Hon. Robert E. Senechalle, Jr., (Ret.)
IllinoisNeutral AvailabilityHon. Robert E. Senechalle, Jr., (Ret.) joined ADR Systems well prepared for his role as a neutral. As an attorney and jurist, Judge Senechalle has earned widespread acclaim from his peers for his first-rate intellect and exceptional personality. He served for 18 years in the Circuit Court of Cook County, primarily as a Law Division Trial Judge but also in Chancery. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Senechalle concentrated on commercial litigation and business law in private practice. He has a vast well of experience to draw from as a senior mediator and arbitrator. It gives him a deft touch to get parties to a point where everyone can agree – where cases can settle. Attorneys who have worked with Judge Senechalle praise him for his follow-up when needed to bring a matter to resolution. His skill as a trial judge allows him to conduct efficient arbitrations and, when requested, write reasoned opinions. He is available for a wide variety of cases, from finance, fraud and professional malpractice to various personal injury matters.
Types of Cases Resolved
- Asbestos/Mesothelioma
- Auto Liability
- Construction Accidents
- Contract
- Defamation
- Estates
- Finance
- Foreclosure
- Fraud
- Legal Malpractice
- Medical Malpractice
- Non-Compete
- Nursing Home
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- Professional Malpractice
- Property Damage
- Real Estate
- Subrogation
- Toxic Tort
- Trusts
- Wrongful Death
ADR Experience and Qualifications
- Since joining ADR Systems in 2023, Judge Senechalle has served as a full-time mediator and arbitrator
- 18-year judicial career serving as Law Division Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Jury Trial, 2017-2023; Chancery Division, hearing mortgage foreclosure and mechanics lien cases, 2011-2017; Fourth Municipal District, 2007-2011; First Municipal District Traffic Division, 2005-2007
- 32-year legal career in private practice, focusing on commercial litigation and business law, 1973-2005
- Mediation Certificate, Circuit Court of Cook County
Representative Cases
- Asbestos: assisted parties on trial with multiple settlement conference sessions, resulting in resolution of case as to all remaining defendants
- Construction Accident: successful pretrial settlement conference with multiple sessions that resolved an electrician’s claim against a building management company and elevator manufacturer over injuries sustained when an allegedly malfunctioning freight elevator door struck worker
- Contract: settled several consolidated cases involving claims of negligence that resulted in the loss of semen deposits at a Chicago hospital storage facility due to refrigeration failure; lost deposits were stored there for young men about to undergo cancer treatment expected to adversely affect reproductive abilities
- Foreclosure: settled at pretrial residential and commercial foreclosure cases, including disputes over attorneys’ fees
- Legal Malpractice: pretrial conference resulted in settlement of claim entailing alleged failure of attorney to conduct thorough discovery in divorce proceedings; resolution included settlement of the lawyer’s counterclaim for attorneys’ fees
- Medical Malpractice: decedent suffered cardiac arrest in dental chair and died; eventual plaintiff’s verdict against dentist for failure to properly respond to the arrest; assisted with resolution of all post-trial issues
- Medical Malpractice: settled a birth injury case against a hospital for $5.5 million
- Toxic Tort: achieved multi-million-dollar settlement of wrongful death case brought by pilot’s widow involving alleged ingestion of toxic cabin air
- Wrongful Death: settled police-shooting and police-pursuit cases involving both injury and death
- Wrongful Death: in pretrial settlement conference, settled for $1.5 million claim against cardiologist for alleged negligent management of decedent’s hypertension medication regimen
Professional Activities and Awards
- Former Special Assistant Attorney General for Condemnation
- Former Member, Special Supreme Court Advisory Committee for Justice and Mental Health Planning
- Former Faculty, State of Illinois, Judicial Education Conference
- Former Faculty, Association of State’s Attorneys, DUI Training
- Former Member, Appellate Lawyers Association
- Member, Illinois Judges Association
- Member, Bohemian Lawyer Association
- Former Member, West Suburban Bar Association (WSBA)
- Former Captain, United States Army Reserves
- Former Member, Main Street
Redevelopment Association, Forest Park - Represented indigent defendant on appeal for State Appellate Defender
- Volunteered while a practicing attorney at Oak Park Legal Clinic
- Amicus Curiae Award from the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association for Briefs before the Illinois Supreme Court
Presentations and Publications
- Author, Chapters and Instructional Materials, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC)
- Author, Law Division Judges Bench Book chapters
- Editor, Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Bench BookFormer Faculty, “Contract Cases: Advanced Issues,” Judicial Education Conference
- Panelist, Chicago Law Bulletin’s Annual Symposium with the Judges
- Panelist, “Evidence,” Chicago Bar Association (CBA)
- Presenter, “DUI Issues,” CBA
- Presenter, “New Legislation,” WSBA
- Topic Editor, AOIC Statewide Bench Book for Mortgage Foreclosure
Education
- JD, DePaul University College of Law
- BS, Benedictine University
Admissions
- Illinois State Bar
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Disclosure
I was a sitting judge for 18 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.
