Jeremy T. Burton, Esq.
Practice Areas:
Commercial Litigation, Construction, Toxic Tort
Biography
Jeremy Burton is a partner of Williams Montgomery & John Ltd. and a member of the firm’s product liability and tort defense practice groups. He focuses his practice on defending product liability, premises liability, insurance coverage and commercial matters in state and federal courts.
Mr. Burton has litigated product liability cases involving a variety of products, including automotive components, elevator components and plumbing components. He currently serves as regional counsel for a major brake and clutch manufacturer in asbestos litigation and is regional counsel for a plumbing fixture manufacturer.
Mr. Burton also has represented settling plaintiffs and defendants with respect to the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA). In this regard, he has shepherded parties through disputes with the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) and has drafted settlement documents to reflect the new Medicare laws.
In addition, Mr. Burton has extensive experience in disputes arising from construction worksite accidents, representing owners, owner’s representatives, general contractors and subcontractors. He has defended contractors in dozens of large-scale accident cases involving claims of negligence, unsafe construction practices and failure to provide a safe worksite.
Education/Bar Admissions
Mr. Burton received a B.A. in history and political science, cum laude, in 1995 from Loyola University Chicago. He received his J.D. in 2001 from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he served as senior articles editor of the Wisconsin International Law Journal. While in law school, he served as a student judicial intern for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice William A. Bablitch in 1999.
Mr. Burton was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2001 and also has been admitted in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois.
Professional Activities
Mr. Burton is active in a number of professional and civic organizations, including:
- Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel (IDC)
- Defense Research Institute
- Village of Oak Park, Ill., Community Design Commission
- Village of Oak Park, Ill., Design Review Commission
- Village of Oak Park, Ill., Village Managers Association
- Chicagoland Fiat-Lancia Unlimited
Mr. Burton currently serves on the IDC’s Spring Symposium Planning Committee. He also served as a facilitator at the IDC 2011 Spring Symposium on the topics of “Dealing with Difficult People” and “Investigative Techniques” and was the committee contact for the “Issues Facing Young Professionals” breakout session.
Since 2005, Mr. Burton has been an active member of several Village of Oak Park, Ill., organizations, serving as a commission member and establishing a variety of contacts in his community.
Mr. Burton was a charter member and the first treasurer of Chicagoland Fiat-Lancia Unlimited, a local branch of a national vintage car club.
He is the author or co-author of a number of articles on a wide variety of legal topics and is a frequent speaker on the new Medicare law and other legal topics.
Representative Cases
Various plaintiffs v. Borg Warner Corporation, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Represented product manufacturer in multiple personal injury lawsuits brought by plaintiffs claiming exposure to allegedly asbestos-containing automotive products. Plaintiffs suffer from conditions such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Lawsuits resolved through summary judgment, voluntary dismissals or reasonable negotiated settlements.
Haney v. Dywidag Systems International, USA, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Argued for and obtained summary judgment on behalf of the jack manufacturer and supplier in a lawsuit brought by a construction worker allegedly injured when a jack detached from a cable and struck the worker. Summary judgment granted after plaintiff presented evidence of only possible alternative causes rather than obtaining evidence of any proximate cause.
St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church v. The Executive Board of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained voluntary dismissal on behalf of the executive board in a church dispute. Filed a motion for summary judgment pursuant to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution arguing that hearing of the dispute was barred because the controversy turned on matters of church doctrine, polity and administration.
Max Wotnoske, et al. v. Ficthel & Sachs Industries, Inc. et al., Circuit Court of Madison County, Ill.: Obtained reasonable settlement on behalf of product manufacturer in personal injury lawsuit alleging exposure to asbestos-containing automotive products.
Anita Rinaldi v. Otis Elevator Company, Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained a reasonable settlement on behalf of product manufacturer in personal injury lawsuit alleging exposure to asbestos-containing elevator products.
Louis Wagner et al. v. International Business Machines Corporation et al., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained voluntary dismissal on behalf of property owner in personal injury lawsuit alleging premises exposure to asbestos.
Estate of Lichaw, et al. v. 69 West Washington Management Company LLC, et al., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Defended Aargus Security Systems and BGK Security Services in six wrongful death and 16 personal injury lawsuits (consolidated for discovery) arising from an office building fire that occurred on a Friday afternoon in a high-rise building in downtown Chicago. Multiple governmental investigations followed, including one by an ad hoc commission appointed by the Cook County Board that conducted public hearings. In all, 22 lawsuits were filed against the security companies, the building management company, several contractors, the City of Chicago and Cook County, Ill. More than 200 depositions were taken. Cases settled on the eve of trial.
Andruscavage v. CTA, Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Represented third-party defendant Prairie Material Sales and obtained dismissal of action filed by the CTA as time-barred. Dismissal was obtained despite the general inapplicability of statutes of limitation to municipal entities by utilizing an exception to the rule recognizing that the CTA was acting in a private capacity in defense of the plaintiff’s tort action rather than for the benefit of the public at large.
Ben-Joy Inc. v. E. Anthony Inc., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Second chaired trial for defendant in breach of contract lawsuit involving construction of a restaurant. Plaintiff alleged defective work and deviations from the plans. Defendant argued that the original architect’s plans were unworkable. Jury trial resulted in “not guilty” verdicts for both plaintiff and defendant on a counterclaim.
GVW v. Mill Supply, Inc., Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Negotiated dismissal of multimillion-dollar lawsuit on behalf of the defendant, a replacement part distributor. Plaintiff, the manufacturer of delivery vehicles, alleged trademark infringement.
Wagner v. City of Chicago, Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained summary judgment on behalf of defendant Gateway Construction Company in lawsuit alleging failure to provide safe working environment and supervision at a construction worksite. Plaintiff allegedly tripped over perimeter cable left on the worksite.
Midwest v. Irwin, Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill.: Obtained summary judgment for defendant Irwin in defamation lawsuit brought by Midwest. Plaintiff claimed letter terminating the business relationship between the two companies stated “we need to partner with suppliers who not only stand behind their product(s), but value our business and relationship as well.” Defendant argued that the statement was privileged because it was made only to employees and agents of plaintiff, that the statement was capable of innocent construction and therefore not actionable.
Practicing: Read Jeremy's BioCommercial Law, Construction Law, Toxic Torts, Products Liability
