Current Employment Position(s)

Associate

Lawyer Overview

Mr. Ocasek received his J.D. from the DePaul University School of Law in 1981 and his M.A. from Northwestern University in 1975.

Mr. Ocasek's practice is concentrated in the various aspects of personal injury and negligence as well as insurance-related litigation including ERISA, health plans, and coverage disputes. His appellate practice has resulted in state and federal decisions which secure the right of clients to protect their recoveries from claims by other insurance companies.  He successfully prevented an insurer from claiming it was entitled to a share of a minor's proceeds in Keleher v. Blue Cross.  He prevented Wal Mart's ERISA plan from taking all of a plaintiff's limited recovery when there were still outstanding medical bills in Speciale v. Wal Mart.  He wrote the Amicus Brief for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association in Hogland v. State Farm and Greenawalt v. State Farm; cases which resulted in the Illinois Supreme Court establishing the principle that setoffs may only be applied in Underinsured Motorist cases to prevent double recovery.

He has lectured for the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association on the subjects of Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage and has written the chapter on third party insurance coverages for the Automobile Litigation Manual published by the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.  He is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and is frequently requested to serve as neutral arbitrator in 3 attorney panels for Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist claim arbitrations.

He has been a member in good standing with the Illinois State Bar since 1981 and has also been admitted to practice before the Federal Bar for the Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.  He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association.

Areas of Practice

• Arbitration
• Bad Faith
• Chemicals & Cosmetics
• Commercial Insurance
• Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) -- Employee
• Federal Employer's Liability Act (FELA) -- Employee
• Food & Agricultural Products
• Insurance Malpractice
• Insurance Subrogation
• Legal Malpractice
• Life & Health
• Machinery & Tools
• Medical Products & Devices
• Motor Vehicle
• Motor Vehicle Defects
• Pharmaceutical Products
• Property & Casualty
• Recreational Products

Representative Cases

• Speciale v. Wal Mart
• Keleher v. Blue Cross

West Practice Categories

Arbitration, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) -- Employee, Railroad Worker Injury/FELA, Bad Faith Insurance, Commercial Insurance, Insurance Malpractice, Insurance Subrogation, Life & Health, Motor Vehicle, Property & Casualty, Chemicals & Cosmetics, Food & Agricultural Products, Machinery & Tools, Medical Products & Devices, Motor Vehicle Defects, Pharmaceutical Products, Recreational Products, Legal Malpractice

Bar Admissions

• Illinois, 1981
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1993
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1981
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1988
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1998

Classes and Seminars

• Bad Faith Insurance, ITLA, 2002
• Uninsured/underinsured Issues, ITLA, 2000

Education

• DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
  J.D.
• Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
  M.A.
• Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
  B.A.
  Major: Psychology

Offers Free Initial Consultation

Address

# 3000
120 N Lasalle St
Chicago, IL 60602-2415

Phones

(312) 236-6166

Faxes

(312) 236-3029

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.cooneyconway.com