Bryan G. Schumann

OWNER AND PRINCIPAL ATTORNEY

Bryan G. Schumann

Mr. Schumann has been selected as an Illinois "Super Lawyer". For over thirty years he has successfully represented clients in complex business litigation matters with respect to a wide variety of issues including, commercial landlord-tenant disputes, insurance coverage/bad faith actions, corporate law, copyright infringement, professional liability (e.g. architects, engineers, lawyers, accountants, brokers), environmental law (e.g. toxic tort), errors and omissions, corporate/non-profit directors and officers, public officials/municipalities, and general liability matters (e.g., construction defect, products liability and advertising injury) in state and federal courts throughout the country.

LICENSED TO PRACTICE

  • Illinois
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Second Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Third Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Sixth Circuit Court Of Appeals
  • Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

EDUCATION

  • Chicago Kent College of Law, J.D. (1985)
  • Northern Illinois University, B.S. (1981)

ASSOCIATIONS & RECOGNITION

  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Illinois Bar Association
  • American Bar Association

PUBLICATIONS

  • Significant Illinois Coverage Issues
  • 50 State Survey – The Interpretation of the Absolute and Total Pollution Exclusions
  • Rescission and Bad Faith in Illinois 
  • Florida Legal Malpractice And Coverage Issues 
  • Bad Faith Claims and Issues – 50 State Survey
  • National Survey of Bad Faith Law
  • Choice and Control of Defense Counsel and Costs
  • A Review of Environmental Coverage Case Law
  • 50 State Legal Survey – An Insured’s Rights to Recover Attorney’s Fees
  • Subrogation Law Survey – 17 State Legal Survey of Insured’s Subrogation Rights

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

  • Developers Diversified Inc. v. Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance Company, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43541; 415 F. App’x 653 (6th Cir. 2011)(first appeal); U.S.D.C. M.D. Tenn. (4/25/19)(post-trial fee petition award) (in 2019, after nearly fifteen years of litigation, including a two-week trial and two appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, we completely won a multi-million dollar suit against our client and then successfully recovered an attorney’s fee award of nearly $3 million)
  • South Central Kansas v. Fireman’s Fund 97 P.3d 1031 (Kansas Supreme Court, 2004) (agreed that an insurer has no obligation to indemnify via breach of contract or estoppel where it has no duty to defend)
  • Mosquito Control District v. Coregis, 838 So. 2d 1100 (Florida Supreme Court, 2002, on certification from Eleventh Circuit) (agreed that “court of law” does not include administrative agency exercising quasi-judicial powers)
  • USX Corporation v. Insurance Company of North America, 584 Pa. 531; and 809 A.2d 979 (Pennsylvania Supreme Court, 2005) (expanded scope of “business risk” and “work product” exclusions)
  • International Ins. Co. v. Sargent & Lundy, State Court; Chicago, Illinois (and related interlocutory appeal) – longest insurance trial in Cook County history – (over five years) – wherein Plaintiff sought over $100 million in damages in connection with nuclear power plants in Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois (favorably resolved under protective order)
  • R.R. Street & Co. v. Vulcan Materials Company, Case Nos., 08-3445 & 08-3529, (Seventh Circuit, 2009) (established Seventh Circuit law regarding the Wilton/Brillhart abstention doctrine concerning federal jurisdiction)
  • TIG Insurance Company v. Robertson 116 Fed. Appx. 423 (Fourth Circuit, 2004) (expanded Virginia rescission law)
  • Westport Insurance Corporation v. Mirsky, 84 Fed. Appx. 199, 2003 (Third Circuit 2003) (expanded Pennsylvania law regarding “prior notice” coverage defenses)
  • Maynard v. Westport Insurance Corporation, 55 Fed. Appx. 667, 2003 WL 264704 (Fourth Circuit Md. 2003) (expanded Maryland law regarding waiver, estoppel and prejudice)
  • Coregis Insurance Company v. Kafrissen, 57 Fed. Appx. 58 (Third Circuit, 2003) (expanded Pennsylvania law regarding scope of federal “work product” doctrine)
  • Westport Insurance Corporation v. Ulrich Trust, 42 Fed. Appx. 578 (Fourth Circuit, 2002) (expanded Virginia rescission law)
  • Coregis Insurance Company v. Salmanson & Falco, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8992 (E.D. Pa. 2002) (District Court agreed insurer had no obligation to indemnify insureds for a quantum meruit judgment)
  • Cantanese v. Vance, 31 Fed. Appx. 776 (Third Circuit, 2002) (developed New Jersey law concerning insurer’s duty of cooperation and scope of an insured’s right to bind insurer by a consent judgment)
  • Greenspan and Gaber v. Coregis Insurance Company, 737 A. 2d 1283 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1999, reversing 35 Phila. 527 Phila. Cty. 1998) (established Pennsylvania law regarding lack of ambiguity in connection with “related acts” provision)
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