Areas of Practice
Industries
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, including Trial Bar
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
Education
University of Illinois, J.D., magna cum laude
- Order of the Coif
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.S., magna cum laude
- Phi Beta Kappa
Daniel J. Zollner is a Member in Dykema's Insurance Industry Group in the Chicago office. Mr. Zollner's practice focuses on ERISA, insurance and commercial litigation and counseling. With regard to ERISA matters, he handles employee benefit claims and litigation, stop loss coverage and litigation and administrative hearings, and advises plans and third party administrators on ERISA claim and appeal procedures, plan provisions, employee benefit claims, and coverage under stop loss policies.
In his insurance practice, Mr. Zollner handles litigation involving first and third party insurance claims, business income claims, intergovernmental self-insured pods, bad faith claims, professional liability claims, and the residual market. He also handles administrative hearings before state regulatory authorities, and advises on insurance coverage issues and policy wording.
Mr. Zollner has tried more than two dozen jury and bench cases to verdict, as well as trying a number of administrative hearings and arbitrations to judgment. He has also briefed and argued more than two dozen federal and state appeals in Illinois and Michigan and before the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Federal Courts of Appeal.
Mr. Zollner directly handles lawsuits in Cook, DuPage, Kane and Will Counties, the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the Northern District of Indiana. He also supervises litigation nationwide for clients.
Significant Decisions
-
Sepulveda v. Ford Motor Co., 936 F.3d 723 (8th Cir. 2019).
- ISDA v. St. Charles CUSD 303, 2012 IL App. (1st) 100088, 971 N.E.2d 1099, 1104-05, app. denied 207 Ill.2d 602 (2012). Judgment on appeal for self-insured general liability pool holding that the selective tender rule in Illinois applies only to “concurrent policy” insurers, and does not bar the pool from seeking equitable contribution from other consecutive policy insurers.
- WCSIT v. Safety National Ins. Corp., 2011 IL App. (1st) 100813-U, 2011 WL 10069001. Affirming trial verdict for self-insured workers' compensation pool against its excess insurer for full amount of the underlying judgment.
- Matrix IV v. American National Bank, et al, 649 F.3d 539 (7th Cir. 2011). Affirming judgment on the pleadings with respect to RICO and common law fraud charges on grounds of collateral estoppel.
- WCSIT v. Safety National Ins. Corp., (1st District 2011). Trial verdict for self-insured workers' compensation pool against its excess insurer affirmed on appeal.
- ISDA v. St. Charles CUSD 303 (Cook County 2010). Trial verdict for self-insured pool of school districts regarding $10.3 million mold remediation claim.
- ISW v. Gerber Life Ins. Co. (AAA 2009). Arbitration judgment for self-insured employee benefit plan against its excess insurer.
- Marin General Hospital v. Modesto & Empire Traction Co., 581 F.3d 941 (9th Cir. 2009). Appeal involving federal pre-emption of state law claims against an ERISA plan.
Seminars & Speeches
- Insurance Coverage Overview, DykemaJune 1, 2016
- Bad Faith or Bad Luck? California, Illinois, Michigan and Texas Insurance Bad Faith Law, DykemaJune 24, 2015
- The Basics of Illinois Insurance Law, DykemaJune 6, 2014 and October 20, 2011
- Deposition Taking Practicum, DykemaFebruary 6, 2014 and November 9, 2010
- Privilege, Waiver and Ethics Issues, DykemaFebruary 20, 2012 and November 5, 2011
- Insured and Insurer's Duty to Settle Under Insurance Policies, DykemaNovember 16, 2011
- Taking and Defending Depositions, DykemaJuly 22, 2010
- The Basics of Illinois Insurance Bad Faith Law, Northwest Suburban Chapter of the Chicago CPCUApril 20, 2009
- Bad Faith Insurance Claims in Illinois: Defending a Bad Faith Claim - Document Production and Deposition Preparation, National Business InstituteJune 13, 2008
- Section 5/155.22 of the Illinois Insurance Code: Are You on the Right Side of the Red Line?, Northwest Suburban Chapter of the CPCUMay 20, 2008
- Brokers and Agents: Legal Liability Perils for Those on the Front Lines, Northwest Suburban Chapter of the CPCUApril 17, 2007
- Retention, Destruction and Preservation of Electronic Data: Minimizing Exposure in the Electronic Age, TrialGraphixSeptember 27, 2006
- Electronic Discovery: Getting Ahead of the Curve, Grant Thornton LLPJune 27, 2006
- The Basics of Illinois Insurance Bad Faith Law, Chicago Bar AssociationJune 30, 2004
- Strategies to Avoid Class Action Liability: State Consumer Fraud Statutes, Deloitte ToucheFebruary 26, 2004
Press Releases
- January 29, 2021
- 18 Attorneys Earn “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 20, 2020
- January 29, 2020
- 18 Attorneys Earn “Lawyer of the Year” HonorsAugust 15, 2019
Memberships & Involvement
- Chicago Bar Association
Community/Civic Activities
- University of Illinois College of Law, Alumni Association Board of Directors, 2010-2012
- Defense Research Institute
- Heritage YMCA, Board of Directors, 2003-2007
- Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Naperville, IL, Chairman of Men's Ministries 2011-2019
Awards & Recognition
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Insurance Law, 2020 and 2021. Copyright 2015 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC
Named a Chicago Leading Lawyer for Commercial Litigation, Insurance, Insurance Coverage & Reinsurance Law, Personal Injury Defense Law: General, and Products Liability Defense, by the Leading Lawyers Network, 2004-2021. Law Bulletin Publishing Company
Recognized in Illinois Super Lawyers® for Business Litigation, Employee Benefits and Insurance Coverage, 2011-Present; Recognized in Law & Politics as an Illinois Super Lawyer for Business Litigation, 2005-2021
Recipient of Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review and Judicial Review Ratings