Kevin J. Caplis, Shareholder

Mr. Caplis is an accomplished trial attorney with extensive experience in numerous areas of civil litigation including product and premises liability, construction, insurance coverage (including excess and reinsurance), and professional liability involving accountants, architects and attorneys.  He is a frequent lecturer at legal seminars for attorneys and insurance personnel, and has been published in law reviews, legal publications and law manuals.

Since joining the law firm in 1973, he has worked with numerous corporations, governmental agencies, and insurance companies defending civil litigation.  He has presented seminars dealing with numerous topics, including construction litigation, premises liability, construction contracts, insurance agreements and policies, damages and tort law updates.  His clients include Addison Insurance Company, State Farm Fire & Casualty Company, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Great American Insurance Companies, Mercury Insurance Company, and various other insurance and private companies. 

He is also general counsel for litigation for corporate clients.  He has 35 years of legal knowledge in dealing with insurance companies.  Mr. Caplis’ defense of insureds and insurance issues has evolved into a legal practice representing individuals, companies, and governmental entitles regarding insurance issues dealing with insureds, brokers, insurance funds, and insurance agreements.  He has experience with reinsurance and excess agreements, including collateral requirements and evolving regulatory regimes, crafting and defining contract provisions to accurately reflect the business intent, and innovative approaches for expediting resolution and resolving special funding conflicts and arbitrations.  He has counseled clients regarding anticipating reinsurance disputes, including how the arbitration agreement relates to other contract provisions, including “sunset clauses”, rating, aggregates, “follow fortune” agreements, etc.

He has also advised clients regarding alternatives to insurance including, self-insurance and risk pooling for governmental agencies. These deal with regulated and non-regulated reciprocal risk pooling, risk retention groups, captive insurance organizations and liquidation of insurance companies.

Mr. Caplis has also been active in various bar organizations and served as an officer for the Trial Lawyers Club of Chicago from 1982 to 1985, and as President from 1985 to 1986.  He is active in civic groups and is the elected Vice President and Commissioner of the Burr Ridge Park District in Burr Ridge, Illinois.

He has been a Park District Commissioner since 1990 and is proficient in Park District and Municipal Law.  He is distinguished as AV^® Preeminent^™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and evaluates other attorneys for that directory. 

He is listed in the May 2005, February 2008, and February 2009 issues of Chicago magazine as an Illinois SuperLawyer, a title given only to 5% of the attorneys in Illinois.  He has also been recognized by his peers as a Leading Lawyer since this designation's inception in various areas of law including products liability defense.

Memberships

• Chicago State Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel

Professional Activities

• Frequent lecturer for Illinois Continuing Legal Education Seminars to attorneys and insurance personnel.
• Author: "Proving and Disproving Damage in Personal Injury Cases," Chapter 4, "Psychological Injuries," Illinois Institute for C.L.E. 1993, 1996, 2000, 2006.

Publications

Insurance Update: Medical Payment Coverage "Lien" Held Enforceable