John M. Christian
John has more than three decades of experience in the areas of product liability, insurance and reinsurance matters, commercial and general tort litigation, construction litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
John Christian has significant experience in general contract litigation, federal securities law litigation, as well as class action litigation.
A key component of John's practice has been counseling manufacturers regarding ways to avoid potential litigation, both in the design and recall of products and the preparation of warnings, labels and operator instruction manuals. He has represented self-insured manufacturers of heavy industrial equipment as their national products liability counsel on cases involving catastrophic personal injuries. John has also defended professional liability claims against lawyers, engineers and surveyors, and has handled numerous mediations and insurance/reinsurance arbitrations. He has won numerous jury trials in Illinois, as well as in California, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio and South Carolina.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Princeton University, A.B., with honors, 1970
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D., with honors, 1973
Bar and Court Admissions
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Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Related Employment
- Cahill, Christian & Kunkle, Chicago, IL, Partner, 1996-2002
- Phelan, Pope & John, Chicago, IL, Partner, 1980-1996
- IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, Former Adjunct Professor, Product Liability
Professional Recognition
Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
(AV®, BV® and CV® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.)
Listed in Illinois Law & Politics, "Super Lawyers", 2005-2006, 2008-2011
*The Supreme Court of Illinois does not recognize certifications of specialties in the practice of law and no certificate, award or recognition is a requirement to practice law in Illinois.
Impact
Professional Leadership
- Chicago Bar Association, Tort Litigation Committee, Chair; Special Task Force on Insurance, Chair
- American Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
Professional Experience
Product Liability
Represented a Large Steel Erector Company*
Represented a large steel erector company, the primary defendant in a multiple wrongful death and catastrophic injury case arising from the construction of the State of Illinois Building.
* Prior Experience
Litigation
Litigation
Represented Defendant to Prevent Enforcement Agreement Action
Obtained defense verdict to prevent plaintiff from enforcing agreement signed by siblings and mother to sell closely held corporation to him.