Patrick G. Donnelly Partner
Patrick G. Donnelly is a trial attorney defending utility companies, product makers, construction companies and sureties in tort, contract, construction and commercial litigation. Prior to founding the firm in 1997, he was a litigation associate at FagelHaber, Pretzel & Stouffer, and Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold.
Pat attended Marquette University, Marquette University Law School and De Paul College of Law (J. D. 1986).
He has tried cases involving product liability, breach of contract, injunctions and ERISA matters in state and federal courts and in arbitration settings.
Pat also coordinates and appears as trial attorney nationally in toxic tort and product liability cases, in addition to representing utilities and contractors in Illinois.
Contact Information
53 W. Jackson, STE 818
Chicago, IL 60604
Published Works
Book Chapters
"Contract Claims and Disputes", Chapter 10, and annual Supplements, Illinois Construction Law Manual, (West 2024), by (Katherine F. Donnelly, Patrick G. Donnelly and John R. O'Donnell)
"Construction Bonds" Chapter 5, in Illinois Construction Law (Aspen, 2003) (D. Meyer, Ed.)
"Surety Bond Litigation" Chapter 7, in Construction Litigation (IICLE, 2006)
Articles:
"Trends In Acute Toxic Exposure Cases" For The Defense, July, 2005(DRI)
"Surety Salvage Claims Against Agents" Third Party Salvage Claims (ABA, 2006)
"Sureties Remedies" Defense Counsel Journal, (April, 2004)
"Suretyship, Insurance and Public Official Bonds" (IADC, 1994)
Papers Presented
Defending Gas Utilities in Fire and Explosion Cases, Chicago Claims Association of Greater Chicago, March 6, 2018.
Construction Worker Injuries: Responding to the Risk, Illinois Defense Counsel, Construction Law Committee Program, February 1, 2018.
Surety Claims Against Bonding Agents, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, ABA, New York, New York (2006)
Salvage Claims Against Brokers and Agents, Joint Program, Directors and Officers Liability and Fidelity and Surety Committees, ABA, Summer 2004 Atlanta, Georgia
Public Bidding - Challenges to Bid Awards, Independent Association of Trane Distributors, Summer 2003
A Primer on Chapter 7 Bankruptcies, Chicago Surety Claims Association, 1989
Bar Admissions
State of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Trial Bar, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
Pro Hac Vice Admissions: Appearances in 18 states.
Recent Representative Cases
Toxic Tort Defense: Represented chemical maker in defense of Wisconsin suit involving claims of work-place dermal injuries in 2019. Summary judgment granted upon strength of expert testimony by Loyola chemistry professor that causation was impossible.
Utility Defense: Represented utility company in an explosion case in Northern Illinois. Summary judgment motion granted upon showing of a lack of notice.
Mechanic’s Lien: Represented HVAC contractor with large mechanic’s lien claim on the Sears HQ in Hoffman Estates. Successfully pursued recovery in bankruptcy and state courts.
Surety Defense: Represented the largest commercial bonding company in defense of bond for court appointed-receiver who suffered mental illness and could not complete assignments. Successful defense, case resolved with no loss.
Construction Defect: Represented Fortune 50 utility company as plaintiff in suit against designers and general contractor of an operations and administrative facility with numerous defects to precast structure. Case mediated and settled with substantial recoveries from professional liability and property insurers.
Civil Rights Defense: Represented utility company facing civil rights violation charges for shut offs. Summary judgment granted and upheld in per curium decision of the Seventh Circuit.
Representative Trials and Arbitrations
Nicor Gas Company v. Plote Construction Company, arbitration hearing in Geneva, Illinois. Successful prosecution of claims arising from construction damage to utility pipes.
College of Du Page v. EVS Construction Company, private arbitration. Represented EVS Construction as general contractor and builder of the College of Du Page’s Early Childhood Development Center, in defense of claims asserted by owner College of Du Page, in arbitration before the Honorable Franklin I. Kral. The College asserted construction defect, delay damage, and design defect claims. Case successfully defended, with substantial amount of withheld funds ultimately paid out to EVS.
Represented The Trane Company as disappointed bidder against United Technologies before private arbitration panel convened by owner University of California, Los Angeles, seeking injunction and new bid process for large HVAC contract at UCLA.
William Templeman, Premier Electric v. Halm Construction. Three-week trial before the Honorable Thomas P. Quinn, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Case involved allegations of defective electrical design of a rail yard, claims for extras, contract balances, and insurer bad faith. Represented St. Paul Travelers, as bonding company. Judgment for defense.
880 S. Michigan, LLC. v. Zurich (Mountbatten Surety Company). Two-week trial before the Honorable James Epstein in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Case involved eight figure claims of wrongful denial of performance bond claim, construction defect (masonry and curtainwall) and delay damages to the entire project. Represented Zurich. Judgment for the defense.
Anthony Serio, as New York liquidator for Frontier Insurance Company v. Cler Construction. One week trial construction defect trial before United States District Court Judge John Darrah. Represented insurance liquidator pursuing recovery of completion costs for a Chicago Public Library construction project. Defense raised bad faith and necessity and reasonableness of completion costs. Represented Frontier. Judgment entered for plaintiff for full amount sought.
Hammond v. Whitmire. Circuit Court for the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Organophosphate case, successful defense of pesticide maker before a jury in Baltimore City Court.
Thomas J. Moriarty, Trustee, Teamsters Local 727 v. Modell Funeral Home. Multiday trial in the United States District Court (Judge Elaine Bucklo), defending pension contribution claim based on employer membership in trade industry group. Adverse judgment on issues ultimately reversed (in another case) by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Molter Construction v. Amwest Surety Company. Trial in Will County before Judge Edward Lee Masters in defense of equitable suit for injunction preventing draw on letter of credit posted as collateral for surety undertakings. Adverse judgment later reversed on appeal.
Honors
Elected by peers in the construction bar to Steering Committee of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys (SOICA). SOICA is an invitation only society of experienced construction litigation attorneys.