John W. Gilligan, III

Shareholder
Lead Trial Partner

John is a named partner and shareholder. He has been licensed to practice law since 1986 when he graduated with honors from IIT-Chicago Kent College of Law. He manages the firm’s litigation and trial practice.

This second-generation lawyer has achieved his own record of successful defense verdicts having obtained over 80 jury verdicts throughout Illinois and the Midwest as well as in federal court in a wide variety of cases. His Martindale-Hubbell rating is the highest available, an "AV" rating, and he is designated a Super Lawyer and a Leading Lawyer year after year in the State of Illinois. He has been recognized six times by the Illinois Jury Verdict Reporter for his successful defense of cases voted among the most significant in Illinois, with one such verdict recognized as the most significant over a 15-year period of time. He was also the recipient of the 2013 Trial Lawyer Excellence Award by the Illinois Jury Verdict Reporter.

John has proven expertise in catastrophic injury defense, transportation, construction defects, premises liability and intentional tort cases. He acts as a consultant and troubleshooter to our municipal clients. He regularly conducts damage control on high profile and publicized cases.

On a personal note, in 2002, John was the recipient of an award given by the Governor of the State of Illinois for a courageous act of heroism for attempting to save the life of a woman who fainted and fell onto the tracks of an approaching Metra commuter train.

When not saving lives in and out of the courtroom, John lives at home with his wife (a former juror of his) and four kids in Naperville. He enjoys riding his Harley, working out, and playing golf in his free time.

Seminars

• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA) - speaker at Products Liability Seminar (February 15, 1999), speaker on damages in cases involving the elderly (January 20, 2001)

• Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) - presentation on liability claims: Managing the Process and Protecting Your Interests

• American Public Entity Excess Pool (APEEP) - presentation on pre-suit investigation and protection in catastrophic injury losses, including dealing with the media and spoliation issues

• DuPage County Bar Association - instructor for Trial Advocacy Program (2008; 2011)

• Illinois State Bar Association - speaker on wrongful death, survival, and catastrophic injury cases (2017)

Firm Practice Areas

• Automobile/Trucking/Car Rental

• Catastrophic Injury Defense

• Construction Defects

• Intentional Torts

• Municipal Liability

• Premises Liability

• Pre-suit Investigation/Protective Orders/Spoliation

Recognition

• Martindale-Hubbell “AV” rating

• Super Lawyer (2011-2020)

• Leading Lawyer

Admissions

• Illinois Supreme Court

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

• United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois

• United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

• Federal Trial Bar

Education

• Chicago-Kent College of Law, J.D., 1986 (with honors)

• Carroll University, B.A., 1982

Affiliations

• Illinois Bar Association

• Chicago Bar Association

• Defense Research Institute