Representing INDIVIDUALS & businesses since 2002

Headquartered in Chicago, Colin H. Dunn, LLC represents individuals and businesses in tort litigation. Our firm specializes in all aspects of litigation, including appellate practice.

Colin Dunn has been practicing law for over a decade.  He was named to the Law Bulletin Publishing Company's "40 under 40" attorney list, recognizing Illinois' top up and coming lawyers in 2010. He was also named a Super Lawyers' "Rising Star" from 2009-2013. Since 2013, he has been named both a Super Lawyer and a Leading Lawyer. He was named a Best Lawyer of 2017.  And he is listed in Who's Who in Law Higher Education for his class on aviation law.

He has litigated and tried a number of high profile, complex cases, including:

• $112 million dollar verdict for two men injured in a grain bin explosion at a ConAgra mill in southern Illinois (11th highest verdict by National Law Journal's The Top 100 Verdicts of 2012 )

• $100 million dollar settlement from litigation stemming from a 2003 fire at the Cook County Administration Building

• $22.7 million dollar verdict for the family of a husband and father killed by an intoxicated driver (90th highest verdict by Top Verdicts for 2016)

• $18.5 million settlement on behalf of two workers who suffered severe burns after an explosion at a train derailment clean-up site in Kentucky

• $11 million settlement for a family of a father of three who was killed when a building under construction partially collapsed

• $10 million dollar verdict in a premises liability case for the family of a 22 year old woman murdered in her apartment due to the landlord's negligent security practices

• $9 million settlement for a family whose parents were killed when their car was struck by a news van

BAR ADMISSIONS

• State of Illinois

• U.S. Supreme Court

• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit

• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

• U.S. District Court Northern District of California

• U.S. District Court Central District of California

• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois

• U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois

• U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois

• U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky

EDUCATION

• Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois

  • J.D. magna cum laude - 2002

  • Honors: Two-Year Academic Tutor for Professor Spencer Waller in Civil Procedure

  • Honors: Judicial Extern for the Honorable Judge Ann Williams of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals

  • Honors: Judicial Extern for the Honorable Ronald Guzman of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois

  • Honors: Judicial Extern for the Honorable Stephan Schiller of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division

  • Law Journal: Loyola University of Chicago Law Journal, Member of Student Articles Committee

• Miami University

  • B.A. - 1999

  • Honors: Habitat for Humanity Member 1996-99

  • Honors: Trip Leader to South Carolina and Florida

  • Major: Political Science and Classical Humanities

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• Lichaw, et al., v. 69 West Washington, et al. Litigation stemming from the fire at the Cook County Administration Building ($100 million settlement)

• Jentz v. ConAgra, et al. 38-year-old suffered 75% burns to his body after grain bin in which he was working exploded ($71 million verdict)

• Schmidt v. ConAgra, et al. 36-year-old suffered burns to hands after grain bin in which he was working exploded ($36 million verdict)

• Dorner v. Wilmette Real Estate & Management Co., et al. 22-year-old woman was murdered in her apartment by a co-tenant ($10 million verdict)

• Beemsterboer v. Joseph J. Duffy Co., et al. Husband and father of three killed in partial collapse of building during construction ($11 million settlement)

• Allie v. Frontline. Married couple was killed while driving on I-57 after their car was struck by a news van ($9 million settlement)

• Naras v. Flextronics, et al. A husband and father of two was crushed by a punch press at a factory ($6.85 million settlement)

• Bazik v. Hoekstra, et al. Woman suffered multiple fractures after her car was struck by truck in Will County ($3.9 million settlement)

• In re Air Crash Disaster at Lexington, Kentucky on August 27, 2006. Litigation stemming from the crash of Comair Flight 4191 in 2006. (Confidential settlement)

• Woods v. Southwest, et al. Boy killed when Southwest plane crashed through the barrier at Midway Airport and struck the car in which he was a passenger (Confidential settlement)

• Swenson v. Hussman Corp. & Adam Troy. Young husband and father is killed by a speeding trucker. ($22.7 million verdict)

• Powers & Carillo v. CSX Transportation, Inc.; Paducah & Louisville Railway Co.; and Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health. Two workers severely burned in a flash fire during a derailment cleanup in Kentucky. ($18.5 million settlement)

CLASSES & SEMINARS

• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association seminar on Liens & Settlements, Chicago, IL 2012

• Loss Executives Association conference, "Honest Insights from Defense and Plaintiff’s Counsel, Insurers and Adjusters into Why a Claim is Resolved and Why it Lingers," Tampa, FL 2012; Jacksonville, FL 2013

• "Update in Aviation Law" Panel at the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section on Aviation and Space Law Litigation in Washington D.C.

• ITLA Update and Review Seminar,"Intervening Causes," 2015

• ITLA Damages Seminar, "Pain and Suffering," 2014

• Adjunct Professor of Appellate Advocacy, 2004 - 2014

• Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, Chicago, IL, Weekly, two-hour lecture course for second-year law students on appellate writing and oral argument presentation

• Adjunct Professor of Private International Aviation Law, 2011 - Present

• DePaul University School of Law, Chicago, IL, Course for second and third-year law students on the international legal system that governs air carrier liability for international flights

• Illinois Defense Counsel 2015 Spring Symposium, Mediation Round Table

HONORS & AWARDS

• Leading Lawyers, 2013-present

• Super Lawyers, 2013-present

• 2017, Best Lawyers, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs

• Top 100 Verdicts of 2016 (#90)

• Best Lawyers® in America, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, 2018

• Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2009 - 2012

• Law Bulletin’s 40 Illinois Attorneys Under Forty To Watch 2010

• National Law Journal’s The Top 100 Verdicts of 2012 (#11)

• Trial Excellence Award, Jury Verdict Reporter, 2012

• William J. Harte Amicus Volunteer Award from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association 2010, 2011, 2017

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Chicago Bar Association Member of the Judicial Evaluation Committee which investigates applicants for and sitting judges of the Circuit Court of Cook County and the Illinois Appellate Court (2006-2011). Chair of the Aviation Litigation Committee (2008). Co-Chair of Tort Litigation Committee of Young Lawyers Section (2009)

• Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Managers; Amicus Brief Committee

PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS

• Clifford Law Offices, P.C., Associate 2006-2012; Partner 2012-2018

• The Late Honorable Justice Patrick J. Quinn, Illinois Appellate Court, First District, Law Clerk, 2004 - 2006

• Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Assistant State’s Attorney, 2002 - 2004