A recent issue of IDC Quarterly (the professional journal of the Illinois Defense Counsel) includes features, articles, and regular columns by five HeplerBroom attorneys.

The attorneys and their contributions:

LaDonna Boeckman

• “Amendments to Illinois Wrongful Death Act to Include Exemplary Damages: Are You Ready for the Change?” (IDC Monograph)
• “We’ve Got to Get Back to the Future: Johnson v. Advocate Health and the Appellate Court’s Recognition of the Need to Get Back to 1995 for the Appropriate Sole Proximate Cause” (Medical Malpractice/Healthcare Law column)

Irina Dmitrieva

• “Illinois Appellate Court Clarifies the Legal Duty Rail Operators Owe to Trespassers on Train Tracks” (feature article)
• “Appellate Court Holds the Circuit Court Reacquired Jurisdiction Over the Case Despite a Clerk’s Failure to File the Mandate with the Circuit Court and Absence of a Formal Motion to Reinstate Upon Remand” (Appellate Practice Corner column)

James DuChateau and Joe Fay

• “Recent Updates to Illinois Public Adjuster Regulations” (Property Insurance Law article)

John Hanson

• “How Tangible are the Computer Passwords We Use Everyday if Not Reduced to Paper: Illinois Conversion Claims?” (Supreme Court Watch column)

Boeckman, a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, works with medical professionals and others in the healthcare industry to make the complex simple and understandable for both clients and juries. Clients who have worked with her appreciate the time and attention she spends preparing them to testify both at deposition and at trial. She is the recipient of a Jury Verdict Reporter Trial Lawyer Excellence Award for an outstanding defense verdict in a dental malpractice matter.

Dmitrieva, a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, is a highly experienced appellate litigator with more than 20 years of success in federal and state appellate courts representing both private clients and governmental entities. Previously, she was the sole appellate attorney for the Chicago Transit Authority, represented the City of Chicago and its agencies in appellate courts, and practiced complex commercial litigation and appellate law at a large Chicago law firm.

DuChateau, a partner in the firm’s Chicago office, concentrates his practice exclusively on insurance coverage, with an emphasis on first-party property for both commercial and personal lines. He’s been named an Illinois Super Lawyer and an Emerging Lawyer by Illinois Leading Lawyers. He was previously honored as the Legal Assistance Foundation’s Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year and as IDC’s Volunteer of the Year.

Fay, an associate in the firm’s Chicago office, focuses his practice on insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, as well as high exposure personal injury and property damage litigation. Colleagues, judges, and clients speak highly of his preparedness and his ability to maintain the delicate balance between cordiality and zealous advocacy.

Hanson, an associate in the firm’s Edwardsville office, focuses his practice on the defense of litigation involving commercial and residential property taxation, governmental matters, and election law. As a former Madison County Assistant State’s Attorney, he brings the detail-oriented approach of a prosecutor to solving complex legal issues for his clients.