180 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2108, Chicago, Illinois 60601

Phone: 312.726.0531
Fax: 312.726.4928

Our Attorneys, Proven Expertise

Our team has years of experience and provides professional
and sophisticated legal services to our clients.

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Eric D. Kaplan

Education:

Knox College, Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1988

Washington University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1992

Practice Areas:

Eric’s practice concentrates in the defense of civil litigation cases including professional liability, employment practices liability, public entity liability and personal injury cases. Eric has defended business professionals in individual and class action cases including attorneys, accountants, directors and officers, architects and engineers, fiduciaries, mortgage brokers, real estate brokers, real estate management firms, credit reporting services, insurance agencies, auctioneers, appraisers, premium finance companies, trade publications, public adjusters, market research companies and surveyors. Eric also represents lawyers in disciplinary matters before the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Eric has represented clients in state administrative agencies as well as state and federal courts at the trial and appellate level in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, California, Kentucky, Ohio, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan. Eric is licensed to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin. Eric’s clients include insurance companies and third party administrators as well as businesses throughout the country. 

Since the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision in Rosenbach v. Six Flags Entertainment Corp., Eric has and is currently representing defendants in multiple class action cases seeking injunctive relief and monetary damages for alleged violations of the Biometric Information Privacy Act. 

Eric has been chosen as a Super Lawyer in the area of professional liability for 2023-2024.

Presentations And Publications:

Defending Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act Claims, Hanover Insurance Company, January 2020;

Construction Defects 101, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, December 2012;

Navigating the Minefields in Disastrous Professional Liability Claims, 2011 PLUS International Conference, San Diego, California;

Legal Bill Review for Claims Professionals, Council on Litigation Management, February 2011;

Appraiser Liability and Risk Management, American Society of Appraisers, January 28, 2010

Tough Times Require Bold Moves: Opening Your Own Law Firm, Washington University School of Law, February 2010.

Note, Attorney Fee Recovery Pursuant to CERCLA 107 (a) (4) (B), 42 Wash. U.J. Urb. & Contemp. L. 251 (1992)

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Dean Gournis

Description:

Dean Gournis, (Partner) born Oak Park, Illinois, 1970; admitted to bar, 1995, Illinois and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. 

Education:

Lake Forest College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1992); University of Illinois (J.D., 1995). 

Membership:

Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel (IADTC)

Languages:

Greek.

Practice Areas:

Professional Liability Defense; Civil Litigation; Insurance Defense; Intellectual Property; Corporate. 

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Chris S. Wunder

Description:

Chris S. Wunder is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on professional liability defense (with an emphasis on legal malpractice defense), employment defense, civil rights defense, commercial litigation, and construction/mechanics lien litigation.

Chris has obtained numerous favorable results for his clients in state and federal courts as well as proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), and disciplinary proceedings before the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC).

Despite his extensive litigation experience, Chris recognizes that protracted litigation through trial is the last resort to resolve most disputes. As a result, he always looks to resolve cases through mediation or settlement when it is beneficial to the client.

Chris was named an Illinois Super Lawyer-Rising Star for professional liability defense for 2013-2018 and an Illinois Super Lawyer for professional liability defense for 2019-2024.

Membership:

Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) for the Chicago Bar Association. In this role, Chris investigates and evaluates the qualifications of judicial candidates for office, whether through nomination, election, appointment, or retention.

Practice Areas:

Professional Liability Defense (with an emphasis on legal malpractice defense), Employment Defense, Civil Rights Defense, Commercial Litigation, Construction/Mechanics Lien Litigation

Education: 

Syracuse University College of Law, cum laude, JD, 2005; Syracuse Law Review, Executive Editor

University of Missouri-Columbia, BA, 2002

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Dean A. Jepsen

Description:

Dean Jepsen is the firm’s newest associate. Dean is a 2023 graduate from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law. Taking an interest in the art of communication from a young age, Dean is a powerful writer, speaker, and advocate. In short, he has always wanted to be an attorney.

Through various internship and clerking positions, Dean has explored a wide array of practice areas; ranging from family law, to environmental policy work, to corporate matters. He is excited to dive into the realms of civil litigation and real estate law as he embarks on this new chapter of his legal career.

While in law school, Dean was a contributor to Loyola’s public interest law journal, a student attorney with Loyola’s domestic violence legal clinic, and a teaching assistant for first-year legal writing courses.

Dean is a Chicago Blackhawks fan, an avid fisherman, and enjoys learning new songs on his bass guitar. In his free time, he enjoys seeing concerts with his wife, and spending time with his family

Education:

Lake Forest College (Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, 2019)

Loyola University of Chicago School of Law (Juris Doctor, 2023)

Practice Areas:

Real Estate & Civil Litigation

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