PRACTICE FOCUS
Tom Hanekamp is an accomplished litigator and trial lawyer who focuses his practice on major commercial litigation on a nationwide basis, with an emphasis on matters involving professional and management liability, including directors and officers liability. In addition, Tom regularly counsels clients with respect to insurance coverage issues associated with D&O, E&O, EPL and professional liability claims.
Active in firm management, Tom has served on Tressler’s four-person Executive Committee, which is the governing body of the firm, since 2008.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
Samplings of cases that Tom has handled include:
- Lawsuit between insurer and corporation concerning insurance coverage for shareholder class action litigation. Won summary judgment in federal court.
- Lawsuit concerning alleged defects associated with used automobile. Bench trial judgment in favor of client.
- Lawsuit involving issues of successor corporation’s rights to insurance coverage. Won summary judgment.
- Lawsuit involving alleged defective design of commercial vehicle. Jury verdict in favor of client.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Tom has achieved an AV® Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. He has also been selected for inclusion in Illinois Super Lawyers® for 2011 & 2012.
Tom joined Tressler as an associate in 1987. Previously he was a trial attorney at a litigation-based firm in Chicago.
Tom is a frequent author and speaker on a variety of topics, such as the subprime mortgage crisis, the proper use of experts in litigation, presenting the corporate witness for deposition, and electronic discovery. Additionally, he serves as an editor of Tressler’s Specialty Lines Advisory.
A sampling of his publications includes:
- “From Subprime Crisis to Credit Crunch to Recession: The Liability and Coverage Implications for Professional Liability and E&O Insurers,” Tressler seminar paper, February 2009.
- “Insurance Policy Rescission,” published in “The Risk Report,” June 2008.
- “Recent Developments Affecting the Right of Rescission,” published in “Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Quarterly,” December 2007.
A sampling of his presentations includes:
- “Insurance Coverage for Subprime Mortgage Litigation,” the Chicago Bar Association/Young Lawyers Section’s Insurance Law Committee meeting, Chicago, April 21, 2009.
- “Cutting Edge Claims Issues – 2009,” Tressler seminar, New York, February 2009.
- “How to Manage Insurance Coverage in the Subprime Crisis,” webinar presented by DRI’s Insurance Law Committee, January 6, 2009.
- “E-Discovery Update: Managing Costs and Managing the Process,” FDCC Corporate Counsel Symposium, Dallas, Texas, September 23-25, 2008.
- “Subprime Mortgage to Credit Crunch: An Overview of the Litigation,” Alberta, Canada, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel’s Annual Meeting, July 31, 2008.
- “Facts Impacting Coverage,” Atlanta, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel‘s Litigation Management College, June 17, 2008.
- “E-Discovery,” Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel’s E-Discovery Task Force presentation, April 10, 2008.