Peter G. Syregelas

• CLM
• Southern Districts of Illinois
• Central Districts of Illinois
• Northern Districts of Illinois
• State of Illinois, 2006
• Hellenic Bar Association, Vice President
• DRI

• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of an insurer client in a coverage dispute involving an underlying Biometric Information Protection Act case finding no duty to defend. First summary judgment granted on this type of case in favor of insurers.
• Obtained judgment against condominium property manager after tender was made to Westfield to defend a mechanic’s lien, breach of contract case.
• Obtained summary judgment in favor of insurer client against developer for alleged property defect case where developer acted as general contractor for entire townhome development.
• Obtained summary judgment in federal court for insurer client in case involving a fire loss after filing a Celotex motion.
• Prepared declaratory judgment suit against a builder/architect arguing for a no coverage declaration under the professional services exclusion where a drywall subcontractor engaged by the builder/architect punctured a water line to a residence undergoing a $500,000 renovation in Wilmette which caused hundreds of thousands worth of damage to the residence because the builder/architect failed to properly design the plumbing with pipe guards. After filing dec suit, tender was withdrawn within 2 months.  
• Obtained judgment against a purported additional insured in Lake County, Illinois, based on failure of an incorporation clause in subcontract to obligate the naming of a landowner as an additional insured on insurer client’s policy.
• Secured the payment of defense fees of a Westfield insured by Arch Insurance and partial payment of indemnity on behalf of Federated Insurance which picked up the tender of the Westfield insured initially.  
• Secured settlement at mediation for insured client, by securing contributions from two insurers toward settlement with a former employee for alleged allegations of negligent hiring/retention of person who allegedly sexually assaulted the plaintiff.
• Secured insurer contributions of approximately $300,000 toward the defense fees and indemnity paid out by insured for settlement of an action alleging violations of the City of Chicago Renting Ordinance from two insurers.
• Secured judgment on the pleadings against Nationwide’s insured a homeowner association and its directors under res judicata/collateral estoppel of previous summary judgment obtained against Association for breach of the cooperation clause.
• Settled case for Nationwide at mediation following the filing of a rescission action against the insured grocery store for failure to disclose the operation of a bar/gambling hall on the insured premises by another company. Nationwide paid $50,000 toward settlement with the plaintiff on behalf of insured. Insured’s insurance agent paid $50,000 toward collective settlement, while Nationwide’s insured paid $130,000.
• Won appeal from judgment in favor of our client in Lake County, who was freed from allegations of accepting the fruits of a fraud perpetuated by the near bankrupt company our client purchased in a UCC Article 9 sale.
• Secured dismissal of a complaint filed by Nationwide insured following briefing and argument before circuit court under the policy’s contractual limitation for “suit against us” provision. No appeal taken.
• Secured an insurance payout of approximately $4 million toward the settlement of a case for a class action for violations of FRCA after the insured completely reserved rights after I uncovered a liberalization endorsement on a policy which offered coverage for liquidated damages under an earlier policy.
• Secured payment from insurer of approximately $3 million dollars to insured client, a major evangelical church, toward settlement of claims asserted by its former pastor and for defense fees incurred in an arbitration in the Christian Reconciliation Forum.
• Litigated declaratory judgment suit against Nationwide insured for an underlying biometric protection act case. Negotiated settlement for Nationwide after insured self-funded 800K settlement with class in addition to incurring 200K in defense fees. Insured got less than a 10% recovery from Nationwide.
• Obtained second summary judgment for insurer client on BIPA class action case where more than $30 million dollars in coverage was at stake, extending favorable Cook County judgments in BIPA coverage cases. 

• Law Review, Lead Article and Student Publication Editor
• Leading Lawyer, since 2021, Award
• Fred Herzog Scholar, John Marshall Law School

• Loyola University, Chicago (B.S), 2002

“Peter's knowledge in coverage law and appellate work has been endlessly helpful in my own practice. He is a hard worker, a great writer, and an excellent communicator overall. He develops novel legal arguments and has full command of the case law for each case on which he works.”

“Peter is an exceptional appellate and coverage attorney who has been a tremendous addition to our practice for our clients. Peter has an excellent grasp of the costs and benefits to a client and understands the business interests that sometimes motivate their decisions. He is a very capable writer and orator who obtains excellent results in difficult cases and before courts all over the state. He is also well-respected amongst his peers and very active within the profession.”