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| Selected by peers as a Leading Lawyer in: | Extensive Experience in: |
| Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law | Municipal Liability Litigation |
| Personal Injury Defense Law: General | Civil Rights Defense Litigation |
| Class Action Litigation | |
| Professional Liability Litigation | |
| General Liability Litigation |
Steven Puiszis is a well-known and highly experienced trial attorney whose wide-ranging litigation and trial practice includes more than 40 jury trials taken to verdict.
Municipal and Civil Rights law are the primary focus of Mr. Puiszis' practice. He has handled a variety of claims in state and federal court on behalf of various units of state and local government. For example, he has represented the Governor and several other State Officials in a civil rights class action where plaintiffs initially sought to certify a class of all developmentally disabled adults in Illinois who failed to receive residential medical services on a timely basis. He has also successfully defended the State of Illinois' sexually violent persons Commitment Act Programs against various federal constitutional challenges. Mr. Puiszis has represented the DuPage County Board in issues stemming from the "DuPage 7" criminal prosecution.
In one of the municipal matters handled by Mr. Puiszis, (Zimmerman v. Village of Skokie), the Illinois Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the use of the common law's "public duty" doctrine to override statutory immunities available under the Illinois Local Governmental Tort Immunity Act. That decision substantially broadened the scope of protection available to local public entities and their employees under the Tort Immunity Act.
Another matter he handled before the Illinois Supreme Court (Arteman vs. Clinton Community Unit School District) clarified the interplay of communities between the School Code and the Local Government Tort Immunity Act, and substantially broadened the scope available to Illinois School Districts. As a result of that decision, School Districts can now raise the Tort Immunity Act as defense to claims involving the provision of defective equipment and the failure to provide safety equipment to its students.
Mr. Puiszis' litigation background is not strictly limited to the representation of local units of government or state and local officials. He has also successfully handled numerous professional liability claims on behalf of architects, engineers, and various health care providers. With his background in accounting, he is frequently asked to handle matters involving sophisticated accounting and tax issues, including the representation of lawyers and accountants in professional liability matters. He has also successfully handled various types of product liability claims.
Notable Cases and Results:
In addition to his noteworthy municipal representations, Mr. Puiszis has represented the following clients in product liability litigation:
Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. - Mr. Puiszis obtained summary judgment in five separate product liability actions involving wrongful death and personal injury claims allegedly resulting from defects in different products manufactured by Furnas Electric Co., a division of Siemens.
Rudd Industries - Mr. Puiszis secured a jury verdict favoring his client in Mark v. Rudd International, in which he represented the manufacturer of an FAA air traffic controller chair in a product liability claim filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiff contended that an adjustable height control mechanism for the air traffic controller's chair (manufactured in Germany and distributed by a company in the Netherlands) malfunctioned, causing the chair to rapidly descend and inflicting a back injury that the plaintiff claimed prevented him from returning to work as an air traffic controller. Third-party actions for contribution were filed in that matter against the foreign manufacturer and distributor of the failed component part.
In the area of professional liability, Mr. Puiszis handled a claim resulting in the first reported Illinois appellate decision interpreting the Accountant's Privity Statute in Chestnut v. Pestine, Branati, et al., reported at 607 N.E.2d 543. He also represented a Dallas-based law firm in a professional liability claim filed in federal district court in St. Louis, Missouri, arising from that firm's handling of an antitrust lawsuit on behalf of a local telephone company against several of the "Baby Bells." The underlying antitrust lawsuit involved the manner in which long distance phone calls were billed and reimbursed. The case was ultimately settled for a modest amount, and for a fraction of the settlement demand made before Mr. Puiszis assumed the defense.
Mr. Puiszis was one of three Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP attorneys requested by the firm to coordinate the defense of the 1995 Illinois Civil Justice Reform Amendments against multiple constitutional challenges in several consolidated lawsuits filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. As part of that assignment, he briefed and argued the constitutionality of the "cap" on non-economic damages at the trial court level.
Mr. Puiszis successfully represented the following clients in significant general commercial litigation:
Chicago White Sox/Illinois Sports Facilities Authority - Mr. Puiszis secured a jury verdict in favor of the defendants in Kaishas v. Chicago White Sox, a general liability claim in which the plaintiff was struck by a foul ball hit by Chicago player and suffered numerous facial injuries.
CNA Insurance Companies - Mr. Puiszis obtained a jury verdict in favor of building owner CNA in Atkins v. Otis Elevator Co., et al. , a general liability claim alleging that an elevator suddenly dropped five floors, injuring the plaintiff and several other passengers.
Sprint Centel/360E Communications - Mr. Puiszis won summary judgment in a Structural Work Act claim arising out of the remodeling of Sprint Centel's corporate offices in Illinois. Following the spin-off of 360E Communications from Sprint, Mr. Puiszis was asked to redraft the indemnification provisions of 360E's communication tower construction and maintenance agreements, an assignment that involved a review of the relevant law in 36 states where 360E's towers are located or planned.
Bar Admissions:
Illinois (1979)
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (1979)
Federal Trial Bar - Northern District of Illinois (1983)
U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (1991)
U.S. Supreme Court (1999)
Date of Birth: 1954
Law School: Loyola University Chicago School of Law, J.D., 1979
Undergraduate School: DePaul University, B.S., 1976
Undergraduate School Honors/Involvement: highest honors
Employment History:
Mr. Puiszis joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in January 1984. He began his legal career in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office where he served in the Special Prosecution and General Criminal Divisions.
Bar/Professional Association Involvement:
Mr. Puiszis currently serves as the Secretary Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel and is a member of the Society of Trial Lawyers, the Trial Lawyers Club of Chicago and the Defense Research Institute. He also serves as the Vice President Chair of the ABA's Governmental Liability Committee in its Tort and Insurance Practice Section.
Published Legal Writing:
Mr. Puiszis is the author of Illinois Municipal Tort Liability, 2nd edition, published by Lexis Publishing (formerly Mathew Bender). The book is unique in that it is strictly devoted to liability issues facing units of government and public officials in state and federal court.
He has also written a number of articles on litigation-related topics, including:
"Will the Peremptory Challenge Survive its Battle with the Equal Protection Clause?," The John Marshall Law Review, Fall, 1991, Vol. 25, No. 1.
"Now You See It, Now You Don't - How the Immunity for 'Executing or Enforcing the Law' Magically Disappeared," IDC Quarterly, 1st Qtr. 1998, Vol. 7, No. 5.
"Does the Local Governmental Tort Immunity Act Stand in Derogation of the Common Law?," (co-author with W. Morgan), IDC Quarterly, 3rd Qtr., 1998, Vol. 8, No. 3.
"Title TX Damages Liability Extended to Students on Student Harassment," DCBA Brief, Vol. 12, No. 2, October 1999.
"Tort Immunity for Discretionary Policy Determinations," Feature Article, IDC Quarterly, 2nd Qtr., 2001, Vol. 11, No. 20.
"No Representation Without Indemnification Under the Public Defender Immunity Act," IDC Quarterly, 2nd Qtr. \, 2001, Vol. 11, No. 2.
"Fabiano vs. City of Palos Hills. A Modern Day Merchant of Venice," IDC Quarterly, 1st Qtr., 2003, Vol. 13, No. 1.
"Update on Peremptory Challenges: J.E.B. v. Alabama ex rel, T.B., Significant Case Comment," IDC Quarterly, 1st Qtr. 1995, Vol. 5, No. 1.
"Honda Motor Co. v. Oberg: Punitive Damages Update, Significant Case Comment," IDC Quarterly, 3rd Qtr. 1994, Vol. 4, No. 3.
"Constitutional Arguments Against the Imposition of Punitive Damages in Illinois," Monograph Article, IDC Quarterly, 3rd Qtr. 1993, Vol. 3, No. 3.
Legal Lectures:
Mr. Puiszis is also a frequent speaker on litigation and municipal law topics, including:
"Why Mold and Why Now? The Coming of the Spore Wars," Presentation at the Annual Conference sponsored by the Illinois Association of School Boards, Chicago, Illinois, November 2001.
"Litigation - Liability Issues," presented at an invited attorneys seminar sponsored by the Institute for Local Government Law, Chicago, Illinois, February 2002.
"Police Liability in Illinois," Seminar Presentation through Lorman Education Services on Defenses and Immunities to 1983 Claims involving Police Liability for Excessive Force and False Arrest, Rolling Meadows, Illinois, November 2002.
"Defense Tactics for a New Era," Presentation to the Tort Litigation Section of the Chicago Bar Association, January 2003.
"Medication of Claims and Lawsuits Against Law Enforcement Officers," Presentation at Conclave and workshop sponsored by the ADR Committee of the Federal District Court and the ADR Consulate at Loyola University of Chicago, September 2000.
"The Special Duty Doctrine, Its Current Status and Its Future," presented at an invited attorneys seminar sponsored by the Illinois Municipal League, Chicago, Illinois, September 1997.
"The 1995 Civil Justice Reform Amendments," paper and lecture presented to over 250 clients at the October 1995 seminar sponsored by Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in Itasca, Illinois.
"Has the Illinois Structural Work Act Been Preempted by OSHA?," paper and lecture presented at the Fall 1993 seminar in Galena, Illinois, sponsored by the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel.
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