Jonathan L. Schwartz is a Partner and Office Co-Chair in Freeman Mathis & Gary’s Chicago office and is Co-Chair of the firm’s Insurance Coverage and Extra-Contractual Liability national practice section. He is an experienced litigator whose practices focuses on insurance coverage litigation and counseling across many product lines, including primary and excess commercial general liability, commercial and personal property, business auto and cargo liability, professional liability and errors and omissions (E&O), directors and officers (D&O) liability, cyber, municipal and law enforcement liability, employer’s liability, and employment practices liability insurance policies. A mainstay of Mr. Schwartz’s practice is extracontractual actions against insurers, and with a nationwide focus, his clients include myriad property and casualty insurers from coast to coast.
In addition to his insurance coverage work, Jonathan’s extensive experience includes defending media liability and intellectual property litigation involving trademark infringement, copyright infringement, patent infringement, trade secret misappropriation, consumer and employee privacy, and right of publicity disputes. Jonathan also regularly defends E&O claims against insurance agents and brokers.
A significant part of Jonathan’s practice includes defending firm clients in data privacy class action litigation arising from data security incidents, as well as fraudulent funds transfers.
As a former staff attorney at the Illinois Appellate Court, Mr. Schwartz brings a significant understanding of appellate strategy and the appeals process to all of the work, and frequently represents and counsels clients in appellate matters. He has handled more than 35 appeals throughout his time in private practice.
Mr. Schwartz’s background also includes working as in-house counsel at a captive coverage firm for a major insurance company. This experience provides him with an insider’s perspective and specialized knowledge of performance expectations and the intricacies of the insurer-insured relationship.
A prolific speaker and writer on recent developments affecting the insurance industry, Mr. Schwartz frequently authors articles for publications such as Law360, New Appleman on Insurance, and DRI’s The Voice, For the Defense, and In-House Defense Quarterly. He is often quoted by Law360 on nationwide insurance law issues. He was the regular host of an insurance law podcast.
Mr. Schwartz is the Immediate Past Chair of the DRI Insurance Law Committee and has been a strong advocate of DRI since joining in 2007.
