Denise A. Lazar

Denise Lazar is a partner in the Litigation Department of Wildman Harrold. Denise has spent nearly a decade litigating commercial issues, toxic tort cases, and product liability matters for national and international companies and individuals, in all aspects of litigation, including jury and bench trials. Denise also prosecutes and defends professional liability matters for lawyers and accountants. In addition, Denise skillfully uses mediation and arbitration to solve complex domestic and international disputes for a wide variety of corporate clients. Denise also counsels clients, including publicly traded companies, on issues of ethics and compliance. She recently chaired the firm’s Associates Committee, and is currently a member of both the firms Recruiting Committee and the Diversity Committee.

Representative Experience:

Represents a large agricultural cooperative in six class action cases pending in Madison County, Illinois, related to alleged atrazine contamination. The plaintiffs allege that, even though the level of atrazine, a commonly used agricultural herbicide, in the public water supplies is well within the limits set by the EPA and IEPA, the public water supply is dangerously polluted. Motions to dismiss are pending.
Represents Honeywell in a series of toxic tort cases filed in Cook County, Illinois and in the Central District of Illinois involving allegations that vinyl chloride used in industrial settings and used as a propellant in consumer aerosol products causes cancer; most of the cases were dismissed on forum non conveniens grounds and later settled on favorable terms, only two cases remain
Represents Honeywell in a product liability case relating to a safety restraint system, where plaintiff alleged that inertial unlatching of the safety restraint system resulted in paralysis; case currently in discovery
Represents Great American, as part of a team of Wildman Harrold attorneys, in connection with class action litigation pending against more than 500 insurers relating to the use of computer software to adjust insurance claims
Successfully represented a Chapter 11 debtor, a publicly traded manufacturing company, in litigation to recover on contract claims against General Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and other automotive companies; resulted in successful recovery of millions of dollars for the estate
Successfully represented an international pharmaceutical company in its legal malpractice case against a nationally recognized patent firm. This case arose out of international litigation concerning patent rights pending in Germany and the United States, including a proceeding before the International Trade Commission. The matter resulted in a favorable settlement for the company at mediation.
Represents Honeywell relating to alleged exposures to UF6, or uranium hexafluoride, a compound used in the uranium enrichment process that produces fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons
Represented Honeywell in contribution action arising out of a braking system used by a national trucking company; the matter resolved on terms favorable to the company
Represents a chemical company in premises action arising out of firefighter’s alleged exposure to chemicals while fighting a fire at a chemical facility; vase involves exposure that allegedly resulted in cancer some 13 years after exposure
Represented a national filtration manufacturer in breach of warranty action related to beer filtration; resolved matter on terms favorable to the client at mediation
Represented sporting goods company in intellectual property litigation brought by a vendor. The case was dismissed on summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The vendor appealed to Fifth Circuit. That appeal was dismissed.
Obtained defense verdict after jury trial for a Chicago law firm. The case arose out of advice given to a college concerning two competing education statutes. The jury found in favor of the law firm after a short deliberation and the college did not appeal the verdict.
Represented publicly traded imaging company in injunctive relief action against former manager arising out of a non-compete; successfully resolved matter

Reported Decisions:

Montgomery v. Aetna Plywood, Inc., 231 F.3d 399 (7th Cir. 2000)
Naqvi v. Rossiello, 321 Ill. App. 3d, 746 N.E.2d 873 (1st Dist 2001)
SEC v. Lipson, 278 F.3d 656 (7th Cir. 2002)
Fox v. Berks & Colky, 334 Ill. App. 3d 815, 778 N.E.2d 1141 (1st Dist 2002)

Publications And Presentations:

Author, “Client Instructional Presentations,” Elements of a Lawsuit, 2003.
Co-author, “Negligent Settlement—The Retreat of the Case Within the Case Doctrine and the But for Rule,” IADC Newsletter, No. 2, April 2001; IADC Defense Counsel Journal, 68, No. 4, October 2001.
Mock Trial Instructor, Program sponsored by Northwestern University School of Law (1999—2000).
Contributor, Accounting, Auditing and Financial Malpractice, 1999 and 2000 supplements.

Professional Associations:

American Bar Association, Litigation Section

Illinois State Bar Association

Chicago Bar Association

Wildman Harrold Chair, Associates Committee, 2005

Member, Recruiting Committee, 2006 to present

Member, Diversity Committee, 2006 to present

Bar Admissions:

Illinois, 1998

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 1998 (Trial Bar member)

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 1999

U.S. Supreme Court, 2003

U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, 2003

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, 2004

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2006

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