Jill B. Berkeley

Jill Berkeley contributed articles to IRMI.com about insurance law as it applies to liability insurance.

Ms. Berkeley is a partner in the Chicago office of the law firm Howrey LLP, where she co-chairs Howrey's national Insurance Recovery practice. She has concentrated in insurance law and coverage litigation for over 25 years, including the supervision of tort and coverage litigation on the primary and excess levels. Ms. Berkeley has extensive experience in the representation of insurers and insureds in coverage litigation involving declaratory judgments, bad faith, toxic tort and hazardous wastes, and excess liability matters.

She received her J.D. degree from Northwestern University in 1975 and her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan, where was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1972.

Her representation of insurers and insureds includes declaratory judgments, bad faith, toxic tort and hazardous wastes, and excess liability matters. In addition to litigation, she has consulted with numerous clients on issues of coverage and risk management under all forms of policies including auto, CGL, workers compensation, property, directors and officers liability, and professional liability. Ms. Berkeley has extensive experience in the review and drafting of policy forms and endorsements.

Reported decisions of cases that she tried or participated in include:

• American Economy Ins. Co. v. Holabird and Root, __ N.E.2d __, 2006 WL 1471924 (Ill. App. 1st Dist., May 30, 2006)
• Country Life Ins. Co. v. St. Paul Surplus Lines Ins. Co., 422 F. Supp. 2d 977 (C.D. Ill. 2006)
• Indemnity Insurance Company of North America v. Melton Truck Lines, Inc., 2004 WL 2034074 (N.D. Ill., 9/7/04)
• Utica Mutual Insurance Company v. The David Agency, et al., 327 F. Supp. 2d (N.D. Ill. 2004)
• Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co. v. O'Rourke Brothers, Inc., 776 N.E.2d 588 (Ill. App. 2002)
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois v. Maryland Casualty Company, 139 F.3d 561 (7th Cir. 1998)
• American States Ins. Co. v. Koloms, 666 N.E.2d 699 (Ill. App. 1996), aff'd 687 N.E.2d 72 (Ill. 1997)
• Rhone-Poulenc v. International Ins. Co., 71 F.3d 1299 (7th Cir. 1995)
• Carbone v. American Bankers Ins. Co., Rule 23 Decision (Ill. App. 5th Dist. 1995)
• Old Republic Ins. Co. v Meadows Indemnity Co., Ltd., 870 F. Supp. 210 (N.D. Ill. 1994)
• Aetna Ins. Co. v. Chicago Ins. Co., 994 F.2d 1254 (7th Cir. 1993)
• Coronet Ins. Co. v. Saez, 502 N.E.2d 1292 (Ill. App. 1987)
• Evaluation Systems, Inc., v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 555 F. Supp. 116 (N.D. Ill. 1982)
• Allstate Ins. Co. v. Gutenkauf, 431 N.E.2d 1282 (Ill. App. 1981)
• Martin v. Allstate Ins. Co., 416 N.E.2d 347 (Ill. App. 1981)
• Scroggins v. Allstate Ins. Co., 393 N.E.2d 718 (Ill. App. 1979)

Since August 1986, Ms. Berkeley has been the principal author and executive editor of CGL Reporter, published by International Risk Management Institute, Inc. She has also been widely published on insurance, self-insurance, and risk management issues. Ms. Berkeley is active in the American Bar Association, the National Risk Retention Association, the Illinois Captive & Alternative Risk Funding Insurance Association, and the Association of Professional Insurance Women.

Articles on IRMI.com

Insurance Law: Liability Insurance

Insurance Litigation Review: 2001 (April 2002)

Insurance Coverage Disputes and Society's Problems (May 2001)

Spoliation of Evidence: The Next Frontier for Insurance Coverage Battles (January 2001)

When a Breach of Contract Constitutes an Accident (July 2000)

When Negligent Conduct Does Not Constitute an Accident (March 2000)