Hon. Marguerite A. Quinn, (Ret.)
IllinoisNeutral AvailabilityHon. Marguerite A. Quinn, (Ret.) brings a 38-year legal career to ADR Systems, comprising 16 years of judicial experience in the Cook
County Circuit Court and 22 years of experience practicing law in Chicago. Judge Quinn has presided over several high-profile cases in the Law Division, including the largest toxic tort case in Cook County. Lawyers have given her high marks for her careful preparation, attention to detail and ability to analyze complex issues. Her experience conducting successful pretrials has given her the tools to help guide parties to a resolution. Judge Quinn has settled and tried a variety of personal injury, tax, legal malpractice, medical malpractice, products liability and vehicle accident cases. She is an active member of the legal community. In 2020, she was honored by the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, receiving the Mary Heftel Hooton Award for her professionalism and service to the bar.
Types of Cases Resolved
- Auto Liability
- Construction Accidents
- Contract
- Defamation
- E-Discovery
- Legal Malpractice
- Mass Torts
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- Product Liability
- Tax
- Toxic Tort
- Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist (UM&UIM)
- Whistleblower
- Wrongful Death
- Wrongful Termination
ADR Experience and Qualifications
- Since joining ADR Systems in 2023, Judge Quinn has served as a full-time mediator and arbitrator
- 16-year judicial career in the Circuit Court of Cook County, including Law Division, Trial Section 2016-2023; Second Municipal District Court, Criminal Division, Law Division, Veteran’s Court, 2009-2016; First Municipal District Court, 2007-2009
- 22-year legal career; Associate, O’Keefe, Lyons & Hynes, LLC specializing in state and local taxation, 1999-2007; Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney, 1985-1998
- Mediation Certificate, National Judicial College
Representative Cases
- Defamation: plaintiff sued defendant, her former employer, for false and defamatory statements; $1.5 million settlement was reached after lengthy negotiations
- Medical Malpractice: following appendectomy surgery, patient went into respiratory distress, patient was without oxygen for several minutes resulting in brain damage; patient remained in vegetative state until death two years later; settled for $3.4 million
- Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death: decedent was mother of son with schizoaffective disorder and was receiving in-patient treatment provided by the doctor; after evaluation by treating psychologist, son was discharged to home, where son murdered mother; mother had two surviving children: one who was severely disabled and a ward of the state; pretrial had various legal issues regarding privacy and mental health that were necessary to navigate for a successful resolution
- Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death: plaintiff in labor and doctor prescribed an off-label medication, resulting in the hyper stimulation of the uterus and plaintiff’s death shortly after birth of her baby; settled for $1.44 million
- Medical Malpractice: plaintiff admitted to hospital for endoscopy and perianal biopsy surgery; plaintiff received the wrong anesthesia injection, causing significant injury and requiring additional treatment; settled for $300,000
- Medical Malpractice: failure to monitor patient, resulting in permanent injury; settled for $300,000
- Nursing Home and Personal Injury: plaintiff had a history of strokes and hypoxic events that caused her to be disabled and require nursing home care; plaintiff developed an ulcer which became infected, resulting in amputation of her leg below the knee; settled after two pretrials for $320,000
- Personal Injury: plaintiff ordered a ride share vehicle for her and her grandchild; plaintiff was entering the rear passenger door and driver pulled away before she was inside, resulting in injury; settled for $350,000
- Premises Liability and Personal Injury: plaintiff was delivery driver and pulled into defendant’s loading bay in the distribution center; defendant employee failed to place a dock plate over the one-foot gap between loading dock and trailer; plaintiff fell into the gap and severely injured his arm and shoulder; settled for $300,000
- Premises Liability and Personal Injury: defendant provided custodial services to CPS; teacher slipped and fell on recently waxed hallway floor, sustaining severe injuries to his head and back; $780,000 settlement reached after lenghty negotiations complicated by a pending Chancery matter
- Premises Liability and Construction Accident: large building project case with seven defendants; plaintiff tripped on a masonry tool belt and was injured; settled with all defendants for a total of $770,000
- Premises Liability and Construction Accident: plaintiff worked as a flagger on construction site when he was struck on leg and foot by a Bobcat operated by an employee of the scaffold company; plaintiff suffered permanent injury to his knee and foot; settled for $500,000
- Product Liability: plaintiff injured when she fell over the handlebars when carbon fiber wheel fork broke during bicycle race; settlement included the bike shop and the foreign manufacturer of the bicycle
- Toxic Tort: dispute involved the largest toxic tort case tried in Cook County history with more than 800 plaintiffs and several defendant corporations; plaintiffs sued for injuries relating to long-term release of ethylene oxide emissions from sterilization plant
Professional Activities and Awards
- Member, Chicago Bar Association (CBA)
- Member, Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI)
- Mary Heftel Hooten Award, WBAI
- Former Faculty, Illinois Judicial Education Conference
- Member of Board of Trustees, Lawrence Hall Youth Services
- Founding Board Member and Former General Legal Counsel, Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation
- Volunteer, Schuler Scholarship Program, mentored first generation college students from the Chicago area
- Former Director of the Western Golf Association
Presentations and Publications
- Author, “Computer-Generated Evidence Can Improve Your Trial Game” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- Presenter, “Anatomy of a Medical Malpractice Trial,” CBA Young Lawyers Section
- Presenter, “Jury Selection and Communication,” 9th Annual Symposium with the Judges, Law Bulletin Media
- Panelist, “The Judicial Perspective on Laying Foundations,” Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE)
- Panelist, “Establishing, Maximizing, and Attacking Damages in Personal Injury Actions,” CBA
- Panelist, “Effective Use of Technology in the Courtroom,” 360 Advocacy Trucking Litigation Seminar
- Panelist, “The New Normal: Emerging Trends in a Post-COVID World,” International Association of Defense Counsel
- Column Editor and Author, “Pornography and the First Amendment,” Loyola University Women’s Law Reporter
- Author, “Prosecution of the Criminal Case,” Scientific and Expert Testimony Supplement, IICLE
- Panelist, “Trial Technology Seminar” presented by Cassiday Schade LLP
Education
• JD, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
• BA, University of Iowa, Iowa City
Admissions
- Illinois State Bar
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- US Supreme Court
Disclosure
I was a sitting judge for over 16 years, have practiced law and have been a mediator and arbitrator since 2023. Many attorneys have tried cases in my courtrooms or mediated or arbitrated a case with me.
The disclosures listed above will not affect my neutrality in this dispute.