999) (subpoenas for expert depositions properly quashed where special circumstances requirement of C.P.L.R. 3101(d) not met);

Fair Debt Collection Practices Defense:

Berman v. G.C. Services Ltd. Partnership, 146 F.3d 482 (7th Cir. 1998) (case of first impression; FDCPA does not apply to debt collector's efforts to collect delinquent unemployment insurance contributions because such contributions are not "debts" for purposes of the FDCPA).

Jang v. A.M. Miller & Assoc., 122 F.3d 480 (7th Cir. 1997) (case of first impression; debt collector not required to provide debt validation when requested so long as all collection activities cease after validation request).

First-Party Property Insurance:

Bates v. Merrimack Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 238 Ill. App. 3d 1050, 605 N.E.2d 626 (1993) (cancellation of fire insurance policy).

Leafland Group II Montgomery Towers Ltd. Partnership v. Insurance Company of North America, 881 P.2d 26 (N.M. 1994) (asbestos) Libbey-Owens-Ford v. INA, 9 F.3d 422 (6th Cir. 1993) (first-party property insurance).

Paluszek v. Safeco Insurance Co. of America, 164 Ill. App. 3d 511, 517 N.E.2d 565 (1987) (replacement cost coverage).

Stanton Road Associates v. Pacific Employers Ins. Co., 43 Cal. Rptr. 2d 1 (1995) (manifestation rule).

Indemnity:

Transcontinental Ins. Co. v. National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., 278 Ill. App. 3d 357, 662 N.E. 2d 500 (1st Dist. 1996) (additional insured/third-party liability insurance).

Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition:

TIE Systems Inc. v. Telcom Midwest, 203 Ill. App. 3d 142, 560 N.E.2d 1080 (1990) (intellectual property; trade secrets).

Liability Insurance Coverage:

Fidelity & Casualty Co. of N.Y. v. Mobay Chemical Co., 252 Ill. App. 3d 992, 625 N.E.2d 151 (1992) (estoppel; conflicts; indemnity amounts).

J.L. Simmons v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 511 F.2d 87 (7th Cir. 1975) (indemnity; contractual liability coverage).

Limitation of Actions:

Wilson v. Evanston Hosp., 276 Ill. App. 3d 885, 659 N.E.2d 99 (1st Dist. 1995) (medical malpractice)

Medical Malpractice:

Tucker v. St. James Hospital, 279 Ill. App. 3d 696, 665 N.E.2d 392 (1996) (medical malpractice; civil procedure).

Negligence:

Monaco v. Harram's Transp. Co., Inc. 279 Ill. App. 3d 696, 665 N.E.2d 392 (1996) (common carrier liability).

Washington v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 66 Ill. 2d 103, 361 N.E.2d 282 (1977), rev'g 36 Ill. App. 3d 344, 342 N.E.2d 271 (1976) (premises liability, duty).

Ziarko v. Soo Line Railroad, 161 Ill. 2d 267, 641 N.E.2d 402 (1994) (contribution; wilful and wanton conduct).

Oil Refinery Disaster:

Herman v. Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp., 524 F.2d 767 (3d Cir. 1975) (property damage).

Physicians and Surgeons:

Dabros v. Wang, 243 Ill. App. 3d 259, 611 N.E.2d 1113 (1st Dist. 1993) (medical malpractice; plastic surgeon).

Products Liability:

Rios v. Niagara Machine & Tool Works, 59 Ill. 2d 79, 319 N.E.2d 232 (1974) (imposing restrictions on strict liability).

Sacramona v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 106 F.3d 444 (1st Cir. 1997) (products liability; strict liability; spoliation).

Scott & Fetzer Co. v. Montgomery Ward & Co., 112 Ill. 2d 378, 493 N.E.2d 1022 (1986) (limiting scope of economic loss doctrine and expanding the common law duty of care beyond contractual undertakings).

Professional Liability:

Beird v. Figg & Muller Engineers, Inc., 516 N.E.2d 1114 (Ind. Ct. App.1987) (design professional; bridge/ramp collapse).

First National Bank of Chicago v. Porter, 114 Ill. App. 3d 1, 448 N.E.2d 256 (1983) (medical malpractice).

Newell v. Corres, 125 Ill. App. 3d 1087, 466 N.E.2d 1085 (1984) (medical malpractice).

Schools:

Aufox v. Board of Education, Township High Sch. Dist. 113, 225 Ill. App. 3d 444, 588 N.E.2d 316 (2d Dist. 1992) (Illinois School Students Records Act).

Securities:

Barker v. Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, 797 F.2d 490 (7th Cir. 1986) (Rule 10b-5 liability).

Sports and Recreational Injuries:

Keller v. Mols, 129 Ill. App. 3d 208, 472 N.E.2d 161 (1984) (contact sports rule affirmed).

Oswald v. Township High Sch. Dist., 84 Ill. App. 3d 723, 406 N.E.2d 157 (1980) (contact sports rule established).

Subrogation/Loss Recovery:

Independent Trust Corp. v. City of Chicago, 295 Ill. App. 3d 811, 693 N.E.2d 459 (1998) (property damage/governmental immunity).

United Airlines v. Conductron Corp., 69 Ill. App. 3d 847, 387 N.E.2d 1272 (1979) (risk of loss; products liability).

Torts:

Goldberg v. Moskowitz, 1999 N.Y. Slip Op. 05261 (App. Div. 1999) (complaint properly dismissed where plaintiff failed to state causes of action for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty).

Unfair/Deceptive Practices in the Business of Insurance:

Crawford & Company and Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania v. Garcia, 817 S.W.2d 98 (1991) (bad faith defense; treble damages; consumer fraud defense).

Waiver/Estoppel:

American States Ins. Co. v. National Cycle, Inc., 260 Ill. App. 3d 299, 631 N.E. 2d 1292 (1st Dist. 1994) (late notice).