Joseph P. Postel

• Illinois, 1985
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 2000
• Illinois Defense Counsel
• Defense Research Institute  
• Illinois State Bar Association
• U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

• Judgment on the Pleadings – Successful Post-Settlement Target Tender of Excess Policy: RLI Ins. Co. v. Acuity, no. 20 C 5530, 2022 WL 36100 (N.D. Ill. 2022)
• Summary Judgment – Boyfriend of Insured’s Resident Daughter Not Entitled to Coverage for Accident While Driving Insured Vehicle, Since He Had No Drivers License and therefore could not have Reasonably Believed he was Authorized to Drive Vehicle: Rockford Mutual Ins. Co. v. Thomas, No. 17 MR 161 (Circuit Court of Knox County, 2018)
• Judgment on the Pleadings – Farm Insurer Owes No Duty to Defend Tenant Farmer Against Contribution Claim by Grain Dealer Sued by Farm Landlord for Supplying GMO Herbicide That Killed Crop: Rockford Mutual Ins. Co. v. Weiss, No. 18 MR 329 (Circuit Court of LaSalle County, 2019)
• Judgment on the Pleadings – Village Not Entitled to a Defense for Lawsuit Alleging Police Officer Sexually Exploited a Minor: Illinois Municipal League Risk Management Association v. Village of Lindenhurst, No. 2018 MR 582 (Circuit Court of Sangamon County, 2019)
• Summary Judgment – Additional Insured Must Exhaust Its Self-Insured Retention Before Excess Policy Pays: Acuity v. Commonwealth Edison Co., No. 21 CH 1877 (Circuit Court of Cook County, 2021)
• Judgment on the Pleadings – No Coverage for Architect for Multi-Million Dollar Construction Defect Suit: Cornice & Rose Int'l, LLC v. Acuity, No. 21 C 6112, 2022 WL 4481448 (N.D. Ill. 2022)

• Selected as Illinois Leading Lawyer each year from 2013 - Present
• Rated AV Pre-eminent by Martindale Hubbell

• Willamette University, BA, 1979

• “What Insurance Defense Counsel Need To Know About The Duty To Defend,” IDC Quarterly, March 2006
• Presenter, “Additional Insured Coverage,” Annual Construction Risk Conference, International Risk Management Institute, Washington, D.C., November 1997.  
• Presenter, “Additional Insured Coverage,” Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Annual Mid-Winter CLE Meeting, American Bar Association, Scottsdale AZ, February 1998
• Presenter, “Construction Defect Insurance Coverage,” Construction Defect Seminar, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association, Marina del Rey CA, June 1998
• Presenter, “Construction Defect Insurance Coverage,” Annual CLE Meeting, American Corporate Counsel Association, Washington, D.C., November 1998
• Presenter, “Additional Insured Coverage,” Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Mid-Winter CLE Meeting, American Bar Association, Monterey CA, February 1999
• Presenter, “Additional Insured Coverage,” Annual Construction Risk Conference, International Risk Management Institute, Chicago IL, November 1999
• Presenter, “Additional Insured Coverage,” Insurance Coverage & Claims Seminar, Defense Research Institute, Chicago IL, May 2002
• Presenter, “Additional Insured Coverage,” Insurance Coverage & Claims Seminar, Defense Research Institute, Chicago IL, May 2003
• Presenter, “Additional Insured Coverage,” Annual Construction Risk Conference, International Risk Management Institute, Chicago IL, November 2003
• Panelist, “Legal Malpractice Claims Against Insurance Defense Counsel/Conflicts of Interest and The Insurer’s Right to Control the Insured’s Defense,” Insurance Coverage & Claims Seminar, Defense Research Institute, Chicago IL, April 15, 2004
• Presenter, “The New ISO Additional Insured Endorsement Forms,” Fall Seminar, Illinois Defense Counsel, Lake Geneva WI, September 10, 2004
• Panel Moderator, “Insurance Defense Counsel’s Ethical Obligations & The Tripartite Relationship,” Construction Insurance Symposium, Illinois Defense Counsel, St. Louis MO, September 20, 2007
• Presenter, “Duty to Defend, Reservation of Rights and Estoppel—The Latest Decisions on The 2004 ISO Additional Insured Endorsements,” Complex Claims Symposium, Illinois Defense Counsel, Oak Brook IL, March 25, 2010
• Presenter, “Risk Shifting and Transactional Planning,” Municipal Attorneys Seminar, Illinois Municipal League, Bloomington IL, April 19, 2013
• Presenter, “Shifting Risk from Municipal Self-Insurance Pools to Commercial Insurers in Situations Involving Multiple Coverage,” Defense Counsel Seminar, Illinois Municipal League Risk Management Association, Springfield IL, August 16, 2013
• “Recent Trends in Additional Insured Coverage,” IDC Quarterly, December 1996  
• “Survey of 1997 Additional Insured Cases,” CGL Reporter, International Risk Management Institute, Dallas TX, 1998
• “Survey of 1998 Additional Insured Cases,” CGL Reporter, International Risk Management Institute, Dallas TX, 1999
• “Insurance Coverage for Vicarious Liability,” Construction Risk Manual, International Risk Management Institute, Dallas TX, 2000

• Insurance

“Joe has a truly encyclopedic knowledge of coverage law, from concepts to cases to the historical background for the Court's evolution in its opinions. He provides prompt, comprehensive, and correct advice to clients. He also provides excellent mentoring to younger attorneys starting out in the coverage world. His clients appreciate his honest and forthright approach.”

“Joe is a leading authority in the field of coverage law. He is a tireless researcher and writer, intent on keeping up-to-date on all new case law. He provides excellent client service, with timely and accurate reporting and opinions. Clients know that they can trust his advice.”