James Abbott

My legal practice involves the representation of individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations in a wide variety of litigation and trial matters, with an emphasis on defending professional negligence, product liability, commercial, and employment actions. I defend physicians, nurses, nursing homes, hospitals, dentists, pharmacists and pharmacies, and others in the healing arts, in malpractice and regulatory matters. I also defend non-medical professionals such as attorneys, accountants, architects and engineers, and directors and officers in malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract actions, as well as non-profit organizations and churches/clergy in negligence cases. I represent premises owners, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in product liability actions, mass tort actions, toxic tort/asbestos cases, and opioid consumer fraud actions. I advise and defend businesses in contract and warranty matters; non-compete disputes; first party property claims; consumer fraud, unfair business, and tortious interference actions; fair debt collection practices actions; and class actions. Additionally, I defend employers in discrimination lawsuits and retaliatory discharge claims. I have successfully defended clients on numerous jury trials, appeals, and summary judgment proceedings throughout Illinois in state and Federal court. I am licensed to practice in Illinois, the Northern, Southern, and Central U.S. Districts of Illinois, and the 7th Federal Circuit Appellate Court. I have also been admitted pro hac vice on several occasions for trials outside of Illinois in a national coordinating counsel role. Specialties: extensive civil litigation and trial experience