Steven M. Puiszis

Steven Puiszis is a well-known and highly experienced trial attorney and mediator with a wide-ranging litigation and trial practice, who stopped counting after having taken more than 40 civil and criminal jury trials to verdict. He is one of the few attorneys nationally who has ever successfully defended through trial a federal class action lawsuit. Steve served as the Secretary-Treasurer and was a member of the Board of Directors of the DRI and is a past president of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel.

He is the author of "Illinois Governmental Tort and Section 1983 Civil Rights Liability," and municipal and civil rights law are two of the primary areas of his practice. Steve has handled a variety of claims in state and federal court on behalf of various units of state and local government. For example, he successfully represented the Governor and several other state officials in a civil rights action where the plaintiffs initially sought to certify a class of all developmentally disabled adults in Illinois who failed to receive residential Medicaid services on a timely basis. He also successfully defended the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services and several other state officials while serving as lead counsel in a class-action trial involving Illinois' Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act (SVP) Program. That matter involved a variety of constitutional challenges brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against Illinois' SVP Program.

In 2004, Steve obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial on behalf of a Cook County Assistant Public Defender in a legal malpractice action. In that case, the plaintiff had been convicted of a rape which he did not commit and sentenced to 36 years in prison. DNA testing, which occurred years after the conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal, established the plaintiff's innocence. The underlying criminal trial involved complex scientific issues, and Steve convinced the jury that his client's strategy for dealing with those issues at the criminal trial was both reasonable and appropriate. That case is believed to be the first legal malpractice case against a public defender taken to verdict in Illinois.

A number of matters involving the use of deadly force and claims of wrongful prosecution that he has handled on behalf of law enforcement officials in federal court have resulted in published appellate opinions affirming summary judgment in his client's favor. Steve also represented the DuPage County Board on issues stemming from the "DuPage 7" criminal prosecution. He has also been requested to defend the Sheriff of Cook County in a series of putative class actions stemming from procedures followed at the Cook County Jail, which is the largest single-site jail in the country.

In one of the municipal matters handled by Steve, (Zimmerman v. Village of Skokie), the Illinois Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the use of the common law's "public duty" doctrine to override statutory immunities available under the Illinois Tort Immunity Act. That decision substantially broadened the scope of protection available to local public entities and their employees under the Act.

Another matter he handled before the Illinois Supreme Court (Arteman vs. Clinton Community Unit School District) clarified the interplay of immunities between the Illinois School Code and the Tort Immunity Act, and substantially broadened the scope of protection available to school districts in Illinois. As a result of that decision, Illinois school districts can now raise the Tort Immunity Act as defense to claims involving the provision of defective equipment and the failure to provide safety equipment to its students.

Steve's litigation background is not strictly limited to the representation of local units of government or state and local officials. He has also successfully handled numerous professional liability claims on behalf of attorneys, architects, engineers, and various health care providers. With his background in accounting, he has also been asked to handle matters involving sophisticated accounting and tax issues, including the representation of lawyers and accountants in professional liability matters. He has also successfully handled various types of product liability claims.

Steve joined Hinshaw in January 1984. He is the firm's General Counsel - Privacy, Security & Compliance and also serves as Hinshaw's Privacy and Security Officer. Steve began his legal career in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office where he served in the Special Prosecution and General Criminal Divisions. He is a member of the firm's business litigation practice group and electronic discovery committee.

Steve is a member of DRI. He served as the Secretary-Treasurer (2013 – 2014) of DRI after having served on DRI's Board of Directors (2010 – 2014). In addition, Steve served on DRI's Amicus Committee and is the former Chair of its Judicial Task Force (2010 – 2013).

In 2013, Steve was appointed the Chair of a Task Force formed by DRI's Center for Law and Public Policy, directed at proposed legislation dealing with asset freezing orders drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The following video addresses some of the issues involving the proposed Asset Freezing Orders Act: [VIDEO] DRI Advocacy — Uniform Asset Freezing Act.

In 2010, Steve was added to the Seventh Circuit's Electronic Discovery Pilot Program.

In the Fall of 2005, Steve completed intensive training in mediation from the faculty of Pepperdine University School of Law's top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and is a Certified Mediator in the Cook County Court-Annexed Major Case Civil Mediation Program.

• American Bar Association
  • Former Vice Chair
    • Governmental Liability Committee
    • Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section
• American Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA)
•  DRI
  • Amicus Committee, 2010 – 2013
  • Board of Directors, 2010 – 2014
    • Secretary-Treasurer, 2013 – 2014
  • Center for Law and Public Policy, Chair, 2016 – 2017; Vice Chair, 2015 – 2016
  • Judicial Task Force, Former Chair, 2010 – 2013
• Illinois Association of Defense Counsel (IDC), Former President
• International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
• International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
  • Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US)
• Society of Trial Lawyers

• Louis B. Potter Lifetime Professional Service Award, DRI, 2019
• Distinguished Member Award, IDC, for his work on DRI's report, "Without Fear or Favor in 2011, A New Decade of Challenges to Judicial Independence and Accountability," June 2011
• Recognized on the Super Lawyers list by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, 2005 – 2007, 2009
• Holds the AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability
• Recognized by his peers as a "Leading Lawyer" in the categories of Civil Rights/Constitutional Law; Governmental, Municipal, Lobbying & Administrative Law; Personal Injury Defense Law: General; and Professional Malpractice Defense Law: Including Legal/Technical/Financial

In addition to his noteworthy municipal and civil rights representations, Steve has represented the following clients in product liability litigation:

• Served as co-lead trial counsel for the target defendant, building owner, in 21 lawsuits consolidated for trial stemming from the fire at the Cook County Administration Building in downtown Chicago, which resulted in 6 deaths and 16 people injured, in which approximately 300 witnesses were deposed. A key immunity ruling against the City of Chicago resulted in the City paying $50 million of the $100 million settlement. This was a landmark case in Cook County civil court history.
• Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. – In a span of approximately 18 months, Steve obtained summary judgment in five separate product liability actions involving wrongful death and personal injury claims allegedly resulting from defects in different products manufactured by Furnas Electric Co., a division of Siemens.
• Rudd Industries – Steve secured a jury verdict in favor of his client in Mark v. Rudd International, in which he represented the manufacturer of an FAA air traffic controller chair in a product liability claim filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiff contended that an adjustable height control mechanism for the air traffic controller's chair (manufactured in Germany and distributed by a company in the Netherlands) malfunctioned, allegedly causing the chair to rapidly descend and cause a back injury that the plaintiff claimed prevented him from returning to work as an air traffic controller. Third-party actions for contribution were filed in that matter against the foreign manufacturer and distributor of the failed component part.

In the area of professional liability, Steve handled a claim resulting in the first reported Illinois appellate decision interpreting the Accountant's Privity Statute in Chestnut v. Pestine, Branati, et al., reported at 607 N.E.2d 543. He also represented a Dallas-based law firm in a professional liability claim filed in federal district court in St. Louis, Missouri, arising from that firm's handling of an antitrust lawsuit on behalf of a local telephone company against several of the "Baby Bells." The underlying antitrust lawsuit involved the manner in which long distance phone calls were billed and reimbursed. The case was ultimately settled for a modest amount, and for a fraction of the settlement demand made before Steve assumed the defense.

Steve was one of three Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP attorneys requested to coordinate the defense of the 1995 Illinois Civil Justice Reform Amendments against multiple constitutional challenges in several consolidated lawsuits filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County. As part of that assignment, he briefed and argued the constitutionality of the "cap" on non-economic damages at the trial court level.

Steve successfully represented the following clients in significant general litigation:

• Chicago White Sox/Illinois Sports Facilities Authority – Steve secured a jury verdict in favor of the defendants in Kaishas v. Chicago White Sox, a general liability claim in which the plaintiff was struck by a foul ball hit by Tim Raines, then an outfielder for the White Sox. The plaintiff suffered a serious facial injury, and the case turned on the safety provided to patrons of baseball games.
• CNA Insurance Companies – Steve obtained a jury verdict in favor of building owner CNA in Atkins v. Otis Elevator Co., et al., a general liability claim alleging that an elevator suddenly dropped five floors, injuring the plaintiff and several other passengers.
• Sprint Centel/360E Communications – Steve won summary judgment in a Structural Work Act claim arising out of the remodeling of Sprint Centel's corporate offices in Illinois. Following the spin-off of 360E Communications from Sprint, Steve was asked to redraft the indemnification provisions of 360E's communication tower construction and maintenance agreements, an assignment that involved a review of the relevant law in 36 states where 360E's towers were located or planned.

Steve is a frequent speaker on litigation-related topics, including "The E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – That Light You See is Not the End of the Tunnel," a presentation that qualified for two hours of Continuing Legal Education credit. He has delivered this presentation to all of Hinshaw's attorneys as well as to various clients since 2007, including Markel Corp., Walsh Construction Co., The Illinois Attorney General's Office, the civil divisions of the Cook and DuPage County States Attorneys Offices, the long-term care group at American Health Lawyers Association 2007 annual conference in Chicago, the legal departments of the Chicago Park District, METRA and to members of the legal and information technology departments of TTX Company. 

Additionally, Steve was interviewed on the "Crisis in the State Judicial System" on VoiceAmerica on October 8, 2013, shortly after the United States federal government entered a shutdown on October 1, 2013.

His other presentations include:

• "'Mr. Roboto' by Styx: Navigating Generative AI’s Ethical and Professional Risks," Hinshaw University, CLE Webinar, September 26, 2024
• Moderator, "Prompt Engineering: The Next Frontier in Law Firm Risk Management," Hinshaw’s 23rd Annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference (LMRM), Chicago, Illinois, March 7, 2024
• Panelist, "The Opportunities, Challenges and the Future of Generative AI/ChatGPT for Law Firms," Anchin, New York, New York, July 25, 2023
• Moderator, "Mitigating Cyber Risk to Law Firms from Artificial Intelligence and Supply Chain Hacks," Hinshaw’s 22nd Annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference (LMRM), Chicago, Illinois, March 9, 2023
• Moderator, "Cybersecurity in Legal Services Regulation," 2022 International Conference of Legal Regulators (ICLR), University Club, Chicago, Illinois, October 28, 2022
• Panelist, "Navigating Ethical Issues in the Wake of a Cyber Breach," 42nd Annual Ray Garrett Jr. Corporate & Securities Law and 61st Annual Corporate Counsel Institute, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, September 22, 2022
• Moderator, "Ransomware – The Harsh Reality: A Battle with New Rules," Hinshaw’s 21st Annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference (LMRM), Chicago, Illinois, March 3, 2022
• Panelist, "Ethical and Risk Management Issues for Lawyers and Law Firms When Moving to the Cloud," LMRM Conference, Virtual Event, March 4, 2021
• Panelist, "The Duty of Technological Competence," LMRM Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 5, 2020 
• Moderator, "CCPA's Unintended Consequences: The Use of Privacy Laws to Steal Identities and other Risks to Law Firms," LMRM Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 5, 2020
• Panelist, "Social Media Issues: Addressing Negative Online Reviews, Geo-Fencing, and More, Including What is Permitted Versus Practical," Mid-Year Meeting of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, Austin, Texas, February 14, 2020
• "Cyber Security and Legal Ethics," Sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association's Professional Responsibility Committee, Chicago, Illinois, February 4, 2020
• "Keeping the Barbarians Away from the Gates," Illinois Association of Healthcare Lawyers, Chicago, Illinois, June 27, 2019 
• Panelist, "Professional Responsibility Implications of Evolving Technology and Other Emerging Trends," Young Professionals Event Presented by the ABA's Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability, Chicago, Illinois, June 6, 2019
• "Data Privacy and Cybersecurity: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know," DRI's Super Litigation Business Conference, Austin, Texas, May 9, 2019
• "What You Can Learn from Winston Churchill About Cyber Security," Hinshaw's 18th Annual LMRM Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 7, 2019
• "Trending: GDRP and Data Privacy Laws?," ABA TECHSHOW, Chicago, Illinois, February 28, 2019
• "Oh, What a Tangled Dark Web They Weave!," Mid-Year Meeting of the National Organization of Bar Counsel, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 24, 2019
• "Evolving Technology and Professional Responsibility: Teaching Lawyers New Tricks," Panel Presentation, ABA's National Legal Malpractice Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 28, 2018
• "Network Security and Privacy Risk for Managed Care: The Future of Cyber Risk," Panel Presentation, Willis Tower Watson's 13th Annual Managed Care Roundtable, Chicago, Illinois, September 25, 2018
• "Law Firm Security: The Dos and the Don'ts," DRI Managing Partner's Conference, Chicago, Illinois, September 7, 2018
• "Law Firm Security: Keeping You and Your Information Safe," Panel Presentation, DRI Tech Summit, Chicago, Illinois, September 5, 2018
• "Do the Shoemaker's Children have Shoes? Cybersecurity Awareness for Lawyer Regulatory Offices," National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC) Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, August 2, 2018
• "School Data Breaches: Are You Prepared?," School Personnel Administrators Boot Camp, Chicago, Illinois, June 21, 2018
• "Tried True & Cutting Edge InfoSEC Policies," ILTA LegalSEC 2018 Summit, Arlington, Virginia, June 12, 2018
• "The Dynamics of Policies and Procedures," ILTA LegalSEC 2018 Summit, Arlington, Virginia, June 11, 2018
• "Are You Competent in the Technology of Your Law Practice?," panel presentation at Ethics 2018, sponsored by Law Bulletin Seminars, Chicago, Illinois, June 5, 2018
• "Mitigating Law Firm Cyber Risk," Ethics Institute: Ethics in Practice, sponsored by the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Chicago, Illinois, June 1, 2018
• Panelist, "Information Governance Part II – The Ethics of Data Breach Reaction," 44th ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibility, Louisville, Kentucky, May 31, 2018
• "Emerging Technology: Data Privacy in the Legal Industry," Thomson Reuters Data Privacy Networking Event, Chicago, Illinois, May 23, 2018
• "An Advanced Practicum on Social Engineering Fraud," Hinshaw's 17th Annual LMRM Conference, March 7, 2017, Chicago, Illinois
• "The Changing Regulatory Landscape of the Legal Profession: Litigation Funding, Non Lawyer Ownership of Law Firms and Entity Regulation," DRI Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, October 4, 2017
• "Creating an Online Presence and How to Use it for Business Development," webinar presentation cosponsored by DRI and IDC, September 28, 2017
• "Never Could Program that VCR? You Still Need to Understand Cybersecurity," New York Law Firm Risk Management Roundtable, The Harvard Club, New York, New York, September 27, 2017 
• "Prying Eyes: Think Confidential and Privileged Information Is Safe At The Border? Guess Again," Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association, New York, New York, August 11, 2017  
• "Developing a Culture of Security at Your Law Firm," Videotaped presentation for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission to be used as part of its Proactive Management Based Regulation, Chicago, Illinois, June 30, 2017
• "The Rendering of Legal Services by Non-Lawyers," DRI's 2017 Insurance Roundtable, Chicago, Illinois, June 16, 2017
• "A Fireside Chat: The Future of Cybersecurity Law," International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) Legal Sec conference, Arlington, Virginia, June 13, 2017
• "Information Governance-The Ethics of Data Protection and Data Breach Reaction," ABA's National Conference on Professional Responsibility, St. Louis, Missouri, June 2017  
• "Tales from the dark web: strategies to mitigate your risk," The Eight Annual General Counsel, Compliance and Risk Forum 2017, London, England, May 16, 2017
• "Balancing Security and Convenience: Law Firms and Technology," Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, Illinois, May 10, 2017
• "Meeting the Ethical Duty of Technology Competence under Rule 1.6 for Data & Cyber Security," Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, Chicago, Illinois, April 24, 2017
• "Tightening Up the Soft Underbelly - How to Mitigate Cyber Risk for You and Your Firm," Cyber security PowerPoint presented at a seminar sponsored by ABOTA, the American Board of Trial Advocates, Edwardsville, Illinois, March 23, 2017 
• "Know Your Enemy - How Hackers Exploit Your Vulnerabilities," Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2017
• "Are You Willing To Personally Insure Your Client's Data Security?," The Unintended Consequence of Standard Service Provider Indemnity Agreements, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Midyear Meeting, Scottsdale, Arizona, February 2017
• "Planning for and Responding to Security Incidents and Data Breaches in Law Firms," webinar sponsored by World Trademark Review, December 7, 2016
• "New Strategies for Asserting Absolute Immunity and Proportionality in Civil Rights Cases," New Mexico Association of Defense Counsel, Albuquerque, New Mexico, December 2, 2016
• "The Use of Artificial Intelligence, Electronic Discovery, Storage and Privacy, IDC Ethics Seminar, November 14, 2016
• "30 in 30," Law Firm General Counsel Workshop, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C., October 21, 2016
• "Tightening Up the Soft Underbelly ‐ How to Mitigate the Risk that You and Your Law Firm Will Suffer a Data Breach," Perspectives, Predictions and Pointers An IDC/MODL Defense Law Seminar, St. Louis, Missouri, September 29, 2016
• "Risk Management Unboxed," ILTA (International Legal Technology Association) 2016 conference, Baltimore, Maryland, August 31, 2016
• "Technethics: Ethical Issues in the Technology Age," Ethics 2016 seminar sponsored by the Law Bulleting and the ARDC, Chicago, Illinois, June 2016
• "Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them—Ethical and Risk Management Issues for Law Firms That Adopt a 'BYOD' Approach to Mobile Technology,'' California State Bar Health Law Committee meeting, Los Angeles, California, June 2016
• "The aftermath of a cyber breach: what you need to know (and do)," The Seventh Annual General Counsel, Compliance and Risk Forum 2016, London, England, May 2016
• "Who's Getting Sanctioned and Why?," Hinshaw & Culbertson's Law Firm General Counsel Roundtable, University Club, Chicago, Illinois, May 2016
• "Duty of Technology Competence," DRI's 2016 Trucking Conference, Chicago, Illinois, April 15, 2016
• "Law, Policy, and Implementation of Legal Protections for Data Management," JITPL Symposium 2016, Part II, Chicago, Illinois, April 12, 2016 
• "The Ethical Implications of Requiring Lawyers to be Conversant with Technology," Adam Smith Esq, and Access Data, webinar, March 22, 2016
• "Preparing for and Responding When the Inevitable Data Breach Occurs," Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2016
• "Unsolved Mysteries: Latest Amendments to the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure," Hinshaw University webinar, Chicago, Illinois, February 18, 2016 
• "The 2015 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Discovery," DRI and SLDO (state and local defense organization) at DRI's leadership conference, Chicago, Illinois, January 2016
• "42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 and Tort Immunity for Governmental Entities in Illinois," John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois, January 2016
• "Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Ethical and Practical Risks/Rewards of Using Smart phones & Tablets for Work," American Bar Association, webinar sponsored by the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, January 13, 2016
• "Using and Opposing Expert Witnesses in Trucking Litigation, Ethical and Practical Considerations," co-authored with Carlton Fisher, DRI, For The Defense, Vol. 57, No. 12, December 2015
• "The Amendments to the Federal Rules on Discovery: Using the New Rule 26 to Help Your Clients," webcast presentation sponsored by DRI's Center for Law and Public Policy, December 10, 2015
• "Risk Management for Law Firms: How to Prevent Legal Malpractice Claims," DRI webinar, November 19, 2015
• "Gifting Down to Brass Tasks: Ethical Issues for Lawyers on the Move," Panel presentation on ethical and fiduciary issues involved in lawyers moving between law firms or from public to private practice at the ABA's 23rd Fall Conference of its Section on Environmental, Energy and Resources Law (SEER), Chicago, Illinois, October 30, 2015
• "Best Practices for Mitigating Your Cyber Risk and Responding to Data Breaches," PowerPoint presentation at Honeywell Connect 2015, Phoenix, Arizona, October 22, 2015
• "Statutory, Ethical and Practical Considerations for Avoiding and Responding to a Law Firm Data Breach," DRI's Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., October 8, 2015
• "What You Need to Know about Technology – Benefits and Challenges," PowerPoint presentation at the Law Firm General Counsel Workshop, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington D.C., September 17, 2015
• "Who Says I Have to Understand Technology?," Ethics 2015, written materials and power point presentation for panel presentation on a lawyer's ethical duties relating to technology, Chicago, Illinois, June 2015
• "Hiring and Using Experts in Trucking Litigation: Do's, Don'ts and Ethical Considerations," Power point presentation and written materials at DRI's Defending Trucking Litigation Primer for Young Lawyers, Chicago, Illinois, June 2015
• "The Rosetta Stone: Engaging Infosec and Legal Professionals," International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) LegalSEC Summit 2015, Baltimore, Maryland, June 2015
• "Bring Your Own Device," Participated in a panel presentation and prepared written materials addressing the ethical and security risks faced by law firms adopting a BYOD policy as well as the practical strategies and policies that should be considered to mitigate those risks, at the American Bar Association's 41st National Conference on Professional Responsibility, Denver, Colorado, May 2015
• "Technology and Cyber Update," Sixth Annual General Counsel, Compliance and Risk Forum 2015, London, England, May 2015
• "Enhancing Your Data Protection and Mitigating Your Cyber Risk," Power Point presentation at the Chicago Bar Association to its Professional Responsibility Committee, Chicago, Illinois, May 6, 2015
• "Planning for and Responding to Security Incidents and Data Breaches in Law Firms," Law Firm General Counsel Roundtable sponsored by Legal Management Resources LLC,  Baltimore, Maryland, April 2015
• "Understanding and Navigating Illinois E-discovery Rules," Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel's Spring Symposium, Chicago, Illinois, April 2015
• "Enhancing Your Data Protection and Mitigating Your Cyber Risk," Hinshaw's Fourteenth Annual Legal Malpractice and Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, February 2015
• "Rules and Issues Surrounding Ediscovery in Illinois," Joint Conference of the Illinois Judges Association and the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Chicago, Illinois, February 2015
• "Data Breaches: Preparing For The Inevitable and Responding When It Happens," Hinshaw & Culbertson's Law Firm General Counsel Roundtable, Chicago, Illinois, January 2015
• "Ethics in the Breach," DRI's Data Breach and Privacy Law Seminar, Chicago, Illinois, September 2014
• "Financial Influences on the Judiciary, panelist with the former Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Wallace Jefferson, addressing, judicial selection methods, judicial disqualification and recusal, strategies for delivering justice to those who cannot afford it, and strategies to provide adequate funding of our state courts," at the Tenth Annual Conference of the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence, Chicago, Illinois, July 14, 2014
• "Illinois' Proposed Ediscovery Rules," Panelist with the current and immediate past chairs of the Illinois Supreme Court Discovery Committee, Judge Maureen Connors (1st Appellate District) and Barbara Petrungaro (Will County), on new ediscovery rules in Illinois, at the James R. Thompson Center, Assembly Hall Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, May 29, 2014
• "Law Firms: Cyber Space's Soft Underbelly?," Panel presentation on law firm cyber liability at the Fifth Annual General Counsel, Compliance and Risk Forum, 2014, sponsored by Clyde & Co. and Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in London, England, May 2014
• "Developments (and Sometimes Disasters) in High-Tech E-Discovery: Risks, Consequences and Better (or Worse) Practices," and "The General Counsel Forum," Legal Malpractice & Risk Management Conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2014
• "Using Social Media—Legal and Ethical Issues of Getting Connected,"  International Association of Defense Counsel, webinar, June 2013
• "Law Practice Management in the Electronic Age," co-presenter, Law Bulletin Seminars, Chicago, Illinois, June 2013
• "Hazing: Precautions, Warnings and Steps to Take," Illinois Athletic Directors Association, Peoria, Illinois, May 2013
• "First Amendment," DuPage County Bar Association, DuPage County Courthouse and Administration Building, Wheaton, Illinois, April 2013
• "Litigation Holds, Anticipated Litigation, and Social Media, Oh My!" panelist, ABA Section of Litigation Section's Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, April 2013
• "The Need for Lawyers to Protect Judicial Independence," Illinois Association of Defense Trial Counsel, Chicago, Illinois, January 2013
• "New Litigation Risks Associated With EHR Systems and Electronic Communications," Illinois State Medical Society, November 2012
• "First Amendment Rights of Public Employees," Hinshaw's Annual Labor & Employment Seminar, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, October 2012
• "Unexpected Consequences of Electronic Health Record Systems and Communication: New Litigation Risks," ISMIE Mutual Insurance, Effingham, Illinois, October 2012
• "Unexpected Consequences of Electronic Health Record Systems and Communication: New Litigation Risks," Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and ISMIE Mutual Insurance, Oak Brook, Illinois, June 2012
• "Can Schools Discipline Students for Internet Use?" Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, June 2012
• "Electronic Health Record Implementation: Meeting the Meaningful Use Requirements and Risk Management Issues in HER Implementation,"Hinshaw's Annual Health Care Conference, Lisle, Illinois, November 2011
• "Legal Implications of Social Media for Public Entities," IRMA Joint Steering Committee Workshop, Westchester, Illinois, June 2011
• "Understanding the Intricacies of Section 1983 Civil Rights Claims," Public Risk Management Association's (PRIMA) Annual National Conference, Portland, Oregon, June 2011
• "Without Fear or Favor in 2011, A New Decade of Challenges to Judicial Independence and Accountability," DRI annual meeting of DRI State and Local Defense Organization (SLDO) Executive Directors and DRI State Representatives, Chicago, Illinois, March 2011
• "The Intricacies of Federal Section 1983 Civil Rights Claims," Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA), live webinar, March 2011
• "Social Media Implications to Law Enforcement and Other Public Entities," Association of Governmental Risk Pools (AGRiP) Spring Conference, Clearwater, Florida, March 2011
• "Ediscovery Ethics," International Association of Korean Lawyers, Chicago, Illinois, September 2010
• "Intricacies of 1983 Civil Rights Liability," Public Risk Management Agency (PRIMA) Annual National Conference, Orlando, Florida, June 2010
• "Best Practices for DRI State Representatives," DRI Meeting of Executive Directors and State Representatives, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2010
• "E-Discovery: Get in Step with the 21st Century," Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, live webinar, February 2010
• "Ediscovery and Email Risk Management," Illinois Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Springfield, Illinois, February 2010
• "Internet Marketing in the 21st Century: Are You LinkedIn?" DRI Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, October 2009
• "Understanding Legal Risk, Ethics and Privacy Involving the Use of Social Media," Media Skills Workshop panel discussion, National Association of Medical Communicators, Chicago, Illinois, September 2009
• "Risk Management and Ethical Considerations Involving E-Discovery," CPCU Society, Chicago, Illinois, September 2009
• "Schools and Social Media: First Amendment Issues Arising from Student Use of the Internet," DuPage County Regional Office of Education, Wheaton, Illinois, May 2009
• "Section 1983 File Handling Checklist," Chicago Park District Legal Department, Chicago, Illinois, May 2009
• "Risk Management and Ethics Involving E-Discovery," Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Chicago, Illinois, March 2009
• "Blog Now, Pay Later—Legal Issues Concerning Social Networking Sites," Illinois Association of School Boards, Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 2008
• "The Trial Attorney and Class Action Litigation in America," Union League Club of Chicago's Public Affairs Committee and the Illinois Channel videotaped forum, Chicago, Illinois, November 2008
• "Benefits & Pitfalls of Electronic Medical Records and Communications Technologies," Illinois Risk Management Services 24th Annual Risk Managers Meeting, Springfield, Illinois, September 2008
• "What Do Healthcare Lawyers Need to Know about E-Discovery?" American Health Lawyers Association's Annual Meeting & In-House Counsel Program, San Francisco, California, July 2008
• "Training New Board Members," Defense Research Institute North Central Regional Meeting, Savannah, Georgia, January 2008
• "Preserving and Producing Electronic Evidence," Illinois Council of School Attorneys' 21st Annual Seminar on School Law,"Chicago, Illinois, November 2007
• "Are Your Information and Record-Keeping Systems Ready for the New Rules on E-Discovery?" Hinshaw's Health Care Conference: Current Issues Affecting the Governance and Management of Hospitals and Health Systems, Oakbrook, Illinois, November 2007
• "Emerging Issues Confronting Public Employers, Including Section 1983," Hinshaw's "Effectively Dealing with Current Labor & Employment Issues"seminar, Chicago, Illinois, September 2007
• "Emerging Issues on Electronic Discovery,"Federal Civil Practice Committee, Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, Illinois, September 2007

• Co-Author, "An Update on Lawyers' Duty of Technologic Competence: Part 2," New York Law Journal, May 3, 2019
• Co-Author, "An Update on Lawyers' Duty of Technological Competence: Part 1," New York Law Journal, March 1, 2019
• "Who Bears the Risk of Loss When a Hacker Targets a Settlement?," ABA The Professional Lawyer, Vol. 25, No. 1, 2018
• Co-Author, "The EU General Protection Regulation: Why It Matters Here," New York Law Journal, May 4, 2018
• "Prevention and Response: A Two-Pronged Approach to Cyber Security and Incident Response Planning," ABA The Professional Lawyer, Vol. 24, No. 3., November 2017
• "Perspective: Technology Brings a New Definition of Competency," Bloomberg BNA, April 12, 2016
• "Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them—Ethical and Risk Management Issues for Law Firms That Adopt a "BYOD" Approach to Mobile Technology," ABA Journal for the Professional Lawyer, November 2015
• "Data Protection and Privacy in the United States," Book chapter in Risk Management in Law Firms, published by Globe Publishing, Ltd., First Edition, London, England, 2014, sponsored by the International Bar Association
• "Mitigating Law Firms' Cyber Risk," Book chapter in Risk Management in Law Firms, published by Globe Publishing, Ltd., First Edition, London, England, 2014, sponsored by the International Bar Association
• Co-Author, "The Economics of Justice," published by DRI, July 2014
• "The Role of General Counsel in Law Firm Risk Management," Book chapter in Law Firm Practice Management, The DRI Defense Library Series, DRI, 2014
• "Ediscovery and Enterprise Risk Management," Book chapter: Second Edition, 2013
• Established Hinshaw's "Practical Ediscovery" blog and served as its Editor-in-Chief.
• Author of Illinois Governmental Tort and Section 1983 Civil Rights Liability, now in its third edition, published by Lexis Publishing (formerly Mathew Bender) with yearly cumulative supplements. The book is unique in that it is strictly devoted to liability issues facing units of government and public officials in state and federal court
• Author of a chapter, "E-Discovery and Enterprise Risk Management," in the American Health Lawyers Association book, Enterprise Risk Management Handbook for Healthcare Entities, First Edition, published in 2009
• Served as the Editor of "Without Fear or Favor in 2011, A New Decade of Challenges to Judicial Independence and Accountability," a report issued by DRI's Judicial Task Force

Steve has also written a number of articles on litigation-related and other topics, including:

• Co-Author, "The Economics of Justice," a white paper addressing strategies to address the underfunding of our state courts, published by DRI, July 2014
• "The Role of General Counsel in Law Firm Risk Management," Law Firm Practice Management, DRI, June 2014
• "The Need to Protect Judicial Independence," For the Defense, DRI, April 2013
• "The Uniform Asset Freezing Orders Act: A Cause for Concern," For the Defense, DRI, Vol 55, No. 3, March 2013
• "Reconciling Federal Rule of Evidence 502 with Model Rule 1.6," For the Defense, DRI, Vol 55, No. 3, March 2013
• "'Tinkering' With the First Amendment's Protection of Student Speech on the Internet," The John Marshall Journal of Computer & Information Law, Fall 2012, Vol. XXIX, No. 2
• "On/Off-Campus Lines Now Blurred by Internet Speech," The Illinois School Board Journal, September / October 2012, Vol. 80, No. 5
• "The Illinois Citizen Participation Act Provides Immunity for the Exercise of First Amendment Rights," IDC Quarterly, Second Quarter 2009
• "Schools and Social Media: First Amendment Issues Arising from Student Use of Social Media," co-author, Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, Aspen Publishers, April 2009
• "Navigating the Quagmire of E-Discovery in Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems," paper, American Health Lawyers Association 2008 Annual Meeting & In-House Counsel Program, San Francisco, California, July 2008
• "A Civil Justice System That is Out of Balance," President's Message, IDC Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2d. Qtr. 2007; and Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Law Day, 2007
• "What Do the E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Rock Musical Hair Have In Common?" IDC Quarterly, Volume 17, Number 1, 1st Qtr. 2007
• "Are Your Information and Record Keeping Systems Ready for the New Federal Rules on Electronic Discovery?," Illinois Association of School Boards Newsbulletin, February 2007
• "Take Time to Learn About Judicial Elections," Daily Southtown, November 6, 2006
• "Developing Trends With The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005," The John Marshall Law Review, Vol. 40 No. 1, Fall 2006
• "What Makes a Lawyer Great?," President's Message, IDC Quarterly, Summer 2006
• "The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 – Navigating Through its Sea of Uncertainty, Part II," For the Defense, Vol. 47, No. 11, Defense Research Institute, November 2005
• "The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 – Navigating Through its Sea of Uncertainty, Part I," For the Defense, Vol. 47, No. 10, Defense Research Institute, October 2005
• "Fabiano vs. City of Palos Hills. A Modern Day Merchant of Venice," IDC Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 1, 1st Qtr. 2003
• "Tort Immunity for Discretionary Policy Determinations," Feature Article, IDC Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 20, 2nd Qtr. 2001
• "No Representation Without Indemnification Under the Public Defender Immunity Act," IDC Quarterly, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2nd Qtr. 2001
• "Title IX Damages Liability Extended to Students on Student Harassment," DCBA Brief, Vol. 12, No. 2, October 1999
• "Does the Local Governmental Tort Immunity Act Stand in Derogation of the Common Law?" (co-author with W. Morgan), IDC Quarterly, Vol. 8, No. 3, 3rd Qtr. 1998
• "Now You See It, Now You Don't - How the Immunity for ‘Executing or Enforcing the Law' Magically Disappeared," IDC Quarterly, Vol. 7, No. 5, 1st Qtr. 1998
• "Update on Peremptory Challenges: J.E.B. v. Alabama ex rel, T.B., Significant Case Comment," IDC Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1st Qtr. 1995
• "Honda Motor Co. v. Oberg: Punitive Damages Update, Significant Case Comment," IDC Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 3, 3rd Qtr. 1994
• "Constitutional Arguments Against the Imposition of Punitive Damages in Illinois," Monograph Article, IDC Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 3, 3rd Qtr. 1993
• "Will the Peremptory Challenge Survive its Battle with the Equal Protection Clause?" The John Marshall Law Review, Vol. 25, No. 1, Fall 1991