Claire Lunardini focuses her practice on the defense of product liability, employment, toxic tort, and commercial claims in state and federal courts in Illinois and throughout the United States. Ms. Lunardini has successfully tried, arbitrated and mediated cases for major corporate clients. Representative clients include Sharp Electronics Corp., The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Ford Motor Company, Genentech, Inc., Bausch & Lomb, Inc., Walgreen Co., The Terminix International Co., Denman Tire Corp., Interco Tire Corp., Johns Manville International, Inc., IBM, Lycoming Engines, Avco Corporation and Textron Inc.
Additional Bar Admissions:
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Publications:
"Indiana Jury Instructions for Product Liability Claims and Defenses" Chapter for Product Liability Advisory Counsel Handbook of Jury Instructions (Co-Author), 2009.
"Actual Notice of Defect Exception to the Illinois Distributor Statute Requires More than Knowledge of the Characteristics of the Product," (Co-Author), Defense Update, the newsletter of the IDC Product Liability Committee, Vol. 9, No. 1 (2009).
Contributing Editor of the WM&J Litigation Forum newsletter, 2005 to present.
"Using the Internet as a Discovery Tool," (Co-Author), Experience, publication of the American Bar Association Senior Lawyers Division, Volume 16, Number 3, Spring 2006.
"Using the Internet as a Tool in the Discovery Process," (Co-Author), The Practical Litigator, March 2005.
Consumer Fraud Statutory Causes of Action paper submitted to Products Liability Advisory Counsel (Co-Author), Fall 2004 Conference.
Illinois Law on Admission of Expert Testimony paper submitted to Product Liability Advisory Counsel for 50 state compilation (Co-Author), 2004.
Speeches and Presentations:
Speaker, Complex Litigation at the Practice Tracks 2008 program for law students sponsored by DePaul University College of Law and the Chicago Area Law School Consortium consisting of eleven Illinois and Indiana law schools, 2008.
Speaker at the DePaul University College of Law, the practice of litigation law, 2006.
Representative Cases:
Goodyear v. Lucas, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented Goodyear in a breach of contract claim and a claim under the Illinois Uniform Fraudulent Transfer of Assets statute against two corporations and an individual. Judgment for client entered against two corporations and an individual.
Ford Explorer/Firestone Tire Tread Separation Litigation. Represented Ford Motor Company in dozens of Ford Explorer cases involving tread separations of Firestone tires in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Obtained favorable settlements.
Gaskin v. Sharp Electronics Corp., Northern District of Indiana. Represented Sharp Electronics Corporation in a products liability and wrongful death action arising from a fire inside a home allegedly started by a Sharp television. Case settled following order barring plaintiff's expert pursuant to Daubert.
Bausch & Lomb, Inc./Renu with Moistureloc Product Liability Litigation. Represented Bausch & Lomb, Inc. and Walgreen Co. in dozens of Bausch & Lomb Renu with Moistureloc contact lens solution product liability actions in state and federal courts throughout Illinois.
Johnson v. Avco/Textron/Lycoming, et al., U.S. District Court, Eastern District, Missouri. Represented aircraft engine manufacturer in product liability case involving aircraft accident in which pilot and all passengers died. Case settled.
McCloud v. Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America, et al., U.S. District Court, Central District, Illinois. Represented Goodyear Dunlop Tires North America and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in products liability action arising from allegedly defective motorcycle tire and involving brain damage and quadriplegia.
Forsythe v. Sysix, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented employer Forsythe Technology in action against two former employees for breach of their confidentiality and non-compete agreements with Forsythe, and violations of the Illinois Trade Secrets Act, and action against the two former employees' new employer, Sysix, for tortious interference with the former employees' contractual obligations to Forsythe. Case settled.
Bryant v. Terminix International, Circuit Court of Tennessee, Shelby County. Represented Terminix International in a toxic torts action in which Plaintiff alleged to have sustained neurological damage and other permanent injuries as a result of exposure to a pesticide. Case settled.
American States Insurance Co. v. Monticello Insurance Co., Circuit Court of DuPage County, Illinois. Represented Monticello Insurance Co. in insurance coverage matter. Case settled.
Schnaar v. Genentech, Inc., Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Representing drug manufacturer Genentech, Inc. in a case arising out of a FDA drug study for the psoriasis drug Raptiva. Case pending.
Trapper Enterprises v. Goodyear, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented Goodyear in a breach of contract action. Case dismissed against client following arbitration finding of not guilty.
Helgesen v. Jewel Food Stores, Inc. Represented Jewel Food Stores, Inc. in a premises liability action where Plaintiff alleged personal injury as a result of a slip and fall inside a Jewel store. Following a finding of not guilty at a non-binding arbitration, case settled for nuisance value.
Bedolla v. RES Environmental, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented spray insulator company against third-party breach of contract claim by general contractor for failing to provide insurance coverage, with an underlying action concerning personal injuries sustained on a building construction site due to a one-story fall through a hole. Case settled.
Green v. CMS, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented individual concerning employment disputes and compensation owed following termination.
Crystal Towers v. Johns Manville, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented Johns Manville International, Inc.in a negligent misrepresentation and breach of warranty action arising out of the allegations concerning a Johns Manville roofing product. Case dismissed without settlement.
Leynaud v. IBM, LaSalle County, Illinois. Represented IBM and IBM employee in an action concerning motor vehicle accident. Case settled.
Glenbrook v. Goodyear, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented Goodyear in a breach of contract claim involving payment of real estate taxes. Obtained a favorable settlement.
Krueger v. President Builders, Inc., Cook County, Illinois. Represented general contractor President Builders, Inc. concerning accident which occurred on residential construction site where individual fell through a hole. Case settled during trial.
Jelic v. Goodyear, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Represented Goodyear in an action for personal injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Dismissal with prejudice obtained for client.
Willow Creek v. Sharp Electronics, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Represented Sharp Electronics Corp. in product liability action involving a fire allegedly started by a copying machine manufactured by Sharp. Obtained a favorable settlement.
Phoenyx One, Inc. v. Terminix International, Circuit Court of Will County, Illinois. Represented Terminix International, Inc. in a breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation action arising from property termite inspections. Case settled.
Onyango v. Goodyear, Circuit Court of the 19th Judicial Circuit, Lake County, Illinois. Represented defendants Goodyear and one of its employees in an action concerning property damage. In a bench trial, judge found in favor of defendants on all issues.
Hector v. Interco Tire Corp., Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Representing Interco Tire Corp. in a product liability and wrongful death action arising out of a catastrophic automobile accident. Case pending.
Hector v. Denman Tire Corp., Dane County, Wisconsin. Represented Denman Tire Corp. in a product liability and wrongful death action arising out of a catastrophic automobile accident involving an allegedly defective tire. Case dismissed.
See Extended Biography
