James M. Bream, Shareholder

Prior to joining Querrey & Harrow as a partner in the firm's Chicago office, Mr. Bream was a partner with the firm of Peterson & Ross.  While Mr. Bream has an active healthcare practice and is an active speaker in the healthcare field, he also has a strong interest in education and educational law.

Mr. Bream is soon to begin his third term as a member of the highly respected Glenview/Northbrook School District 30, where he currently serves as Board President, a liaison to the Glenview Values Project, as a member of the Citizens’ Curriculum Advisory Committee and participates in the Budget and Finance, Buildings and Grounds and Education Committees.  Mr. Bream is also the Co-Chair of the Glenview CHARACTER COUNTS! program, a Josephson Institute affective education program.  School District 30 has a detailed and thorough special education program and is a key member of NSSED and LICA.  Mr. Bream has been involved in school law litigation, including issues involving the termination and reinstatement of a college-level student with special needs.  Mr. Bream has also been a presenter at the Annual Joint Conference for school boards and administrators.  Mr. Bream’s healthcare background further provides added qualifications on the subjects of special education and HIPAA compliance.

Mr. Bream has addressed the issue of managed care liability before the Illinois Association of Defense Counsel, speaking on Managed Health Care Liability Issues at the IDC Annual Spring Seminar, as well as through in-service programs at several Chicago-area hospitals.  Mr. Bream has been a featured speaker at “Defensive Driving:  A Road Map for Managed Care,” the PLUS Medical PL Symposium, speaking as a panelist on “Managed Care Liability-Outlook for 2002 and Beyond,” at the PLUS International Conference, as the moderator for “The Medical Malpractice Crisis:  What About the Hospitals?,” at the CHRMS Annual Conference: “Patient Safety Today and Tomorrow,” at CHRMS Law Day: "What's on Your Website?", at the PLUS Annual International Conference on "The Medical Malpractice Crisis: What About the Hospitals?" at the American Association of Nurse Attorneys 24th Annual meeting on "Confessional Negligence Litigation: Where Do We Go From Here?" and has also presented lectures on medical charting, informed consent, consent by minors, EMTALA, HIPPA, advanced directives and liability theories to HMO’s, hospitals and physician groups. 

Mr. Bream is married, the father of four children and a Vice President of the  Glenview/Northbrook School District 30 Board of Education and has coached travel soccer in Glenview..  He also serves on a charitable foundation board for a local hospital and is currently the co-chair of CHARACTER COUNTS! in Glenview.

Memberships

• Chicagoland Healthcare Risk Management Society, Board of Directors
• Defense Research Institute
• Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel
• Illinois Association of Health Care Attorneys
• Professional Liability Underwriters Society
• Kingston's National Registry of Who's Who, 2002 ed, Life Member
• Phi Kappa Phi

Community Involvement

• President, School Board, Glenview/Northbrook School District 30
• Co-Chair, CHARACTER COUNTS!, Glenview, Illinois

Representative Matters

Recent Trial Experience
Heastie v. Olympia Fields, et al.
Defense of nurse in case involving 28% total body surface burns, amputation of digits and other disabilities.  Demand $8,000,000.  Verdict:  Not guilty.

Wilson v. Advocate Health Care, et al.
Defense of health plan and physician in alleged failure to diagnose colon cancer.  Successful mediation days before trial.  Result subject to confidentiality agreement.

Ingram v. Jackson Park Hospital, et. al.
Defense of hospital and emergency room personnel in alleged failure to timely treat status asthmaticus resulting in death of minor.  Settled at trial, during motions in limine, for nominal sum after drastic reduction in demand.

Clark v. Jackson Park Hospital, et al.
Defense of hospital in alleged failure to timely diagnose and treat ruptured bowel status post laparoscopic tubal ligation.  Dismissed by plaintiff without payment following motions in limine.  Verdict against remaining defendant returned for judgment of $1,016,000.

Prudinsky v. Weiss Memorial Hospital, et al.
Defense of hospital in multi-hospital case involving alleged failure to timely diagnose and treat pediatric appendicitis.  Settled on trial for $25,000 cost of defense.

Reed v. Jackson Park Hospital, et al.
Defense of hospital in alleged failure to diagnose and treat laceration of eye resulting in enucleation of globe and blindness.  Dismissed on motion following successful motions in limine.  Upheld on appeal.

Burbridge v. Michael Reese Health Plan, Inc.
Defense of HMO and physicians in multi-defendant litigation involving alleged failure to timely diagnose and treat renal failure requiring kidney transplant.  All counsel settled on trial, but we avoided managed care issues by way of motions to strike and pre-trial motions for summary judgment, resulting in settlement of $120,000 while codefendants paid a total of $1,380,000, against a demand of $5,000,000.

News

• Wrongful Death Trial Returns Verdict In Favor Of Doctor And Hospital