About
Attorneys
PRACTICE AREAS
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Intellectual Property
Policyholders' Insurance Coverage
AT WORK
Anthony C. Valiulis is an accomplished litigator with almost 35 years of experience in a broad range of state and federal civil trial and appellate matters. A Principal of the firm since 1979 and a member of the Management Committee, Tony served as Chair of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice group for more than 20 years. As counsel for both plaintiffs and defendants, he has first-chaired numerous jury and bench trials in federal and state courts and argued a wide variety of appeals throughout the country, including in the Illinois Supreme Court.
Tony's practice encompasses all types of complex business and financial litigation, concentrating in four major areas: (1) business disputes, (2) non-compete agreements, (3) insurance coverage and (4) class action defense. He also represents individuals, privately held companies and publicly traded corporations in the areas of business fraud, unfair competition, labor-related litigation, employment discrimination (including age and other types of discrimination), trademarks, trade dress matters, business torts, toxic torts, technology litigation, securities litigation (including stock purchase agreements, notes and contracts) and RICO fraud.
IN THE PROFESSION
Tony has published on a broad range of topics. He recently contributed a chapter, "Ethical Considerations: Does Trial Consulting Help Achieve Justice," in the 2006 IICLE publication Inside and Outside the Jury Box. Tony is also the author of an important treatise on non-compete agreements, Covenants Not to Compete: Forms, Tactics and the Law, and has authored professional journal articles for the CBA Record, Trade Secret Law Reporter, Midwest In-House Counsel and Business Tax Report.
Tony has extensive experience in legal writing and editing and taught legal writing at Loyola University Chicago. While in law school, he served on the Loyola Law Journal.
Tony speaks frequently on a wide variety of subjects at seminars for industry, trade and professional groups. Recent topics include "Non-Compete Agreements: Myth or Reality," "E-Mail: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting Your Business," "When an Insurer's No Is Better Than Yes," "Electronic Surveillance: Internal Investigations of Employment Issues in Illinois," and "When an Employee Departs: Protecting Your Trade Secrets and Effectively Enforcing Non-Compete Agreements."
Tony also moderates numerous panels on various areas of law. Most recently, he moderated "Illinois Employment Law From A To Z" for Lorman Educational Services.
Tony is a member of the Chicago, Illinois State and American Bar Associations, and is a member of the Fellows of the American Bar Association. He is also a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the Illinois Policyholders Counsel Group.
Tony's professional accomplishments have been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell, which awarded him its highest rating in "Legal Ability" and "General Recommendations." He& has been recognized by the Leading Lawyers Network as a top Illinois lawyer in the area of commercial litigation (2005-2009) and has been designated an Illinois Super Lawyer (2005-2009), an honor given to the top 5% of attorneys in the state.
Recent published decisions for which Tony has been responsible include the following:
- Valley Forge Ins. Co. v. Swiderski Electronics, Inc., 860 N.E.2d 307, 223 Ill. 2d 352 (Ill. Supreme Court, Nov. 30, 2006) (expanding advertising injury coverage and holding that undefined terms in insurance policies are afforded their plain, ordinary and popular meanings)
- Gullien v. Potomac, 323 Ill.App.3d 121, 751 N.E.2d 104, 256 Ill. Dec. 51 (1st Dist. 2001) (construing for the first time the section of Insurance Code requiring insurers to maintain proof of mailing notice of material changes to coverage)
- Brouwer v. Raffensperger, Hughes & Co., 199 F.3d 961 (7th Cir. 2000) (setting standard for RICO conspiracy)
- Perry v. Economy Fire & Cas. Co., 724 N.E.2d 151 (1st Dist. 1999) (determining type of notice insurer must give policyholder before materially changing coverage)
- Insurance Co. of Illinois v. Stringfield, 685 N.E.2d 980 (1st Dist. 1997) (limiting scope of insurance policy's pollution exclusion)
BACKGROUND
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
J.D., cum laude, 1974
Marquette University
B.A., 1970
Tony is admitted to practice in Illinois (both state and federal courts). He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court; the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (including the Trial Bar), the Western District of Michigan and the Eastern District of Wisconsin; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits; and the U.S. Tax Court.
RELATED ALERTS
Is Sunbelt Fading into the Sunset? Illinois Non-Compete Cases
Generally Not Affected by Recent Decision
Have Non-Competes Suddenly Become Easier to Enforce? An Illinois Court Tries to Turn Myth into Realty
Non-Competition Agreements: Despite the Myths, Often a Powerful Method of Protecting Your Business
Winning the Battle to Arbitrate: Was the Victory Real or Pyrrhic?
Corporate Bylaws: Use Them or Lose Them
The Devil's in the Details: Exercising Your Contractual Rights
Illinois Supreme Court Extends a Helping Hand to Homeowners and Lenders
U.S. Supreme Court Sends Mixed Message on Arbitration:
What It May Mean to Your Business
Business as Usual? How Smart Companies Can
Survive in Trying Economic Times
Much Shelist: Thinking Business and Practicing Law on the Class Action Front
Beware of What You Wish For: The Nationwide Class Action Trap
Arbitration with an International Flair
Arbitration: A Valuable Tool…but Not for Every Job
If Your Company Sinks, Don't Go Down with the Ship
E-Mail: A Two-Edged Sword That Congress Attempts to Dull
Beware: Your Business Forms May Not Offer the Protection You Need
Protecting Trade Secrets and Other Valuable Proprietary Information
Smoke and Mirrors: When Asset Protection Schemes Spell Trouble
RELATED ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS
Protecting Your IP in a Troubled Economy: A Modest (and Cost-Effective) Proposal
Do You Know Where Your Risks Are? Possible Dangers Lurking in E-Mails and Internal Investigations
Insurance and Disaster Preparedness: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina
Litigation Considerations in Restrictive Covenant Cases (pdf)
Are Executive Noncompete Agreements Enforceable? (pdf)
Can't Keep a Secret (pdf)
Insurance Coverage: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? Maybe Not (pdf)
A Sleeping Giant: The Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (pdf)
RELATED NEWS & PRESS RELEASES
Much Shelist Attorneys Win Class Action Defense Case in Illinois Court