Biography:
Hanson Williams focuses his practice on the defense of products liability, transportation, wrongful death, professional liability, and commercial claims. Mr. Williams has successfully tried, mediated and arbitrated high exposure cases throughout his 15 years of practice. Mr. Williams is a former prosecutor with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. He graduated with honors from Colgate University and was a member of the Law Review at the University of Denver College of Law.
Education:
University of Denver College of Law, J.D., 1994
Honors: Law Review, 1993-1994
Colgate University, B.A., with honors,1990
Bar Admissions:
Illinois (1994)
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (1994)
Professional Memberships:
Chicago Bar Association
Trucking Industry Defense Association
International Society of Primerus Law Firms
Publications:
"Electronic Discovery: An Overview of the Power and the Pitfalls," (Co-Author), The Practical Litigator, November 2005.
"Practice Checklist for Electronic Discovery: An Overview of the Power and the Pitfalls," (Co-Author), Senior Lawyer, Volume 18, Number 3 (Fall 2006).
Representative Cases:
Fears v. Yellow Freight , Cook County , Illinois . Defended trucking company in a truck-automobile accident in which plaintiff sustained severe brain injury and quadriparesis, requiring 24-hour care. Plaintiff asked jury for $45 million. Verdict for Yellow Freight and its driver.
Colfax Envelope v. Detterbeck, Cook County , Illinois . Represented plaintiff in accounting malpractice case arising out of annual audits following employee embezzlement of close to $1 million. Settled.
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation v. Stone & Webster , USDC (Central District), Illinois . Represented plaintiff Siemens in breach of multi-million dollar construction contract action involving supply of combustion turbines for power plant. Settled.
Brandon v. Diversey Corporation , Cook County , Illinois . Defended national supplier of industrial wash formulas in case where explosion of industrial washing machine during laundering of flammable printer's towels resulted in death of employee. Settled.
Sanchez v. Dedicated Transport, Inc., Cook County, Illinois. Represented trucking company in truck-automobile case where 8 year-old plaintiff claimed post-traumatic stress disorder and severe emotional distress following impact with tanker truck. Verdict for plaintiff (admitted liability), reduced to zero following motion for remittitur.
Country Classic Dairies v. Tetra Pak, Inc. , USDC, Butte , MT. Defended a milk processor manufacturer and distributor in a product liability case involving the loss of 95,000 of contaminated milk. Settled.
Binder v. Heidelberg North America , DuPage County, Illinois . Defended a printing press manufacturer in a design defect case involving the loss of a foot by a pressman while cleaning the press. Dismissed without payment.
CBS Broadcasting v. Fogarty, Cook County , Illinois . Represented plaintiff in action to recover over $1.8 million in embezzled funds. Summary judgment for plaintiff on liability and damages.
Spence, et al v. Yellow Transportation, Cook County, Illinois. Defending trucking company in a truck-automobile accident in Indiana that resulted in four fatalities. Pending.
City of Chicago v. Werner Sobek, Cook County, Illinois. Represented structural engineering firm engaged by City to develop structural steel plans and specifications for the renovation of the domestic terminals at O’Hare Airport. City sought several million dollars in damages from defendant engineering firm for full scale remediation of faulty welds. Dismissed without payment.
Dade/Adams v. Berry, Marion County, Indiana. Defending trucking company in a truck-automobile accident in Indiana involving three fatalities. Pending.
Burton v. Yellow/A.W. Chesterton, Madison County, Illinois. Defended trucking company in wrongful death action alleging asbestos exposure on defendant's premises. Dismissed without payment.
See Extended Biography
