Hon. William J. Haddad, (Ret.)
IllinoisNeutral AvailabilityJudge Haddad’s extensive experience as a businessman, judge and neutral make him uniquely qualified to resolve all types of personal injury, medical malpractice and complex, multi-party commercial cases. His legal career spans more than 40 years, with 10 years on the bench. While serving in the Circuit Court of Cook County Law-Jury Division, Judge Haddad presided over major injury matters including quadriplegic, paraplegic, wrongful death, and multi-million-dollar commercial jury trials. His business credentials include managing a profitable national corporation in nine cities and successfully negotiating the sale of that company at 26 times earnings. He served as vice president of a large condominium association where he became involved in many issues, including the settlement of a multi-million-dollar weather-related property damage claim. As a mediator and arbitrator, he is known for his patience and compassion while navigating difficult situations.
Types of Cases Resolved
- American Disability Act (ADA)
- Auto Liability
- Class Action
- Condominium Board Dispute
- Construction
- Construction Accidents
- Contract
- Copyright
- Directors & Officers (D&O)
- Employment
- Environmental
- Errors & Omissions (E&O)
- Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA)
- Fee Dispute
- Fiduciary Duty
- Harassment
- Insurance Coverage
- Intellectual Property
- Landlord-Tenant
- Legal Malpractice
- Medical Malpractice
- Non-Compete
- Nursing Home
- Partnership Dispute
- Patent
- Personal Injury
- Premises Liability
- Product Liability
- Professional Malpractice
- Property Damage
- Real Estate
- Sexual Abuse
- Stockholder Derivative Actions
- Subrogation
- Tax
- Toxic Tort
- Trademark
- Unfair Competition
- Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist (UM&UIM)
- Workers' Compensation
- Wrongful Death
- Wrongful Termination
ADR Experience and Qualifications
- Since joining ADR Systems in 2013, Judge Haddad has served as a full-time mediator, arbitrator and tri-panel chair
- 10-year judicial career as a Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Law Division and Trial Section, 2003-2013
- 40-year legal career including 18 years as a civil litigation Partner at Schlack & Associates, 1985-2003
- Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney, Felony Trial Division, 1974-1981
- Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy, at John Marshall School of Law, 2004-present
- Director and Founding Board Member, United Bancorp, dba United Trust Bank of Bridgeview, Illinois, 2000-2003
- President, United States Mutual Association, Inc., a pre-employment service company that works with some of the nation’s largest banks, hotels and retailers, Chicago, 1998-2000
- Approved Mediator, Circuit Court of Cook County
Representative Cases
- Business Dissolution and Contract: complicated case involving a closely held company; case mediated and buyout arrangements settled; settlement agreement included an arbitration clause in the event issues in effectuating the agreement occurred; problems arose and the parties went to arbitration; with perseverance, a valuation of the company was mediated and resolved over several months, allowing the original settlement agreement to prevail
- Construction Accident: plaintiff suffered injury requiring multiple future surgeries; case settled due to rigorous post-mediation follow-up
- Construction Accident: mediated case involving injuries to construction laborer after fall and loss of consciousness, resulting in brain injury symptoms; settled for $7.5 million
- Construction Accident: mediated case involving injuries to plaintiff from collapse of utility poll during installation; workers’ compensation lien eventually waived by defendant; settled for $6.2 million
- Construction Accident: mediated case involving plaintiff that suffered foot injuries from falling lumber; settled for $4.25 million
- Contract: case involving property owners’ breach of construction contract policy limit claim involving code violations and faulty workmanship
- Employment: gender discrimination case involving senior vice president of human resources with possible enormous exposure for defendant; parties settled in pre-suit mediation using a structured negotiation process
- Franchise: multi-million-dollar suit against franchisor for breach of duty of fair trade to franchisees; resolved via a complex transfer of stores, buyouts and cash settlement
- Franchise: resolved multiple fast food franchisee discrimination claims against franchisor involving multiple locations
- Insurance Coverage and Property Damage: first-party property damage case; water damage from deteriorated roof; resolved questions of causation and coverage in successful mediation
- Insurance Coverage: resolved disputes steaming from weather damage on numerous buildings, including actual cash value of damage to multiple building elements with a § 215 ILCS 5/155 issue
- Partnership Dispute: named partner of law firm expelled from firm by other partners; dispute related to buy-out and additional Wage Act claim for unpaid time; assisted parties in reaching agreement on amount of settlement and structure of pay-out, satisfying needs of both parties and minimizing tax implications
- Partnership Dispute: dispute between two founders of telecom company; helped parties assess proper method of company valuation and structure buy-out of minority partner
- Personal Injury: emotionally-charged matter involving disabled plaintiff who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of an accident
- Personal Injury: mediated case involving claims of active negligence and numerous brain and spinal injuries that resulted in plaintiff’s eventual death; settled for $4.5 million
- Product Liability: case involving suit against distributor, manufacturer and overseas joint venturers’ parts suppliers for repair and replacement of multiple automotive products
- Property Damage: case involving building owners’ claims for structural damage against insurer with pending declaratory action with claim of unreasonable and vexation denial
- Property Damage: case involving claims filed for flood and mold damage to inventory and structure; fixtures denied as “fortuitous” with Section 155 asserted against insurer
- Property Damage: resolved insurance claim involving Section 155 after determination of the valuation of loss
- Shareholder Dispute: case involving derivative shareholder claim under Illinois Business Corporation Act, Section 12.56 (g) relating to a shareholder dispute, deadlock and buyout
- Subrogation: jointly mediated two separate subrogation claims relating to two separate fires in different states involving the same defendant; alleged spontaneous combustion caused by cooking oil; aided parties in reaching global settlement for both disputes
- Wrongful Death: teenager struck in the head during an altercation with the defendant that caused brain hemorrhage; case settled for $1 million
- Wrongful Death: complicated case involving 22 defendants with multiple liability issues; mediated over a three-day period; successfully settled with all parties for $3 million
Professional Activities and Awards
- Founding President, Suburban Bar Coalition of Cook County
- Past Chair, Board of Visitors, Northern Illinois University College of Law
- Past President, West Suburban Bar Association
- Past Chair, Crime Prevention Awards Committee, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Founding President, Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois
- Past Chair, Legal Affairs, Mayor’s Advisory Council
- Founding President, United States Mutual Association
- Former Vice President, Lombard Green Condo Association
- Former Vice-President, Arab American Business Association
- Former Member, Supreme Court Capital Litigation Trial Bar Screening Committee
- Former Member, National District Attorneys Association
- Former Member, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- Former Board Member, Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church
- Former Member, Governor’s Anti-Terrorism Transition Task Force
- Vanguard Award, Chicago Bar Association
- Professional Service Award, Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors
- Crime Stoppers Special Recognition Award
- Leadership Award, Chicago Human Relations Commission
- Award for Excellence in the Field of Law, St. Ignatius College Prep
- Leadership Award, Northern Illinois University College of Law
- Building Bridges Award, Decalogue Society (AABAR)
- Distinguished Service Award, Cook County Suburban Bar Coalition
- Life-Time Achievement Award, Arab American Bar Association
- Distinguished Service Award, Arab American Business Association
Presentations and Publications
- Author, “Sole Proximate Cause: The ‘Empty Chair’ Defense in Illinois,” Illinois Bar Journal
- Author, “Authenticating E-Mail Evidence,” Illinois Bar Journal
- Author, “Damage Photos & Experts,” Illinois Bar Journal
- Author, “Crawford, The Public-Records Hearsay Exception,” Illinois Bar Journal
- Author, “Illinois Courts Consider Right to Jury Service,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- Author, “7th Circuit Develops New E-Discovery for Illinois Courts,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- Presenter, “Commercial Property Damage Insurance Claims,” Arab-American Bar Association CLE Program
- Presenter, “Proximate Cause Issues in Medical Malpractice Cases,” Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (ITLA)
- Presenter, “Judicial Perspective on Settlements & Liens,” ITLA & Southwest Suburban Bar Association
- Presenter, “Forum on Civil Litigation – Empty Chair Defense,” Northwest Suburban Bar
- Presenter, “How We Can Improve the Litigation Process in Illinois,” Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Judges Symposium
- Presenter, “Judicial Forum on Civil Trial Litigation,” National Business Institute
- Presenter, “Anatomy of a Trial,” Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Tort Law Section
- Presenter, “Electronic Evidence,” ISBA Continuing Legal Education Seminar
- Presenter, “Video Surveillance in Private Sector,” Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
- Presenter, “Ethics and Professionalism for Prosecutors,” Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
- Presenter, “NIU International Law Program,” Bordeaux School of Law: Agen, France
- Presenter, “Annual Francis Riley Lecture on Professionalism,” Northern Illinois University College of Law
Education
- JD, DePaul University College of Law
- BS/BA, Marquette University
- Certificates of Advocacy, ITLA College of Advocacy and NITA
- Diplomat of Trial Advocacy, Court Practice Institute (A. Morrill)
Admissions
- Illinois State Bar
- US Supreme Court
- US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Disclosure
I was a sitting judge for over 11 years, have practiced law and have been a mediator and arbitrator since 2013. 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.
