CBA Record July-August 2022

W hen talking with Tim Tomasik, it’s easy to forget that you are speaking to one of the country’s top trial lawyers. With his affable manner and quick smile, he makes connections with people in a way that seems effort less. “Tim is very likeable and very well respected – he’s really just a stand-up person,” says Tomasik’s long-time friend and former colleague Matthew P. Walsh, a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson. Tomasik is the son of an OB/GYN father and a social worker-turned-home maker mother, who raised Tim and his four siblings. After graduating from Joliet Catholic High School, Tomasik headed west to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder, partly to gain exposure to a new area of the country. While there he studied journalism, and seriously con sidered becoming a journalist. He then enrolled in law school at the University of Denver, where he completed his law degree in 1989. “As I was finishing law school, I realized what I really wanted to do was be an advocate, someone who could fight for victims and consum ers. About that time, I was an extern in the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office, and I realized that being in the courtroom was really satisfying to me.” That realization led him back to Chicago and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. But though he loves Colorado and returns regularly with his family, he always knew that Chicago would be his home. Early Trial Years Tomasik began his legal career at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Initially assigned to traffic court, he cut his teeth on trial work. He eventually made his way to the felony trial division at 26th & California, in what is now known as the Leighton Criminal Court Build ing. Looking back, Tomasik reflects “I wanted to be a prosecutor in a big city, so I applied to the State’s Attorney’s Office, and that’s how my career took off. I thought I would only be there for a couple of years, but I enjoyed the work so much I ended up staying over eight. It was a rewarding and fantastic career opportunity.” He eventually rose to the

Tim with colleagues from his law office Tomasik Kotin Kasserman. Pictured from left, Rima Geimer, Robert Geimer, Tim Tomasik, Jennifer Tomasik, CBA President 2016-17 Daniel Kotin, Jean Kotin, Dawn Kasserman, and Sean Kasserman.

office’s Bureau of Special Prosecutions, where he handled a number of high-pro file cases, including capital murder and sexual assault cases. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas V. Lyons II, who served with him as an Assistant State’s Attorney, says, “Tim was highly regarded as an ASA, and tried a lot of very diffi cult cases. He earned an excellent repu tation as a tough but fair prosecutor.” Walsh also worked with Tomasik at the State’s Attorney’s Office and praised his early trial skills: “I saw him perform as a prosecutor. He’s a well-respected and effective attorney. He is extremely ethical, and he’s a man who will always stand by his word.” Private Practice After eight years at the State’s Attorney’s Office and knowing that he wanted to continue to try cases, Tomasik inter viewed with Robert Clifford, former CBA President, trial lawyer, and founding part ner of Clifford Law Offices. Clifford says that hiring Tomasik was an easy decision: “When you meet Tim, you know you’re talking to a very grounded, thoughtful person and lawyer. He has a wonderful presence that exudes confidence in his knowledge of the relevant topic, and he also is fair-minded. His reputation pre

ceded him as a capable trial lawyer… I knew he would be a natural fit. He was an easy person to invite into our ranks.” Tomasik spent about 15 years at Clif ford Law, trying dozens of cases along the way. Among the biggest cases was litigation related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Clifford and Toma sik were lead counsel for the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and spent nearly nine years together litigating the matter. Clifford recalls, “I was very fortunate to have Tim as my partner in that case – he was tireless. He knew the file, even though we had tens of thousands of doc uments that we managed and reviewed and conducted hundreds of deposi tions. Tim was essential to our success in that case.” While significant portions of the case remain confidential, the liti gation ultimately settled for $1.2 billion. It was also at Clifford Law that Toma sik won a $75 million settlement as a result of a 2002 tragic scaffolding col lapse at the John Hancock Center. Scaf folding fell from the building’s 43rd floor, killing three people and seriously injur ing seven others. Dan Boho, a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson, represented one of the defendants in that litigation. “Tim took the lead in over 100 deposi tions in the litigation, distinguishing him

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