Dennis Cotter

Biography

Dennis Cotter is a senior partner in SmithAmundsen’s Litigation Practice Group and member of the firm's Executive Committee. Over the past 24 years, he has represented clients as lead trial counsel in cases involving professional liability, commercial litigation, construction, health care, product liability, municipal liability, breach of contract, class action, real estate, insurance, extra-contractual issues, general liability and more. He is an accomplished trial attorney and his cases routinely include the representation of business and commercial entities in matters involving multi-million dollar exposures. Dennis is also a frequent lecturer on a wide array of litigation-related legal topics and emerging legal trends. A founding partner of SmithAmundsen, he also established and developed the firm’s Construction Practice Group. Thus, in addition to his general litigation practice, currently Dennis serves as the Chair of that Group. In that role, Dennis has served as Chair of the national USLAW Construction Practice Group (2007), and authored both the USLAW Illinois Construction Law Compendium and the DRI Illinois Construction Desk Reference (2009).

Dennis takes pride in the fact that SmithAmundsen can fully serve the business and litigation needs of its clients by working closely with other practice groups in the firm including labor and employment, creditors’ rights, financial services, family law, corporate, health care, insurances services, and more.

In addition to an aggressive trial practice, Dennis is also a trained arbitrator for Illinois Mandatory Arbitration Programs, is trained as a Certified Mediator through Northern Illinois University, and has mediated cases in the 17th Judicial Circuit Major Civil Mediation program and in Cook County, Illinois.

Education

No information available.

Admissions/Licenses

• Bar Admissions: IL