John Mathias is a senior litigation partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Insurance Recovery and Counseling Practice. A veteran trial lawyer and courtroom advocate, he has represented clients in their most challenging matters across a diverse range of sectors, including in the energy, manufacturing, railroad, trucking, fintech, food production, finance, aviation, life insurance, and reinsurance spaces, among many others. Clients value his sophisticated judgment and analysis, strategic advice, and ability to simplify and explain complex business disputes to judges, juries, and arbitrators.
John is nationally and internationally recognized in the insurance and reinsurance fields. Chambers USA has consistently given him top ranking in Insurance Disputes for many years. He has co-authored two leading treatises on insurance coverage disputes and D&O litigation. He has been a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel since its inception.
John also sits as an arbitrator in commercial disputes, including those involving insurance and reinsurance. He is a member of the Commercial Panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA-ICDR).
John began his career serving as a trial defense counsel in the Navy JAG Corps. Upon discharge he was evaluated as “undoubtedly one of the finest trial lawyers in the Navy today.”He has devoted himself to pro bono defense work over the course of his career, during which he has handled five death penalty cases as well as many other trials and appeals.
John has been a career long member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation, where he has served in many leadership capacities including on its governing Council. He was one of the original organizers of the Section’s highly successful Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee. He is the founder of the Dartmouth Lawyers Association, has served as President of Dartmouth’s Association of Alumni, and is a former President of the Harvard Law Society of Illinois.
Before starting any engagement, I make sure there is a mutual understanding of client objectives so that everything we do decreases the distance to those objectives.
Representative Matters
- Guiding a major international snack food company in insurance coverage litigation for business interruption losses caused by a malware attack.
- Helped a major Canadian life insurer pursuing reinsurance claims in a series of international arbitrations related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
- Pursued insurance coverage claims for a major electrical utility regarding accidental damage leading to the shutdown of a nuclear power plant.
- Represented a major Fintech company in successfully resolving a huge consumer class action related to telephone marketing.
- Led several insurance coverage lawsuits related to environmental and toxic tort claims for a major Class 1 railroad.
- Represented a national law firm in a successful jury trial obtaining insurance coverage for professional liability claims
Credentials
Service / Recognition
Overview
John Mathias is a senior litigation partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Insurance Recovery and Counseling Practice. A veteran trial lawyer and courtroom advocate, he has represented clients in their most challenging matters across a diverse range of sectors, including in the energy, manufacturing, railroad, trucking, fintech, food production, finance, aviation, life insurance, and reinsurance spaces, among many others. Clients value his sophisticated judgment and analysis, strategic advice, and ability to simplify and explain complex business disputes to judges, juries, and arbitrators.
John is nationally and internationally recognized in the insurance and reinsurance fields. Chambers USA has consistently given him top ranking in Insurance Disputes for many years. He has co-authored two leading treatises on insurance coverage disputes and D&O litigation. He has been a Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel since its inception.
John also sits as an arbitrator in commercial disputes, including those involving insurance and reinsurance. He is a member of the Commercial Panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA-ICDR).
John began his career serving as a trial defense counsel in the Navy JAG Corps. Upon discharge he was evaluated as “undoubtedly one of the finest trial lawyers in the Navy today.”He has devoted himself to pro bono defense work over the course of his career, during which he has handled five death penalty cases as well as many other trials and appeals.
John has been a career long member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation, where he has served in many leadership capacities including on its governing Council. He was one of the original organizers of the Section’s highly successful Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee. He is the founder of the Dartmouth Lawyers Association, has served as President of Dartmouth’s Association of Alumni, and is a former President of the Harvard Law Society of Illinois.
Before starting any engagement, I make sure there is a mutual understanding of client objectives so that everything we do decreases the distance to those objectives.
Areas of Focus
Representative Matters
- Guiding a major international snack food company in insurance coverage litigation for business interruption losses caused by a malware attack.
- Helped a major Canadian life insurer pursuing reinsurance claims in a series of international arbitrations related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
- Pursued insurance coverage claims for a major electrical utility regarding accidental damage leading to the shutdown of a nuclear power plant.
- Represented a major Fintech company in successfully resolving a huge consumer class action related to telephone marketing.
- Led several insurance coverage lawsuits related to environmental and toxic tort claims for a major Class 1 railroad.
- Represented a national law firm in a successful jury trial obtaining insurance coverage for professional liability claims
Credentials
Admissions
- Illinois
- California
Education
- Harvard Law School, JD
- Dartmouth College, BA, Phi Beta Kappa
Court Admissions
- US Supreme Court
- US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- US District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
Service / Recognition
Awards
- Benchmark Litigation, Insurance Litigation Star (National), 2009-2017; Litigation Star (Illinois), 2008-2017
- Business Today, Top Influential Insurance Dispute Resolution Lawyers in Illinois, 2023
- Chambers USA, Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (Illinois), 2004-2026; Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Policyholder (Nationwide), 2015-2020, 2023-2024
- Illinois Super Lawyers, Insurance Coverage, 2005-2023
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Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2026
- Lawdragon Magazine, 3000 Leading Lawyers in America, 2010; 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2006
- Leading Lawyers Network, Class Action/Mass Tort Defense Law, 2004-2014; Commercial Litigation, 2004-2019; Insurance, Insurance Coverage & Reinsurance Law, 2004-2019; Professional Malpractice Defense Law, Including Legal/Technical/Financial, 2004-2019
- Legal 500, Industry focus, Insurance, Advice to Policyholders, 2011, 2013, 2016-2021
- Legal Media Group, Best of the Best USA 2013, Insurance and Reinsurance, Expert Guides, Insurance and Reinsurance, 2007, 2013, 2015
- The Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law, 2006-2023, 2026
-
The BTI Class Action Leaders, 2026
- The National Law Journal, Insurance Trailblazer, 2021
- Who's Who Legal, International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Insurance and Reinsurance, 2007-2008, 2010-2012, 2015, 2023; International Who’s Who of Commercial Litigators, 2013; Who's Who Legal Illinois, Insurance and Reinsurance, 2007-2008; Insurance and Reinsurance’s Global Elite Thought Leaders, 2022
Community
- State of Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Commissioner, 2013
Service to the Bar
- American Bar Association, Chair; Death Penalty Representation Project; Co-Chair of Membership; Section of Litigation, Member,Civil Justice Initiative Task Force; Section of Litigation, Co-Chair, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, 1991-1994; Co-Chair, Bi-Partisan Task Force on Environmental Insurance Coverage Litigation, 1991-1994
- American College of Coverage Counsel, Fellow
- Chicago Bar Association
- Dartmouth Lawyers Association, President, 1984-1989
Industry
- American Arbitration Association, International Centre for Dispute Resolution, Panel Member, 2025
- Lex Mundi, Regional Vice Chair, North America, Insurance/Reinsurance Practice Group
Thought Leadership
Publications
- “Challenging an Arbitrator for Lack of Required Qualification – Revisited,” International Arbitration Law Review, August 2018
- “Challenging an Arbitrator for Lack of Required Qualification,” International Arbitration Law Review, February 2018
- Client Alert: NLJ names Jenner & Block as Insurance Litigation Department of the Year (Chicago), August 15, 2013
- Co-Author, "Insurance Coverage Disputes," American Lawyer Media Law Journal Press, Spring 2013
- Co-Author, "Directors and Officers Liability - Prevention, Insurance and Indemnification," American Lawyer Media Law Journal Press, February 2013
- To view John's extensive publications credentials, please click here.
Speaking Engagements
- “What’s Wrong with Arbitration?” IBA 2019 Insurance Conference, March 21, 2019
- "Global Legal Strategies for Managing Change and Mitigating Risk: 2013 and Beyond," Lex Mundi Insurance and Reinsurance Cross-Border Legal Summit, Munich, Germany, September 09, 2013 to September 10, 2013
- "Resolving Reinsurance Disputes at Home and Abroad: Developing the Case and Providing It at Trial or a Hearing," American Bar Association Section of Litigation Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Mid Year Meeting, Tucson, AZ, March 03, 2011 to March 05, 2011
- "Punitive Damages and Tort Reform," The International Bar Association's 2009 Annual Conference, Madrid, Spain, October 04, 2009 to October 09, 2009
- "Fronting Insurance," International Bar Association 2008 Annual Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 15, 2008
- To view John's extensive speaking engagement credentials, please click here.