Hon. Thomas R. Rakowski (Ret.), during a distinguished 23 year judicial career and later as a JAMS neutral, presided over hundreds of appeals, conducted countless trials, both bench and jury, pre-trial conferences, arbitrations, and mediations in nearly all areas of Illinois practice. He understands both sides of a dispute and is prepared to listen, carefully analyze, and assist parties and counsel to reach innovative and sensible solutions.
ADR Experience and Qualifications
- Arbitrates and successfully mediates a wide array of disputes including business and commercial claims, charitable entity regulation and disputes, class actions, complex and mass torts, construction, employment/executive terminations, environmental insurance coverage and bad faith, intellectual property, international, personal injury, premises liability including municipal premises, professional malpractice, real estate/condominium, securities, and wrongful death
- Is particularly adept at mediating contentious disputes. Successfully assisted former business partners reach a most novel resolution to their bitter 20 plus year dispute. The case had gone to judgment, bankruptcy, and was still pending before two separate calendars in the Chancery Division at time of settlement.
- As a JAMS neutral, he has successfully mediated nationwide class actions
- Extensive experience in class actions. While on the bench presided over:
- Sampson v. Kodak, a worldwide class action by owners of Kodak cameras, one of the largest class actions in Illinois history
- Chicago Flood Litigation, authored all Appellate Court opinions involving damage claims resulting from the great Chicago flood
- In re: Audi, Presided over nationwide products liability class against manufacturer of Audi autos
- As a focus group participant, Justice Rakowski provides invaluable assistance to counsel on cases pending in trial in Appellate courts. Examples include a mega-million dollar patent dispute in the D.C. Circuit, a Markman hearing regarding a software dispute in District Court with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, and a multimillion dollar insurance coverage and bad faith dispute pending before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Provides neutral trial and appellate evaluations and is available for special master assignments.
- While in the Chancery Courts, he pre-tried, mediated, and presided over trials involving all forms of relief recognizable in equity. Heard hundreds of suits involving commercial disputes, restrictive covenants, non-competition agreements, insurance coverage and bad faith, construction disputes, mechanic's liens, mortgage foreclosures, real estate, employment, and shareholder/officer disputes.
- As a Law Division, Motion Section judge, he presided over contested motion call. Heard dispositive pre-trial motions (2-615, 2-619, 2-1005) in all areas of civil law, including tort, contract, commercial disputes, employment law, and labor disputes. Managed actions involving all forms of tort relief, including personal injury, defamation, professional negligence, and medical malpractice. Managed discovery in complex litigation.