Robert J. Bates, Jr., Arthur F. Brandt, and Michael H. Passman contributed to the 2014 edition of "Commercial and Professional Liability Insurance," an Illinois insurance law handbook published by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Robert J. Bates, Jr. and Arthur F. Brandt co-authored the chapter on the pollution exclusion. Michael H. Passman authored the chapter on declaratory judgment litigation. The book can be ordered here.

BatesCarey LLP is pleased to announce that 11 of its partners have been selected to the prestigious Leading Lawyers list by Law Bulletin Publishing Company. The survey involves a four phase process, including: the solicitation of recommendations of leading attorneys from all lawyers throughout the state; detailed further interviews with nominees; verification of the ethical history of each nominee and, finally; review by the Leading Lawyers Advisory Board to select no more than five percent of the state's lawyers to be named a Leading Lawyer. Congratulations to: Robert J. Bates, Jr; Arthur F. Brandt; Scott L. Carey; Maria G. Enriquez; Stanley V. Figura; Adam H. Fleischer; Maryann C. Hayes; Matthew M. Murphy; Joseph P. Pozen; John E. Rodewald, and; Mark G. Sheridan!

BatesCarey LLP is pleased to have been recognized as a "Best Law Firm" in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" 2015 rankings. BatesCarey received this honor both with respect to the national rankings and the metropolitan Chicago rankings.

BatesCarey LLP was awarded these honors following a rigorous evaluation of firms in 74 nationally ranked practice areas and 120 metropolitan practice areas. The U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" annual ranking was based on client and lawyer evaluations, peer review, information provided by law firms, and a new Law Firm Leaders Survey.

Jordon S. Steinway will present a 3-hour course to claims adjusters and risk managers on October 27, 2014 at the home office of Continental Western Group in Urbandale, Iowa. The program is sponsored by The Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, and will address the ability to analyze a claim based on good faith claim-handling practices and litigation strategies. The goal is to ensure that claim professionals and risk managers have a current and working knowledge of bad faith actions, trends, damages, and defenses. By using case studies to provide examples of bad faith outcomes, Jordon will construct a multi-jurisdictional framework for the content of the good faith claim file by identifying and discussing its common and necessary elements. In addition, the course will identify and discuss litigation strategies for defending bad faith claims from the perspective of the claim executive and front line claim professional as they work with defense counsel to achieve a favorable outcome in crucial litigation.

On September 17, 2014, Michael H. Passman presented on "Reservation of Rights and Estoppel" at "Handling Insurance Coverage Disputes," an Illinois insurance law conference in Bloomington, Illinois organized by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Michael's presentation included a discussion of (1) the options available to an insurer upon receiving a potentially covered claim, (2) reservation of rights letters, (3) how a reservation of rights letter effects the relationship between the insurer and the insured (including a discussion of the independent counsel rule), and (4) the Illinois estoppel rule.

Maria G. Enriquez will be attending the Women's Business Development Center's 28th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman's Conference in Chicago on September 17, 2014. The Women's Business Development Center focuses on meeting the needs of women and minority business owners in the Midwest. The conference offers women the opportunity to build relationships with potential clients, business experts, and other women business owners. For more information, please click here. On-site registration is available beginning at 7:30 a.m. at McCormick Place-West, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL.

A new Illinois appellate decision clarified 35 years of confusing precedent, and shed light on a challenging coverage question: When an exonerated prisoner sues a public entity for malicious prosecution, is the public entity's insurance triggered in the year in which the wrongful evidence or coerced confessions were first fabricated, or is insurance triggered in the year when the exoneration occurs and the tort of malicious prosecution ripens? This coverage debate may be of growing significance, given that criminal exonerations seem to be increasing across the country.

BatesCarey LLP is pleased to announce that Robert J. Bates, Jr. and Scott L. Carey were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015. Selection to Best Lawyers® is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey of over 52,000 attorneys who vote for the leading attorneys in their practice area. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers® "the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice."

Cory M. Figiel will be leading a panel discussion on the duties of insurers, entitled, "Young Lawyer Track: Duty – Or No Duty?" The panel discussion is hosted by the ABA on March 5, 2015 in Tucson, Arizona. The discussion will be led by Cory M. Figiel of BatesCarey LLP, Bridget Schuster of Williams Kastner & Gibbs, and Isaac Ruiz and Kathryn Knudsen of Keller Rohrback for the ABA Section of Litigation 2015 Insurance Coverage Litigation CLE Seminar.

Maria G. Enriquez will be a panelist on the upcoming webinar, "Bullying by and of Lawyers: Why It Happens and What to Do About It?" The webinar takes place on Tuesday, September 16, 2014, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT. The expert panel will explain why bulling is a persistent problem in the bar and on the bench, examining its effects on victims and perpetrators. The panel includes practitioners, a psychologist with expertise in lawyer behavior, a judge who has developed judicial professionalism programs, and a former state bar president. Maria G. Enriquez will be joined by panelists Hon. Michael P. Donnelly (Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas), Peter Graham, PhD (Acumen Assessments), and Julie I. Fershtman (Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith).

Please register here. The event code is CE1409BUL.