Brigid E. Kennedy | Partner

Brigid E. Kennedy is a partner at Williams Barber & Morel LTD. and a member of the firm's commercial litigation and professional liability practice groups. She focuses her practice on commercial litigation, including professional liability and insurance coverage cases.

Brigid E. Kennedy

Ms. Kennedy is "AV Preeminent" peer review rated by Martindale-Hubbell, reflecting the highest peer recognition for both ethical standards and legal ability. Martindale-Hubbell has also recognized her as one of the few "Women Leaders in Law." She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in Illinois Leading Lawyers for commercial litigation, insurance, insurance coverage and reinsurance, and professional malpractice defense law and has been selected as one of the "Top 100 Women in Illinois" for business litigation.

Ms. Kennedy has litigated, mediated and arbitrated commercial and professional liability cases in courts and ADR forums throughout the country. Her extensive experience includes commercial litigation, construction litigation, legal and financial professional liability matters, and insurance coverage matters.

Ms. Kennedy has represented law firms throughout the country in malpractice cases involving patents, securities fraud, conspiracy, RICO, lender liability, medical malpractice and wrongful death. She also has arbitrated complex commercial matters involving power plant construction and complex insurance coverage matters.

Ms. Kennedy joined the firm in 1989 after a summer associate internship and was made a partner of the firm in 1997.

Bar Admissions

Illinois State Bar 1989

U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Education

Ms. Kennedy received a B.A. in art history and French, cum laude, in 1986 from Wellesley College. She also studied art history at New York University in Paris and at Paris IV, La Sorbonne. She received her J.D. in 1989 from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where she was an editor of the Loyola Consumer Law Reporter. She also studied international and comparative law in France.

Memberships

Chicago Bar Association, past appointee, Investigative Division, Judicial Evaluation Committee

Illinois State Bar Association

American Bar Association, judge, Client Counseling Competition, 1991,1992, 1993, 1995

Loyola Consumer Law Reporter, member, Advisory Board

Wellesley College Alumnae Association of Chicago, Regional Class Reunion Chair, National Class Reunion Officer, 2011, Member, Admissions Committee

Representative Matters

Bechtel Power Corp., et al. v. Athens Generating Corp., et al. v. Siemens Westinghouse Power Corp.
Arbitration in Washington, D.C. Achieved verdict of "not guilty" for client Siemens Westinghouse Power in arbitration of construction claims brought by Athens Generating seeking tens of millions of dollars in delays and liquidated damages. Siemens supplied combustion turbine generators and other equipment to a power plant in New York owned by Athens. When delays derailed the construction schedule, the general contractor, Bechtel, sued Athens for liquidated and other damages. Athens sought contribution or indemnity from Siemens. After a hearing spanning periods over more than three years, the arbitration panel found that Athens was entitled to no relief from Siemens by way of contribution, indemnity or otherwise.

City of Dubuque, Iowa v. a Law Firm
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Iowa. Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of a large law firm in a legal malpractice claim arising out of the theft by a trust manager of $61 million in assets from a trust allegedly improperly drafted by the firm. Lost on liability as to trust beneficiaries; won as to claims of trustees and on apportionment of damages claimed by co-defendant trust administrator, Bankers Trust.

Consumer Systems Corporation v. Continental Bank, et al.
Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill. Obtained judgment in favor of law firm and attorney defendants in litigation involving lender liability, alleged professional negligence, alleged employee dishonesty and RICO claims. Judgment affirmed by the 1st District Appellate Court.

Emerson v. Aetna
Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill. Obtained summary judgment for client insurer in environmental clean-up case involving 27 sites nationwide and seeking $30 million in coverage.

Ferguson v. Roberts
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Obtained judgment in favor of defendant attorneys in securities fraud litigation involving an alleged scheme to defraud investors in real estate. Prevailed on appeal.

Polsky v. Indeck Energy Service, Inc.
Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill. Obtained reversal of $17 million of a $24 million arbitration award against client in breach of employment and stock agreements lawsuit.

Prudential Plaza Associates v. Turner Construction Company
Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill. Won $9 million breach of contract and promissory fraud counterclaim for defendant Turner Construction. Plaintiff originally sought $37 million in delay and remedial damages arising out of the construction of Two Prudential Plaza. (Selected by The National Law Journal as one of the "Outstanding Defense Verdicts" in the United States).

Siemens Westinghouse Power Corp. v. The Shaw Group, Inc. and Stone & Webster, Inc.
U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, Rock Island Division. Won summary judgment for Siemens, defeating $7 million claim for liquidated damages based on the alleged delay in delivering a turbine to a power plant in Cordova, Ill.

Trustee for Lancelot Investors Fund, Ltd., et al. v. Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
U.S. District Court, Northern District Court of Illinois. Defended law firm against claims the firm failed to give advice that might have avoided losses a hedge fund suffered in a $3.6 billion Ponzi scheme. Favorable mediation.