Kevin O’Hagan | O'Hagan Spencer

Professional Overview

Kevin O’Hagan is a founding partner in the Chicago office of O’Hagan Spencer. He acts as lead counsel for several Fortune 500 companies and has tried cases in five different states, including the Delaware Court of Chancery, and has mediated cases in 15 state courts and federal jurisdictions. Kevin has also handled multi-district litigation and class action suits. He is licensed to practice in Illinois and Virginia, and has been admitted to practice pro hac vice in 10 other states. Chicago Lawyer Magazine, in its inaugural annual edition, recognized Kevin as one of the city’s Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 to Watch and he was named a SuperLawyer by Chicago Magazine in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

An accomplished attorney, Kevin’s many successes include recovering $9 million for a client on a construction defect and architectural malpractice matter, saving over $1 million a year in tax liability on an industrial complex for a client in real estate property tax litigation, and negotiating over 20 multi-million dollar contracts for clients in such areas as software licensing, technology purchases and various consulting services.

Kevin has represented financial professionals, attorneys, accountants, trustees, directors and officers in litigation all over the country. In 2007, Kevin helped found PLAN (Professional Liability Attorney Network), a national organization dedicated to the defense of professionals, directors and officers. From its founding to 2011 he was Chairman of the organization and oversaw its growth to over 20 law firms nationwide.

Kevin has successfully handled over 250 employment practices disputes for clients. He utilizes his extensive experience in litigation trial work to quickly and efficiently resolve employment disputes.

Education

Kevin graduated from the College of the Holy Cross. He received his Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University where he was a Member and Editor of the DePaul Law Review.

Professional Organization Memberships

Chair: Products Liability Yield Subcommittee, American Bar Association
Chairman: Technology Committee of the Section of Litigation
Chairman and Co-Founder: Professional Liability Attorney Network (PLAN)
Vice Chair: YLD Litigation Committee, American Bar Association
Member: American Bar Association
Member: Professional Liabilities Underwriters Association
Member: Young Presidents Organization (YPO)
Member: American Corporate Counsel Association
Member: Defense Research Institute
Chicagoland Chapter.
Chicago Bar Association, Commercial Litigation Committee

Chosen as Superlawyer, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012
Selected to Best Lawyers in America, 2012

News, Publications, & Speeches

Presenter, "Protect Your Board - The Golden Rules of Controlling Non-Profit D&O Liability Risk", Chicago Crittenden Conference, September 12, 2011
Speaker, “Has the Great Recession Changed Employment Law Forever? “, PLUS Professional Risk Symposium in Chicago, March 24, 2011.
Presenter, "Coverage Update," Professional Lines Attorney Network, PLAN Regional Workshop New York, June 2009.
Presenter, "Employment Practices Insurance: Why You Should Have It", Choice Hotel Convention 2009, May 2009
Presenter, "The Tripartite Relationship: Anticipating and Managing Conflicts between the Carrier, Insured, and Defense Counsel", Professional Lines Attorney Network, PLAN Regional Workshop, December 2008
Presenter, "People of Illinois v. Countrywide: A New But Familiar chapter in Subprime Litigation", Professional Lines Attorney Network, PLAN Regional Workshop: New York, 2008
Presenter, "Vinyl Chloride (VC) 'The Plastic Coffin'" to USLAW Network, Inc.
Presenter, "Crossing the Pond: What Every Foreign Company Should Know About U.S. Employment Litigation", American Bar Association, Annual Meeting, 2000.
Presenter, "Mock Trial of a Bad Faith Arson Case", American Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Practice Section Annual Meeting, 1998
Presenter, "Case Management and Cost Containment from the Client's Perspective", American Bar Association Annual Meeting, 1998
Presenter, "Ripples of Georgine: The Future of Rule 23 Class Certification for Settlement Purposes Only", Defense Research Institute Products Liability Seminar, 1997.
Presenter, "How to Avoid Being Discovered to Death: A Cost Effective Approach to Dealing with Discovery", Defense Research Institute Seminar, 1994.
Presenter, "Computerized Case Managment and Client Communication", Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc., 1993.
Author, "Pumping with the Intent to Kill: Evading Wetlands Jursidiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act through Draining", 40 DePaul Law Review 1059 (1991).

Support Staff

- Melissa Martinez
- (312) 422-6127
- mmartinez@ohaganspencer.com

Practice Areas

Class Actions
Nowadays, whenever someone’s earnings are restated, one’s product is recalled or the screen...
Commercial Litigation
It sometimes seems to us that the people who are writing contracts are stuck in...
Condominium Associations
As the saying goes "A man's home is his castle". If the castle is a condominium, then nowadays that castle is regularly under siege ...
Cyber Liability
The information superhighway, along with its many branches, has undoubtedly...
Directors & Officers
Directors and Officers face scrutiny like never before...
Employment
We’re a long way from the days when employers and employees...
Products
We could tell you about all of the kinds of products we’ve defended...
Securities
Wall Street plays a zero sum game. For every winner, there's a loser...
Toxic Torts
If we had to think of one thing that sums up the prevailing state of mind...