William M. Dunn

Senior Counsel

Contact

Locations

Chicago

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William M. Dunn is senior counsel in GRSM's Chicago office. William's practice is focused on complex, civil litigation. He has experience handling matters in a wide variety of areas, including employment, professional liability, product liability, construction, and general liability defense. His experience also includes matters involving toxic torts, environmental litigation and commercial disputes.

William has represented governmental entities, private companies and individuals in employment matters, intentional torts and claims of personal injury, property damage, product liability and premises liability. His construction clients include owners, general contractors, project engineers, architects and various subcontractors. He has also represented attorneys, doctors and hospitals in legal and medical malpractice cases.

William has served as first and second chair in jury trials, arbitrations and mediations. His trial experience includes product liability, defamation, medical malpractice and personal injury claims. He has appeared before federal and state courts, we well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Illinois Department of Human Rights.

First chaired defamation trial against national manufacturer and its CEO where plaintiff made trial demand of $10,000,000 in punitive damages and $2,750,000 in compensatory. Defendants made pre-trial offer of $200,000 and verdict was $210,000.
First-chaired $1.5 million, multi-party, products liability, property damage case resulting in settlement second week of trial.
Successfully moved to dismiss multi-count Retaliatory Discharge and Tortuous Interference claim brought by former employee, and also awarded two years of attorney’s fees as sanctions against the plaintiff and his attorney.
Dismissal with prejudice of battery, negligence and negligent supervision lawsuit against governmental entity and its employee.
Successfully moved to dismiss defamation suit by former employee against Fire Protection District and its Board of Trustees.
Obtained summary judgment on issue of damages on behalf of cargo company and its driver resulting in plaintiff’s personal injury claim reducing from demand of $950,000 to arbitration award of $10,000.

Admissions

Illinois
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals

Memberships

CBA
ISBA

Community Involvement

Served on the Board of Directors for HighSight, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships, tutoring, mentoring, leadership development and college readiness programs to inner city Chicago students enabling them to attend and succeed at the private high school of their choice.

Served as an Adjunct Professor at John Marshall Law School where he instructed first and second year law students in developing objective and persuasive writing skills; researching case law, statutes, rules and regulations; drafting pleadings and motions; and preparing and presenting oral arguments.

Education

J.D., John Marshall Law School, 1995
- John Marshall Law Review
- top 10% after 1st year
B.A., History and Arts and Letters Program for Administrators, University of Notre Dame, 1989