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Steven A. Hart

Steven A. Hart Founding Partner

A seasoned trial lawyer with more than two decades of experience, Steven litigates a wide variety of civil matters including class action, mass torts, personal injury, products liability, toxic tort, environmental, automotive, and transportation cases. He also has a record of success representing both defendants and plaintiffs, from Fortune 500 companies, medium, and small businesses to individuals, in class action cases. Most recently, Steven obtained a $100 million-plus settlement for a class of farmers and small businesses in an antitrust class action suit in the Northern District Federal Court in Chicago. Steven received a 2013 Jury Verdict Reporter Trial Excellence Award for his work on this case, the highest reported Illinois verdict/settlement in 2013.

Steven has tried cases to successful jury verdict throughout the country and has argued before State and Federal courts of appeal. His practice includes State and Federal trial work in construction and premises liability actions. It was Steven's work in the latter arena that led Kohl's to nominate Steven's firm as a "Go-To" Litigation Law Firm in American Lawyer's 2012 survey. Steven also represents corporations and individuals in employment-related matters.

Steven serves as National Coordinating and Trial Counsel for several Fortune 500 companies in asbestos and environmental litigation. He is National Coordinating and Trial counsel for DHL transportation litigation. He has tried cases in Illinois, New York, Texas, Indiana, California, and Wisconsin for manufacturers and premises owners. He has developed extensive experience in epidemiology, medical causation, industrial hygiene, accident reconstruction, and biomechanics.

Steven is a published legal author and frequent lecturer. His writings have been published by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, including "Using Expert Witnesses: Principles and Pitfalls." Steven is also an adjunct professor in trial advocacy at Chicago-Kent College of Law. Numerous bar associations and legal organizations have asked him to speak at distinguished events.

Steven was recently appointed to the 47th Ward Democratic Organization Judicial Review Committee, where his committee will be responsible for interviewing, vetting and slating Cook County Judicial Candidates for election.

A resident of Chicago, Illinois, Steven is married to Jill Hart, and together they have two daughters and a son.

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A. (Political Science), 1989
  • John Marshall Law School, J.D., 1992

  • Illinois, 1992
  • New York, 2004
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 1992
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar, 1995
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 2004
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, 2005
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 2005
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, 2005
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2005
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 2007
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2011
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, 2011
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2015

HONORS
  • Recipient of the Illinois Jury Verdict Reporter's 2013 Trial Lawyer Excellence Award for the Highest Reported Illinois Verdict or Settlement During the Past Year
  • Received honorable mention for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice at American Antitrust Institute’s 2013 Antitrust Enforcement Awards
  • Recognized as an Illinois Leading Lawyer (a designation limited to less than 5% of all lawyers licensed to practice law in Illinois), nominated and selected by peers in the legal community
  • Selected for inclusion in the Illinois Super Lawyers list (no more than 5% of lawyers in the state are selected), nominated and selected by peers in the legal community (2005, 2006, 2009-2011)
PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
  • 47th Ward Democratic Organization Judicial Review Committee
  • American Association For Justice
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • New York State Bar Association
  • Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS)
  • RIMS Chicago Chapter 009
PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS
  • Achieved $100 million-plus settlement on behalf of U.S. farmers and small businesses in a complex antitrust class action case against seven of the world's largest potash producers and distributors.
  • Successfully defended Kohl's Department Stores in a premises liability personal injury case argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Click here for audio of oral argument.
  • Nominated as a "Go-To" litigator by his Fortune 150 client.
  • Serves as National Coordinating Counsel for DHL's independent contractor cases.
  • Speaker at April 21 & 22 APA/ABA Program, "Psychological and Neuropsychological Evidence in Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Cases - Litigating a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Case," held in Chicago, IL.
  • Speaker at the Sterling Education Water Intrusion and Mold Claims Seminar and was acknowledged by attendees as being, ". . . passionate and an excellent speaker. Can picture him as an extremely effective trial attorney."
  • Selected National Trial and Coordinating Counsel for Fortune 500 company.
  • Tried multi-million dollar cases in Illinois, Texas, New York, California, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
PUBLISHED APPELLATE OPINIONS
  • Reid v. Kohl's, United Sates Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (2008, WL4216473 C.A.7(Ill))
  • Pullia v. Builders Square, Inc., 265 Ill.App.3d 933, 638 N.E.2d 688, 202 Ill.Dec. 820 (1st Dist, 1994)
HIGHLIGHTED CASES

  • 112 million dollar settlement in class action antitrust price fixing case, on the behalf of farmers and small businesses.
  • 2 million settlement for a worker injury in structural work act case.
  • 3.55 million settlement against the city in the death of a 4 year old pedestrian for a defective intersection.
  • 1.5 million class action settlement for former ABA basketball players in pension claim.
  • 1.45 million settlement against the City of Racine for violation of client's civil rights.
SPEAKER/AUTHOR ENGAGEMENTS
  • Perrin Conferences' 2016 Class Action Litigation Conference, Chicago, IL (May 2016) - Class Action Trials
  • Chairman and speaker at Perrin National Product Liability Conference, Miami, FL (February 2015).
  • Perrin Conferences’ 2013 Cutting-Edge Issues in Asbestos Litigation Conference, Beverly Hills, CA, "The Emerging Lung Cancer Case: An Analysis of Surging Filing Trends, Asbestos Trust Issues, and the Modern Causation Case" (March 18, 2013).
  • National Forum for Environmental and Toxic Tort Issues (FETTI), "Asbestos Update," Chicago, IL (September 26, 2012).
  • Perrin Conferences' Asbestos Litigation Conference: A National Overview & Outlook, "The Philadelphia and Madison County Courts - How Recent Changes to those Asbestos Dockets May Reshape the Litigation," San Francisco, CA (September 10, 2012).
  • Perrin Conferences' Litigating Asbestos Cases in Today's Economic Environment, "The Economics of Resolving Asbestos Cases in Today's Climate," New York, NY (December 1, 2011).
  • Perrin Conferences' 2011 Asbestos Litigation Conference: A National Overview and Outlook, panelist, "Jurisdictional Update: Illinois, California & Emerging Jurisdictions," San Francisco, CA (September 19, 2011).
  • Perrin Conferences' Asbestos Bankruptcy Conference, panelist, "Using a 468B QSF to Facilitate a Settlement," Chicago, IL (June 20, 2011).
  • Perrin Conferences' Cutting-Edge Issues in Asbestos Litigation, moderator, "Managing Insurer & Policyholder Relationships in 2011 Asbestos Litigation," Beverly Hills, CA (March 3-4, 2011).
  • Perrin Conferences' Asbestos Litigation Conference: A National Overview and Outlook, "Asbestos Cases in 2010: National Trends Driving the Litigation" (September 13-15, 2010).
  • Perrin Conferences' Asbestos Litigation Conference: A Comprehensive National Overview and Outlook, "Overview of Active and Emerging Jurisdictions; Current Status of the MDL; Legislative Update" (September 14-16, 2009).
  • Co-Chairman and Speaker, Mealey's Lead Litigation Conference, Orlando, FL (April 3-4, 2008).
  • Mealey's MTBE Litigation Conference, Santa Monica, CA, "MTBE & Public Nuisance - Is This The Future Of MTBE Litigation?" (June 4, 2007).
  • Co-Chairman and Speaker, Mealey's Lead Litigation Conference, Chicago, IL, "The Thomas Suit: Risk Contribution & Market Share Liability" (April 19-20, 2007).
  • Mealey's Teleconference: Lead Litigation Update, "Rhode Island, California & Ohio - Are More Suits On The Horizon?" (November 2006).
  • Mealey's Lead Litigation Conference, Washington, DC, "Theories of Market Share Liability, Public Nuisance and Civil Conspiracy" (December 2005).
  • American Bar Association National Institute, Chicago, IL, "Psychological and Neuropsychological Evidence in Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Cases - Litigating a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Case" (April 2005).
  • Guest Lecturer, Chicago Kent Law School, Trial Advocacy "Jury Selection" (April 2005).
  • Defense Research Institute-National Asbestos Medicine Conference, San Diego, CA, "Premises Liability" (November 2004).
  • Panel Counsel Conference-Transportation Law section, "Fleet-Optimization and Transportation Liability" (March 2004).
  • Chicago Bar Association Seminar: Trial Advocacy, "Winning Opening Statements and Closing Arguments" (May 2003).
  • Mealey's Asbestos Premises Liability Conference, Philadelphia, PA (February 2003).
  • 2013 Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit (co-chair, speaker and author), New Orleans, LA (November 6, 2013).
  • 2012 Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit (co-chair, speaker and author), Miami Beach, FL (November 7, 2012).
  • Perrin Conferences' 2011 Asbestos Defense Strategic Summit (co-chair, speaker and author), Las Vegas, NV (November 9, 2011).
PUBLICATIONS
  • More Interesting Than Watching The Paint Dry: Emerging Trends In Lead Paint Litigation January 1, 2007

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