Overview

A founding shareholder in the firm, Thomas Orlando concentrates his practice in insurance and appellate law. 

His appellate practice is diverse and covers both insurance and non-insurance disputes.  Tom has appeared in and argued appeals in numerous state and federal courts nationwide, and he has represented both appellants and appellees. He has obtained reversals of summary judgments in products liability and first– and third– party insurance coverage disputes. 

His insurance practice is focused in property and liability coverage and litigation involving personal and commercial insurance. His experience includes claims involving fraud, bad faith and business interruption. Tom has extensive experience taking examinations under oath, working with clients on appraisal disputes and defending the interests of his clients in litigation involving a myriad of claim, coverage and underwriting issues. Tom has also served as national coordinating counsel for an insurer in ERISA litigation, and he represents commercial clients, including insurance companies, in cases involving commercial torts.  

Tom is also a Certified Public Accountant and prior to pursuing his legal career, he worked for the firm of Price Waterhouse. 

Professional Leadership

Tom is a member of the Appellate Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association and the American Bar Association where he is a member of the Appellate Advocacy, Business Torts and Unfair Competition Litigation, Commercial and Business Litigation, Dispute Resolution, Insurance Coverage Litigation, Property Insurance Law and Excess Surplus Lines and Reinsurance Committees. 

Honors & Recognition

Since 2021, Tom has been named a Leading Lawyer by Law Bulletin Media, a peer-recommended distinction awarded to less than 5% of attorneys in Illinois.

Tom has been selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America list in Insurance Law since 2023.

More information on awards and rankings can be found here.

Community Leadership

Tom is a member of the Grant Park Music Festival Board of Directors; a Governing Member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chair of the Board of Stile Nu; and a member of the Alumni Advisory Board of the Miami University Dolibois European Center. Tom previously was a member of the Board of the Chicago-based International Music Foundation, where he served as Chair from 2014 through 2019; and on the President’s Council of Chicago Opera Theater and served on its Strategic Planning Committee.

Education

Tom earned his B.S. degree in Accounting with a minor in History from Miami University (Ohio) in 1988 and his J.D. degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1994. 

Admissions

Tom is authorized to practice law in Illinois; U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Northern District of Ohio and Eastern District of Wisconsin. He has also represented clients in matters pending in state and federal courts throughout the country. 

Publications & Presentations

• “‘Document’ Retention Policies in an Electronic Age,” President & CEO, August 2005
• “Recent Developments in Excess Insurance, Surplus Lines Insurance, and Reinsurance Law,” Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Winter 2005
• “Business Interruption Claims: An Insurer’s Perspective,” TIPS on Insurance Coverage Law, 1995
• “Discovery Antidotes for the Defense, Good Faith on Trial,” a publication of the Tort and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association, 1995

Cited Cases

• Aluminum Recovery Technologies, Inc. v. ACE American Insurance Company, 94 F.4th 561 (7^th Cir. 2024)*
• Moles v. Illinois Farmers Insurance Company, 2023 IL App (1^st) 220853, — N.E.3d — (Ill. App. Ct. 2023)
• Thirteen Investment Company, Inc. v. Foremost Insurance Company Grand Rapids Michigan, 67 F.4th 389 (7th Cir. 2023)*
• Natalie D’Agostino v. Illinois Farmers Insurance Company, 2023 IL App (1st) 210567-U
• Indemnity Insurance Co. of North America v. Westfield Insurance Co. and Star Insurance Co., 58 F.4th 276 (7th Cir., 2023)*
• Legend’s Creek Homeowners Assn., Inc. v. Travelers Indemnity Co. of America, 33 F.4th 932 (7th Cir. 2022)*
• Jerneb Acquisition Corp. II v. Partner Assessment Corporation, 2022 WI App 8, 2022 WL 211528 (Wis. Ct. App. 2022)
• 1541 North Bosworth Condominium Association v. Hanna Architects, Inc., 196 N.E.3d 1108, 2021 IL App (1st) 200594 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021)*
• Engineered Structures, Inc. v. Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, 822 Fed.Appx. 606, 2020 WL 4746624 (9^th Cir. 2020)*
• Green Plains Otter Tail, LLC v. Pro-Environmental, Inc., 953 F.3d 541 (8^th Cir. 2020)*
• Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance Company v. Interstate Underground Warehouse & Storage, Inc., 946 F.3d 1008 (8^th Cir. 2020)*
• XL Specialty Ins. Co. v. Performance Aircraft Leasing, Inc., 2019 IL App (1^st) 181031, 132 N.E.3d 828 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019)*
• Hale v. The Travelers Indemnity Co., 2019 IL App (1^st) 18-2707-U, 2019 WL 4805647 (Ill. App. Ct. 2019)
• Ravinia Vogue Cleaners v. Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, 2019 WL 3318144 (N.D. Ill. 2019)
• Hayes v. Dearborn National Life Ins. Co., 744 Fed.Appx. 218 (5^th Cir. 2018)
• Travelers Home and Marine Ins. Co. v. Walsh, 2017 WL 976396 (N.D. Ill. 2017)
• J&A Freight Systems, Inc. v. Travelers Prop. Cas. Co. of America, 2017 WL 4274170 (N.D. Ill. 2017)
• Sienna Court Condominium Assoc. v. Champion Aluminum Corp., 2017 IL App (1^st) 143364, 75 N.E.3d 260 (Ill. App. Ct. 2017)
• Castle Oil Corp. v. ACE American Ins. Co., 137 A.D.3d 833, 26 N.Y.S.3d 783 (N.Y. App. Div. 2016)*
• Sandlin v. Harrah’s Illinois Corp., 2016 IL App (3d) 150018, 62 N.E.2d 362 (Ill. App. Ct. 2016)
• 9557, LLC v. Travelers Indemnity Co. of Connecticut, 2016 WL 464276 (N.D. Ill. 2016)
• JRL Holding Co., LC v. Travelers Prop. Cas. Co. of America, 2016 WL 1258861 (N.D. Iowa 2016)
• Bituminous Cas. Corp. v. Plano Molding Co., 2015 IL App (2d) 140292, 33 N.E.3d 658 (Ill. App. Ct. 2015)
• 15th Place Condominium Assoc. v. South Campus Development Team, LLC, 2014 IL App (1^st) 122292, 14 N.E.3d 592 (Ill. App. Ct. 2014)
• J.S. Reimer, Inc. v. Village of Orland Hills, 2013 IL App (1^st) 120106, 990 N.E.2d 831 (Ill. App. Ct. 2013)
• Amber Grove Homeowners Assoc. v. QBE Ins. Corp., 2013 WL 1679425 (N.D. Ill. 2013)
• Evanston Ins. Co. v. Cogswell Properties, LLC, 683 F.3d 684 (6^th Cir. 2012)*
• Holmgren Way Investments, LLC v. Travelers Indemnity Co. of America, 2012 WL 1883758 (E.D. Wisc. 2012)
• Sports Arena Management, Inc. v. Great American Ins. Group, 2007 WL 684003 (N.D. Ill. 2007)
• RLI Ins. Co. v. Highlands on Ponce, LLC, 635 S.E.2d 168 (Ga. Ct. App. 2006)*
• Detroit Water Team Joint Venture v. Agricultural Ins. Co., et al., 371 F.3d 336 (6^th Cir. 2004)*
• Pure Tech Systems, Inc. v. Mt. Hawley Ins. Co., et al., 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 5988 (6^th Cir. 2004)*
• Lambros Douskos v. Eden Park Ins. Co., 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7953 (W.D. Tex. 2001)
• United Fire & Casualty Co., et al. v. Arkwright Mutual Ins. Co., 53 F.Supp.2d 632 (S.D. N.Y. 1999)

* Tom presented oral argument in appellate court.