Kevin J. Caplis

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 ACE Insurance, Arch Insurance, State Farm Insurance Companies, Great American Insurance Companies, Mercury Insurance Company, Zurich Insurance and various other insurance and private companies.

He is also general counsel for litigation for corporate clients. He has 41 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 a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance and is distinguished as AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by martindale.com for over 30 years.

He has been listed since 2005 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 construction and products liability defense.

Education

DePaul University College of Law, JD, 1973

University of Illinois, Chicago, BA, 1970

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, 2012.

Practice Areas

Construction

Insurance Coverage

Premises Liability

Product Liability

Reinsurance

Bar and Court Admissions

Illinois, 1973

US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Federal Trial Bar, Charter Member

US District Court for the Central District of Illinois

US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

Supreme Court of the United States

Memberships

Chicago State Bar Association

Illinois State Bar Association

Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel

Professional Activities

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, 2012.

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, 2012.

Publications

Insurance Update: Medical Payment Coverage "Lien" Held Enforceable